Panama
Forbes International Living ranked Panama Number 1 in the World for the past 10 Years, as the best place to live.
Panama "The Art of Living"
Experience Panama
Living in Panama
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Panama has been ranked the number 1 place in the world for the past 10 years by Forbes International Living and was recently ranked number 1 by Yahoo Finance.
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Purchasing a residence or investment property in Panama for USD$300,000 or more allows you to take advantage of the Qualified Investor Permanent Residency Program with a path to Panama citizenship.
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Panama is a biodiverse and tropical country where one can peacefully live in Panama, or visit Panama on a part-time basis.
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Have a “safe haven” in Panama when you need it to escape to in the event of war or any type of political or civil unrest that may threaten ones’ family.
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Actually live in Panama permanently, perhaps after retirement, and obtain amazing retirement benefits and citizenship.
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Relocate to Panama and have access to public and private healthcare
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Relocate to Panama for great schooling and higher education opportunities for your family.
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Relocating to Panama means living in a stable, safe country where it is very economical to live in comparison with most other developed countries such as the US, Canada, Europe, etc.
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Relocate to a more “tax-friendly” country where foreign earned income, foreign earned capital gains, and bank interest income are not taxed nor need to be declared.
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Relocate to a country where frivolous lawsuits are not recognized by the courts, and one can protect their assets through a corporate structure, without the risks of “piercing the corporate veil”.
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Relocate to a country where one can do business operations economically, and without heavy restrictions, regulations, or taxes that hinder the growth of the business.
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Relocate to a country where real estate is still affordable for purchasing homes in the city or land at the beaches, mountains, lakes, etc.
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Relocate to a country where some of the world Fortune 500 companies have their headquarters
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Relocate to a country that has one of the world's best banking systems.
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Relocate to a country that has a rich and wonderful history of proud diverse communities.
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Relocate to a country where life can be defined as "The Art of Living"
Ask Us
Why is Panama ranked #1 in the world as a place to live?
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a democratic republic -
the fastest growing economy in South America -
the "hub" of the Americas -
Panama canal is the key waterway for globalization -
safe geographical positioning far from "Hurricane Alley" -
over 10,000 islands, mountain ranges, landscapes featuring one of the greatest bio-diversity locations on Earth -
ranked #2 in the world as a place for seniors to retire & have an amazing quality of life -
one of the most community diverse countries in the world -
a country with one of the best ranked private health care systems in the Americas -
a leading private & public school system and higher education center -
a stable dollar-based economy -
center of commerce for banks and Fortune 500 companies -
a beneficial tax system for international investments
What is the Qualified Investor Permanent Residency Status?
Qualified Investor Permanent Residency Panama Status means:
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Real Estate - USD$300,000 minimum - no minimum holding period -
New build - immediate occupancy -
Pre-Construction - your non-refundable deposit equal to the entire purchase price must be paid into the Seller's escrow for the construction period. Seller will provide security in the form of a Letter of Credit and will pay interest during the term of construction.
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Panama Registered Company on the Stock Market - USD$500,000 minimum - must be kept for at least 5 years. -
Government Social Fund - USD $500,000, non-refundable, to be invested in a program, such as the social security & poverty alleviation programs.
How does Panama rank on an economic basis?
What is the public & private education system like in Panama?
Panama offers both private & public education options.
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International School of Panama (ISP) -
Balboa Academy -
The Metropolitan School of Panama -
Oxford International School
Are there advanced learning centers and universities in Panama?
Panama has both private & public universities regulated by the Ministry of Education.
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Law -
Medicine -
Dentistry -
Psychology -
Certain fields of Engineering
Are there US schools and universities in Panama?
Panama has campuses for two US accredited universities:
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Florida State University -
Quality Leadership University (affiliated with the University of Louisville and the University of South Florida)
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University of Arkansas -
Georgia Insitute For Technology
What is the healthcare system like in Panama?
How many Private Hospitals are there in Panama?
What about Medical Tourism?
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Neurosurgery & other services related to neurology -
Minimally invasive surgery -
Orthopedics
What are the tax advantages of establishing permanent residency in Panama?
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income generated through operations managed in Panama but held outside of Panama -
income from rebilling for goods and external services -
dividend distribution derived from outside of Panama income
What are the tax benefits and rates for Panama residents?
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City of Knowledge -
Panama Pacifico -
Processing Areas for Exportation -
Colon Free Trade Zones
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the first $10,000 net taxable revenue in Panama of a person is tax-free. From $11,001 to $50,000 net taxable revenue, income tax is set at 15%, while net taxable income above $50,000 is taxed at 25% -
income tax for corporations is 25%, although there are some other benefits to micro and small businesses. Bank net income is taxed at 30% -
VAT (ITBMS or Sales Tax) is based on 7% (although there are some accommodations at 10% (Alcohol) and 15% (Cigar and tobacco products) are exempted from VAT -
interest, royalties, commission and professional fees paid to non-Panama resident person or company have a withholding tax rate of 12.5% plus VAT of 6.45% -
dividend tax is set at 10% for domestic income distribution, while a 5% dividend tax is applied to international income distribution -
capital gain tax is set a 5% applicable to share transfer -
real estate property tax is set at 1% on properties valued above $30,000. New real estate properties (construction improvements) are exempted from property tax according to property value. The exemption could vary from 5 to 20 years. Besides the high-yield real estate market, owning real estate in Panama is one of the ways to qualify for a Permanent Residency -
Panama does not hold CFC (controlled foreign companies) rules. -
If a person decides to move to Panama and live in his or her property, the person is not required to pay import taxes on the interior items they send to Panama when moving. -
real estate taxes are not always due immediately, and capital gains taxes could be 3% based on the sales price or 10% based on earnings -
Income tax exemption for overseas profits "Territorial Taxation Principle": under the Panama Fiscal Code based on territory, income generated outside the country is considered non-taxable. Income from international sources, such as transfers or acquisition of securities, investments, transfer or sales of real estate property, retirement, and dividends are not subject to tax at all. There are some other activities that were recently added to the non-taxable income categories. -
Doing business in Panama offers great advantages to companies generating income abroad as tax exceptions pave the way to higher profits. -
Investors generating profits in Panama and conducting international operations can benefit from maximized profitability. The country has approximately 17 tax treaties to avoid double taxation (TDT) with countries such as Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, amongst others. Businesses handling operations with these countries can enjoy lower taxes and maximize profitability.
What kind of business corporations can be set up in Panama?
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Must Have a minimum of three directors: president, secretary and treasurer (also to be named dignitaries) -
Must Have (2) Subscribers (can be a person from the board of directors or one of the appointed dignitaries – established in the Public Deed. Each subscriber must agree to subscribe to at least one share, at the time of registration) -
Must appoint a Legal Representative (this can be one of the directors of dignitaries) -
Must appoint a resident agent (it is mandatory by law to have a Panamanian lawyer) -
Must Register the company fiscal address -
Must file monthly and annual tax declarations, if the corporation is operating commercially -
Have a minimum of one shareholder -
Annual payment of Corporate tax (Tasa Unica)
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Must have a minimum of one administrator -
Must have a president, secretary and treasurer (also to be named dignitaries) -
Must have (2) Subscribers (can be a person from the board of directors or one of the appointment dignitaries. Each subscriber must agree to subscribe to at least one share, at the time of registration) -
Appoint a legal representative (this can be the president, an associate or one of the administrators – established in the Public Deed (El Pacto Social) -
Appoint a resident agent (it is obligatory by law to have a Panamanian lawyer) -
Register a company fiscal address -
Prepare and submit annual tax declarations -
Must have a minimum of two shareholders or associates -
Annual payment of Corporate tax (Tasa Unica)
Is the US dollar legal tender in Panama?