Assets of dissolved companies moved off-shore

Assets of dissolved companies moved off-shore

Postby Mercia on Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:55 am

What is going on here?
An incorporated company in Czech Republic (has a double taxation treaty with the UK if that is relevant) was trading and had cash in the reserves of the company. Just before it went into liquidation the company transferred its shares to a dormant UK Limited company with a Nominee director. That UK company is in turn owned by another dormant UK Limited company with a different Nominee director. That company is finally owned by a LLC (Limited Liability Company) in the USA. Both UK companies have also now been Dissolved without filing accounts. The US LLC does not file any accounts and the only information available shows a Nominee in the Czech Republic.
Does anyone know:
a) What legitimate reason could there be for putting in place such a complicated structure prior to liquidation?
b) Could this be a device for moving the cash off-shore or to avoid taxation or creditors?
c) Is it legal?
d) Would any cash have had to go through the UK companies to reach the USA company, and if so, should the UK companies have filed accounts?
e) Can creditors of the company take any action in US or USA? Czech authorities are hopeless.
Mercia
 
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Re: Assets of dissolved companies moved off-shore

Postby pawncob on Wed Jul 01, 2009 10:27 am

Do you mean the czech company transferred its assets to the UK company, not its shares?
The company wouldn't have had any shares as they would have been issued to shareholders.
It looks like a good smoke screen, but that's all it is. However, following the trail could be a time consuming and expensive exercise.
Having established the path, funds could be transferred, quite legitimately, directly to the US (as loans), and with no one in Czech chasing the money, they are lost for good.
pawncob
 
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