In Liechtenstein the Funds are organizations with the specific objective and rights. Unlike private companies Fund does not have shareholders or partners. In Liechtenstein funds are divided according to purpose: family, charity, church or service.
Liechtenstein charity fund may engage in commercial activities only limited to charitable purposes. At the same time, family funds operate for management of assets, savings and investment.
The name is selected on the basis of trade register data on existing funds names- they must not be similar. No other restrictions exist. Commercial register is publicly available. To create a Fund it is required to sign a declaration, which is a private document. For funds that deal with the business is required registration in the register.
Founder notes the aims and beneficiaries in the declaration. The share capital is at least 30 thousand Swiss francs, which can be expressed in dollars or euro.
The Fund shall have a representative whose address is the official address and contact for national authorities. Fund’s governing body is the Board. At least one of the board members must have office in Liechtenstein.
Beneficiary rights are defined in the statutes. Founder may be registered as a beneficiary. Overall, the beneficial owners are divided into perspective, discrete and final. After the beneficiary’s death; situation is possible where their rights are transferred to the persons specified in the statutes, rather than the direct heirs.
For funds that engaged in commercial activities, it is necessary to have accounting and report the tax administration. The fund pays income tax at a 12.5% annual rate.
Beneficiaries receiving fund assets are not taxed.
To stop the operations of the Fund, it should be declared invalid or it can be released. The Fund may also be released in certain situations involuntarily by a court judgment or decision of the Board of the Fund.
In case of family fund, its main purpose is to manage the assets of one family, including assets outside Liechtenstein.
Quite often, private family funds are used to regulate the division of property after the death of the founder and his family is provided with a stable long-term income.
Family fund registration rules are very simple, it is necessary to inform the commercial register about the fund’s name it is the only requirement set.