Offshore Jurisdiction Guide
Offshore Professional Services in Panama
One of the world's most established offshore jurisdictions, offering a territorial tax system, flexible private interest foundations, bearer share alternatives and a large ecosystem of law firms and corporate service providers.
Why Panama?
Panama is one of the world's most established offshore jurisdictions, offering a territorial tax system under which income generated outside Panama is not subject to local taxation. The jurisdiction operates under a Spanish-based civil law system and has a well-developed legal infrastructure focused on corporate services, private foundations and international business structures.
Financial services in Panama are regulated by the Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores (SMV) for securities and investment activities, and the Superintendencia de Bancos de Panama (SBP) for banking supervision. The Registro Público de Panama manages the company registry. Panama has implemented significant reforms in response to international pressure following the Panama Papers disclosures in 2016.
Panama is particularly known for its Private Interest Foundation (Fundación de Interés Privado) — a civil law vehicle inspired by Liechtenstein's Stiftung — which is widely used for succession planning, asset holding and privacy structuring. The jurisdiction also has one of the world's largest ship registries and a significant logistics and trade finance sector linked to the Panama Canal.
- Territorial tax system — foreign income not taxed
- Spanish civil law jurisdiction
- Private Interest Foundation legislation
- One of the world's largest ship registries
- Well-established corporate services ecosystem
- US dollar economy — no exchange risk
- Strategic location linking Americas
- Significant banking and trade finance sector
Professional Services in Panama
Browse offshore professional service firms by category across the Panama directory.
Law Firms
Corporate, private client and maritime legal advisory
Browse Law Firms →Corporate Services
Company and foundation formation and administration
Browse Corporate Services →Fiduciary Services
Foundation and trust administration
Browse Fiduciary Services →Notaries
Civil law notarial acts and public deed execution
Browse Notaries →Wealth Management
Private client and investment advisory
Browse Wealth Management →Tax Advisors
Territorial tax planning and cross-border advisory
Browse Tax Advisors →Trust Services
Private Interest Foundation administration
Browse Trust Services →What to Be Aware Of
Reputational Considerations
Following the 2016 Panama Papers disclosures, Panama has faced significant reputational scrutiny. While the jurisdiction has implemented substantial reforms, structures using Panama entities may face enhanced due diligence from banks and institutional counterparties. This should be carefully considered.
FATF Scrutiny
Panama has been subject to FATF grey-listing and has implemented significant regulatory reforms. Its current FATF status should be verified before committing to Panama structures, as grey-listing affects counterparty bank relationships and correspondent banking access.
Civil Law System
Panama operates under a Spanish civil law system. Private Interest Foundations and other Panama structures differ fundamentally from common law equivalents. Specialist advice from Panama-qualified lawyers is essential for any structuring work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Panama Private Interest Foundation?
A Panama Private Interest Foundation (Fundación de Interés Privado) is a civil law legal entity established under the Foundations Law (Law 25 of 1995). It has no shareholders or beneficiaries in the corporate sense — instead it has a founder, a foundation council and designated beneficiaries. It is widely used for succession planning, asset protection and holding structures. It is conceptually similar to a Liechtenstein Stiftung but operates under Panama civil law.
How does Panama's territorial tax system work?
Under Panama's territorial tax system, only income arising within Panama is subject to local taxation. Income from sources outside Panama — including dividends from foreign subsidiaries, interest on foreign deposits, capital gains on foreign assets and foreign-source business income — is generally not taxable in Panama. This makes Panama attractive as a holding and intermediary jurisdiction for businesses with genuine international operations.
Who regulates financial services in Panama?
Financial services in Panama are regulated by several bodies: the Superintendencia de Bancos de Panama (SBP) supervises banks; the Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores (SMV) regulates securities and investment activities; the Superintendencia de Seguros supervises insurance. The Registro Público manages company and foundation registration.
How do I find a professional service provider in Panama?
SearchOffshore lists professional firms in Panama across law, corporate services, fiduciary and notarial categories. Browse by service and contact providers directly. Always conduct your own due diligence before engaging any professional firm, particularly given Panama's complex reputational landscape.
What we are — and what we are not
Find a Panama Professional
Browse professional service firms in Panama across law, corporate services, fiduciary and notarial services.
SearchOffshore is a directory and information platform. It is important to understand what this means: