----- Original Message ----- From: OPC International <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Opsecrets <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, 19 October 1999 10:50 AM Subject: "Offshore & Privacy Secrets, October 18, 1999" > ================================================================ > >> "Offshore & Privacy Secrets, October 18, 1999" << > Published by OPC International > http://offshoreprofit.com > ================================================================ > > CONTENTS > > [1] Welcome! > [2] Feedback > [3] Negotiating Your Own Tax Bill > [4] Going into "Debt" - to Protect Your Assets > [5] NewsBriefs > [6] New Articles, Products & Services > > ================================================================ > [1] Welcome! > ================================================================ > > Welcome to another issue - and a special welcome to our new > subscribers. The more the merrier! > > An interesting international development this week showed up the > West's preoccupation with "democracy". Pakistan has had a military > coup. The West is appalled - and will apply all sorts of pressure, > even sanctions, to get Pakistan back on the straight and narrow. > > However, it appears that Pakistanis themselves, are quite relaxed > and happy about the coup - for to them, it is an improvement on > the "democracy" they were experiencing. > > The real reason for the "democratic" world's hostility to such > a coup is that it undermines "democracy" as an IDEAL. And it is > of the utmost importance for our Masters - that we believe in > the ideal of democracy. Why? Because it is the myth that in such > a democratic society we somehow get to "control" (by the ballot > box) the government. This, of course, is pure baloney. Democracy, > as we know and experience it, is simply a vehicle to diffuse > genuine discontent - by giving people the opportunity to "vent" > their discontent through the process of voting. Voting, as such, > has much more to do with creating an "impression" of having an > impact on the direction of society - than actually impacting on > such a direction. > > Democracy is no defender of Liberty - and the proof of such a > statement is all around us! > > Live Free! > > Robert Smith > OPC International > http://offshoreprofit.com > > PS: Do you want to protect your email? Now you can get your free and > private OPC International Email Address! Simply go to http://offshoreprofit.com > and click the "Free Email" link to sign up now! It's FREE!! > > Latest News - updated 24 hours a day: http://offshoreprofit.com/news.html > Make this page your browser's start page! > > ================================================================ > [2] Feedback > ================================================================ > > We didn't get any of the "normal" feedback this week - everyone > must be on holiday! But we did receive the following links from > a few of our subscribers - the first of which sent us this: > > Aspects of Australian history the government does not want you > to know about. The Australian Constitution is UK legislation and > was extinguished at independence on 10 January 1920. To understand > more about how politicians have conned the Australian people, > read: > > http://users.orac.net.au/~gds/democracy.htm > > Another reader sent in this: > > A Brief Quiz - > > Were you born in a "Federal Territory" (like D.C.)? Do you live > in Washington, D.C. or a Federal Territory? Do you receive > Corporate Net Profit instead of earnings? If you answered "No" to > all of these questions, believe it or not, you do not owe a single > penny in federal income tax! (And, you may not, even if you > answered "Yes"!) > > See: http://www.federaltax.net/ > > COMMENT > There is continuing interest in these "constitutional" strategies > for not paying tax. The idea is based on the fact that various > forms of tax are unconstitutional. > > I have warned on this before - and I'll do it again now. It may > be very true that taxes are unconstitutional - but that is NOT > the issue. We have long passed the point where politicians are > concerned with the constitution. The constitution is null and > void as far as they are concerned. What we're up against now is > raw power - the power of the gun. If you decline to pay your taxes > on the basis of a constitutional argument - you may get away with > it for a while (if the tax department is backlogged), but be very > clear, there is nothing to stop the revenue people from taking > your money - unless the money is NOT there in the first place. > It is already routine in some countries for the tax department to > simply sweep any and all domestic bank accounts - if they perceive > money to be owing. If you refuse to cooperate, you can be targeted > with penalties - which if ignored, can end up cleaning you out > completely. > > The bottom line is this: your government needs your money, it > can't go on without it. If you prove difficult in this regard > they have the means (force and guns) to extract the required > funds - and they will do it regardless of what any constitution > says. In fact, if such "constitutional" difficulties persist, you > can be sure they would find a way of altering such a constitution. > > The only way such a constitutional strategy would work in the > long term, would be if a majority of people refused to pay their > tax - thereby causing "civil disobedience" on a grand scale. But > it wouldn't be the constitution that caused it to "work", but the > sheer numbers of people refusing to pay tax. > > The "offshore" strategy is quite different from the "constitutional" > one - in that with an offshore strategy you move your funds and > other assets out of reach of the tax man altogether - by placing > them in a completely different jurisdiction. > > We received this interesting link on computer security: > > Can anyone crawl into your computer while you're connected to the > Internet? You may be VERY surprised to find out! > http://grc.com/ > > And finally, we received a link for global duty free shopping! > > http://dutyfreezone.com > > Don't forget, we like to hear from you - whether it's an opinion, > comment, suggestion or interesting links. > > ================================================================ > [3] Negotiating Your Own Tax Bill > ================================================================ > > The Swiss offer an interesting "choose your own tax" option that > could be a model for other nations in the not-to-distant future. > > You can take up residence in Switzerland (if you are a high net > worth individual) by negotiating your own lump sum tax rate. > > This is a very attractive option for wealthy, high-income people, > as they can know with absolute certainty, what their tax bill is, > and more importantly, know that it is NOT related to their income > in any particular year. > > The Swiss offer residency status to retired foreigners in return > for a negotiated lump sum annual amount. This varies according > to which Canton you are dealing with. The larger ones will charge > you more - the smaller ones less. But to give you some idea, one > of Switzerland's smaller Cantons offers an attractive tax deal > of around $45,000 per year. > > Now, if you are only earning $50,000 PA, then this is hardly a > good deal. But imagine you're worth $1 million a year - then an > effective tax rate of under 5% is certainly attractive! > > Of course, this strategy is only an option for the very wealthy, > and the retired. But it does show what is possible with a bit of > lateral thinking. > > With the increased pressure coming on domestic tax revenues - and > the growth and awareness of offshore strategies, governments are > going to have to make some hard choices. They can either decide > to get "tough" on those they believe owe tax - and increase the > harshness of their tax regimes (thereby causing more of their > citizens to become tax exiles), or they can get smart and devise > ways of holding on to their productive people. > > For mark my words, we are going to see increasing tax competition > among nations - as they wake up to the fact that they need to > provide a "tax-attractive" environment for productive people > (people they cannot afford to do without). And one such strategy > could very well be modeled on the Swiss idea. So, instead of > penalizing those who work hard by taxing them more, they could > negotiate a fixed tax bill - to be paid annually, regardless of > what such a person was earning. > > This would also be an eminently just system - as it would provide > for a voluntary contract between a sovereign individual and a > sovereign territory - based on mutual requirements. You would > in effect be paying for services rendered - and no more! > > I would imagine that the first countries to offer such a deal > will be smaller nations trying to attract productive people. > It would be a sort of de-facto citizenship - or more correctly, > a permanent residency by virtue of contract. The other advantage > of such a residency contract is that it would automatically remove > you from residency/tax obligations in other countries - by > providing the proof of residency sometimes required. > > The dollar value of such contracts could vary widely, but I > would expect some countries to offer deals considerably cheaper > than the Swiss one! > > Keep your eyes peeled for such developments in the new century. > > ================================================================ > [4] Going into "Debt" - to Protect Your Assets > ================================================================ > > A subscriber sent in this question: > > "I would be very interested in seeing an article on how an offshore > corporation can purchase a home in the US? And have you identified > banks or mortgage companies who will grant mortgages to corporations > or trusts? When would someone want to go this route as opposed to > purchasing a home (with a mortgage) under their own name and > transferring equity to an offshore corporation?" > > Firstly, there are a few questions bundled above. Regarding the > purchase of a home in the USA by an offshore corporation: There > is nothing unusual or illegal about this, provided there is no > law against foreign ownership. Most developed countries allow > foreigners to own property - whether commercial or residential, > and in such a situation, having a foreign corporation transact > the deal is perfectly reasonable. > > However, the next issue as to whether a US bank would lend money > to such a corporation to make a property purchase comes back to > basic banking "rules" about lending. Banks will only lend money > when collateral is provided - and in the case of a property > purchase, the loan is usually secured by a mortgage against the > very same property - up to a specified percentage of its value. > > However, banks have other rules besides - like the ability of > the borrower to repay the loan, and the borrowers risk profile. > And it is these requirements that would prove the most difficult > for an offshore corporation. Banks want proof of ability to repay > - in either the form of earnings statements, or wage slips etc. > > A much better method of having your offshore corporation "own" > your home would be to put it under mortgage to your IBC - making > it the owner of last resort (should you fail to pay!). To do this > you need to be debt free in the first instance. > > One method would be this: You identify the home you want to > purchase. You "arrange" to borrow money from this offshore corp > (indirectly controlled by you). You have the mortgage papers duly > drawn up. You now have a house under mortgage - and the higher > percentage of the buying price the mortgage is, the better. In > this way, the "ownership" of the house is really vested in your > IBC as the mortgagor. You "pay" your mortgage in the usual way > - by remitting funds (preferably through a legal third party) to > your IBC. > > In this strategy you have eliminated the risk of having your home > seized from you and losing everything. Why? Because should you > be subject to a lawsuit, tax purge, whatever, the mortgage holder > would have first claim on any proceeds from the forced sale of > the house. You could in this way, theoretically "lose" the house > (although mortgage repayment to the lending "company" would in > fact come back to you), but not likely - as anyone seeking to > force a foreclosure on you would naturally check the files to > see how much equity you had in it. In this way you can use an > IBC to hold the equity - and protect yourself against any claims. > > Now, if you use an offshore bank instead of the IBC (a bank > that is indirectly controlled, but not legally owned by you) > you can completely bullet-proof this strategy. Don't twiddle > thumbs while the vultures are blithely hacking away at your > life's work: Simply employ your bank to lay its hands (i.e. > yours!) on your assets before anyone else does. Buy out your > own debt for a song, stage your own "friendly self-takeover" > and make exorbitant profits - absolutely legally, too, provided > you know the proper way to do it! > > To get get an IBC now, click here: > http://offshoreprofit.com/offshore-cyberbiz.html > > To get an Offshore Bank now, click here: > http://offshoreprofit.com/freedom-nauru.html > > To get an Offshore Credit Union now, click here: > http://offshoreprofit.com/freedom-eucu.html > > ================================================================ > [5] NewsBriefs > ================================================================ > > Company develops email-expiration technology: > > A company has developed a way for Net users to create self-deleting > email messages that are unreadable after a specified time. > > http://abcnews.go.com/sections/tech/DailyNews/email991008.html > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > Hobbled IRS lets delinquent tax bills slide > > by David Cay Johnston - The New York Times > > "Understaffed and caught in a set of mixed signals from Congress, > the Internal Revenue Service for more than a year has let many tax > delinquents go without paying tax bills that may total billions of > dollars. > > Those owing back taxes include wealthy individuals, as well as > employers that have withheld payroll taxes but not turned the > money over to the federal government, according to IRS tax > collectors who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of > retaliation by supervisors." > > COMMENT > Now, that's the sort of story I like to hear! Don't you ever > wonder what sort of people decide to work for the IRS? > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > SCAN THIS NEWS > > The "No Return" Return - By Scott McDonald > > "As a consequence of the IRS' Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998, > all taxpayers will soon be filing their returns electronically -- > or better yet not at all! > > Don't get too excited. You may not like the plan they have for > the "No Return" Return. > > In 1998, Representative Bill Archer sponsored the IRS tax reform > measure under the pretext of creating a more friendly, more > responsive agency. But a little-known and little-discussed > provision of that Act also requires the IRS to engage in a > campaign to convince and pursue the taxpaying American public > to file their returns electronically; 80% WILL DO SO in seven > years or less. If not, the IRS will have failed in their > Congressional mandate. The IRS does not like to fail." > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > Russian scandal report unwanted blow to Cayman Islands > > From CNN > > "The Cayman Islands are the world's fifth-largest banking centre, > with more than $500 billion of assets under management at its > institutions, which include 580 banks. It thrived by making > incorporation easy and earnings tax- free. > > But with success came an unwanted reputation that the Cayman > banks history of secrecy had made the island a favourite place > for drug lords and other criminals to stash cash. Officials > worked in recent months overcome that image. > > In May the territory agreed to seek certification under the > Offshore Initiative launched in March by the U.N. Global Programme > Against Money Laundering -- the first offshore centre to do so." > > COMMENT > There are many such "initiatives" underway, as cash-strapped > high tax countries look for ways to stop funds from being > "exported" to low tax countries. Another one is the EU plan to > bring about tax "harmonisation" between member EU states - so > that no country has a tax advantage over another! > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > October 21st, 1999 is "Jam Echelon Day" > > "Following some discussions on the Hacktivism mailing list, October > 21st, 1999 was named "Jam Echelon Day". This was significant > because it marks both the first large scale grass-roots effort > to "jam up" the works of the global surveillance system operated > by the US/UK/Australian/New Zealand Governments known as "Echelon" > and because it coincides with Stop Police Brutality Day. While > the goal of "jamming up" Echelon is a lofty and likely unattainable > one, is it not better to signal displeasure at being monitored > than passively allow it to happen? We believe so. Privacy should > not be something that's considered only after it's been breached." > > Go to: http://www.echelon.wiretapped.net/ for more information. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > Government stretching faith in ID card system > > http://www.scmp.com/News/Asia/Article/FullText_asp_ArticleID-199910120 > 25526076.asp > > South China Morning Post > > "A Malaysian government decision to include religion on identity > cards has drawn strong criticism from religious groups and a > leader of one of its own parties, who described it as an > "undesirable exercise". > > The plan was announced on Friday by the Deputy Prime Minister, > Abdullah Badawi, who said the added feature would help authorities > in cases where members of a family disagreed over the religion > of a person who had died. > > It would also help them expose Muslims masquerading as non-Muslims > in order to patronise the Genting Highlands casino or to avoid > fasting during Ramadan, he claimed. > > Followers of Islam are barred from gambling and, during the > fasting month, are required to abstain from food or drink during > daylight hours." > > COMMENT > What a wonderful idea! Maybe we could apply for ID cards which > state our political beliefs as well - libertarian, anarchist, > tax protester, perpetual traveller - and the like. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > Caribbean Cash Havens Arouse U.S. Suspicions > Critics Say Island Banks Shelter Criminal Funds > > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-10/11/041l-101199-idx.html > > The Washington Post - By Douglas Farah > > "ST JOHNS, Antigua - A government Web site on this tiny Caribbean > island has tried to attract offshore investors by bragging that > Antigua is bucking moves elsewhere "toward greater disclosure" > of financial information. "The emphasis on non-disclosure provides > a high comfort level," it said. > > The neighboring island of Nevis promises that companies set up > on its territory need file "no annual return or accounts." > Anguilla's Web site said companies can incorporate there in just > 24 hours, while Dominica boasted of the "absence of tax treaties > or exchange agreements with any other country." > > The small islands of the eastern Caribbean are aggressively trying > to expand their offshore financial industries by making it even > easier for investors to keep their business secret. Several are > promoting the ultimate in anonymity: They will sell citizenship > along with the right to a new name on a new passport. > > The trend is arousing growing concern among U.S., British and > other international law enforcement agencies, which say the new > policies are attracting more money from drug trafficking and other > criminal activities. One senior U.S. official said that small > countries like Dominica and Grenada, by offering both strict bank > secrecy and the easy change of identities, are creating havens > for "one-stop shopping" for international criminals." > > COMMENT > Notice, once again, the emphasis on "criminal activity". No > mention of law-abiding people who just want to protect their > hard-earned money from the grasping hands of politicians! > > This article also shows how the smaller offshore jurisdictions > will take up the "slack", should places like the Caymans sign up > for various international treaties against money laundering. You > can be sure that as long as there is rapacious taxation, there > will be places where you can avoid it. Where there is a market, > there is a way! > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > Net Wiretapping: Yes or No? - by Declan McCullagh > > The FBI says the Internet's standards body should craft technology > to facilitate lawful government surveillance. > > http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,31895,00.html > > A spokesman said Wednesday that the bureau supported the Internet > Engineering Task Force's recent decision to debate whether the > ability to wiretap should be part of future Internet standards. > "We think it's a wise and prudent move," said Barry Smith, > supervisory special agent in the FBI's Digital Telephony and > Encryption policy unit. > > "If court-authorized wiretaps are frustrated, effective law > enforcement is jeopardized, public safety is jeopardized, and > policy makers are going to have to figure out how to rectify the > problem." > > COMMENT > Get the logic? Draconian measures are justified - because without > them "effective law enforcement is jeopardized. The question of > course is: effective law enforcement against what exactly? > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > Did NATO Bomb The Chinese Embassy Deliberately? > > http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/19991016/wl/nato_china_1.html > > LONDON (Reuters) - NATO deliberately bombed the Chinese embassy > in Belgrade after the Western alliance discovered the mission > was being used to transmit Yugoslav military communications, a > British newspaper reported Sunday. > > An official at NATO headquarters in Brussels denied the Observer > newspaper's report but it is likely to rekindle diplomatic tens- > ions on the eve of a visit by Chinese President Jiang Zemin to > alliance hawk Britain this week. > > The Observer quoted an unnamed intelligence officer as saying > "NATO had been hunting the radio transmitters in Belgrade," > including one at President Slobodan Milosevic's house, during > its air war against Yugoslavia. > > "When the president's residence was bombed on 23 April, the > signals disappeared for 24 hours," said the NATO officer, who > monitored Yugoslav broadcasts from neighboring Macedonia. > > "When they came back on the air again, we discovered they came > from the (Chinese) embassy compound." > > COMMENT > There is nothing new about this information; OPC International > published it back in May. At least the cover-up is finally > beginning to unravel: Clinton's Willing Executioners have not > only bombed Yugoslavia back into the stone age, but also risked > World War III... all in order to establish a precedent for the > New World Order's plans of a world government. > > No evidence has been found to support NATO's claims of "mass > graves" and "tens of thousands of Albanians being brutally > murdered" - and the pro-war pretense of "We must fight these > crimes against humanity!" is now being exposed for what it is: > an outright lie, designed to manipulate the public opinion. And > all the time, it is becoming more and more obvious who the real > criminals are. > > ================================================================ > [6] New Articles, Products & Services > ================================================================ > > Fathers' Rights Package > http://offshoreprofit.com/educate-fathersrights.html > > Beat the system and regain custody of your children, lower or > eliminate child support, enforce visitation orders, and a LOT > more! Free offshore bank account included if you order now. > http://offshoreprofit.com/educate-fathersrights.html > > > Let's Jam Up Echelon! > http://offshoreprofit.com/educate-echelon-crash.html > > The Abyss > http://offshoreprofit.com/educate-abyss.html > > ================================================================ > > "If we want the whole world to be rich, we need to start loving > wealth. In the difference between poverty and plenty, the problem > is the poverty, not the difference. Wealth is good." > > PJ O'Rourke - Eat the Rich > > ================================================================ > See you next week! Please spread the message and forward this > newsletter in its entirety to related mailing lists, friends, > associates, and Webmasters. !! THANK YOU !! > ================================================================ > To subscribe, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the following subject: subscribe opsecrets > - - - - - > To unsubscribe, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the following subject: unsubscribe opsecrets > ================================================================ > True Freedom CAN be yours at http://offshoreprofit.com > Copyright 1999, OPC International, Inc. > ================================================================ > >
