Belize Is A Tailor-Made Tax And Offshore Haven

Phil Hahn has been telling the same joke for years.

He told it again at our Live And Invest In Belize conference last week.

He’s a property developer—not a comedian—by trade, but likes to hear people laugh before he gets to the serious business of talking about investing in Belize…

Phil is also a longtime friend of mine, so he won’t mind if I borrow his joke.

“Three friends—an American, a Chinaman, and a Belizean—get stranded on a desert island.

“The American is going crazy, waving around his phone trying to get coverage. ‘My stocks! My portfolio! What’s happening with it? I have to get out of here…’

“The Chinaman is going crazy too. ‘My stores! My warehouses! What’s happening with my stores? I have to get out of here…’

“The Belizean, meanwhile, is wandering around on the beach, admiring the palm trees. He cuts a palm tree and makes a spear, walks into the ocean and spears a fish. He puts together some stones on the beach and lights a fire to start a barbecue.

“Then—right on the beach—he finds an old lamp. He rubs it and a genie comes out. The genie grants him three wishes.

“This is great, the Belizean thinks, a wish for me and both my friends.

“So he goes and finds the American and the Chinaman and the genie says they can each have whatever their heart desires.

“‘I need to find out what’s going with my portfolio,’ the American says. ‘I have to get back.’

“And so the genie grants his wish and—poof!—the American disappears.

“Next, it’s the Chinaman’s turn.

“‘I have to get back to my stores and warehouses, my inventory,’ the Chinaman says. ‘I need to go back.’

“And now the Chinaman disappears.

“Finally, it’s the Belizean’s turn to make a wish. He looks around at the soft white sand, the swaying palm trees, and the succulent fish barbecuing on the fire…

“‘I wish my friends were back here with me,’ he says.”

OK, so you don’t come to our conferences for the stand-up comedy. (That’s just a side benefit.)

But the joke—like all good jokes—does reveal a few fundamental truths. While much of the rest of the world is obsessed with the rat race… Belizeans are doing their thing, going about life and enjoying the good things in it. And they really want to share that good life with you…

That’s why I was in Belize last week, along with a host of Live And Invest Overseas experts, and attendees from across the U.S., Canada, and beyond.

We come together at our conferences to talk about the good life overseas and the many opportunities available beyond U.S. shores. And our in-country conferences are a chance to get up-close-and-personal with that good life.

Belize is one of my favorite places in the world, for business and pleasure. It’s got that perfect, laidback sun-and-sand lifestyle, if that’s what you’re after. But it’s also got “Indiana Jones” appeal: You can spend your days exploring Mayan ruins and hiking jungle trails.

Most important, from my point of view, Belize is a tailor-made offshore and tax haven. It’s an ideal place to consider “planting your flag” and diversifying beyond North American shores.

For example, you can establish residency by depositing US$2,000 per month in a Belizean bank account and spending just 30 days a year in Belize.

Belize has no capital gains tax and ultra-low property taxes… The country has established tax-free zones to help you set up a business…

We covered these topics and many more at the conference. If you weren’t able to join us, you’ll be able to watch the conference back online very soon. Keep an eye on your inbox for the details.

In fact, our presentations covered everything from opportunities in Belize real estate, to oil drilling investments, to setting up an organic farm, to what you can do to protect yourself from email scammers.

To the outsider, this might seem like a strange mix, but that’s what I’m focused on: All the ways to protect your way of life, and enhance it. We leave no stone unturned at our conferences…

I bring you the latest and best actionable advice out there, and you make your own decisions about what actions to take to protect your wealth and privacy.

The conference in Belize brought home to me—as all our conferences do—a few of the lessons I’ve learned from living and investing outside the U.S. over the past 25 years.

I was reminded of some of the “deeper truths” about the offshore world that I sometimes lose track of in my busy day-to-day.

Here are three takeaways from three days spent in Belize with our experts and expats…

On Day 1 of the conference, one of our presenters asked all the attendees if they considered themselves adventurers: “Raise your hand if you’re not adventurous…”

Nobody raised a hand.

It’s something that came up again and again. The folks who are looking outside their home country for a new place to live, a new investment opportunity… we’re not Average Joes or Janes.

Most people will never look beyond the borders of the state where they were born, never mind looking overseas. Those of us who do look overseas for opportunities, we’ll be told by those back home that it’s not safe, that we’re crazy, etc. etc. etc.

But I can tell you from more than two decades investing all over the world that the ones who are crazy are those who don’t think outside the box.

By limiting yourself to one country, one market… you’re limiting your opportunity. Big time.

Still, most people will “play it safe” (from their point of view) and stick with what they know.

The folks who attend our conferences… And you, because you’re reading an e-letter about offshore living… You’re willing to think outside the box. You’re a pioneer.

Our network at Live And Invest Overseas is full of the most dynamic and interesting people you could imagine.

I’m always reminded of that when I emcee one of our conferences, because I get to meet them.

You’re here to read about offshoring opportunities, so I won’t bore you with too many of my personal opinions…

I’ll just say this: There are a lot of problems in the world. Read the news.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a lot of faith in politicians or bureaucrats in Washington or Brussels to solve any of them…

The people I’m in touch with every day, the people who show up at our conferences, the people in the Live And Invest Overseas network—they’re problem solvers. Doers.

As one speaker reminded us: “The problem is not the problem, the problem is your attitude to the problem.”

Here’s what I mean when I say expats are problem solvers. Let’s take one community in the Cayo District of Belize—which we heard a lot about during the event—as an example.

The expats in this community are building homesteads that are entirely self-sufficient: Solar power, grey water systems, organic gardens for food security…

It’s a return to an ideal of self-reliance and community spirit that you’d be hard-pressed to find in the U.S. or Canada these days.

This particular community saw a surge in interest during the pandemic, as folks in the U.S. looked to escape crowded cities and return to a more natural way of life.

My point is: These expats in Belize are building their vision of a “sustainable future for a better life”… They’re putting their money into it and getting to work, not arguing about the state of the world on Twitter or Facebook.

They’re not just dreaming about their own personal ideal world, they’re building it.

Locations like Belize offer opportunities for this kind of dreaming and doing—it’s much easier down here than in the over-expensive and over-regulated U.S.…

If you want to find out more about this particular community, click here.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m an American and I love America.

America is still a beacon of a better life for many, and still the indispensable nation in global politics.

But if you want to maximize your opportunities as an investor—don’t just look to America.

This goes back to my core message: Diversify or die broke.

There are opportunities to be found in countries like Belize that will never, ever exist in America again… That’s precisely why countries like Belize are on my radar.

I’m talking about the opportunity to get in ahead of the curve, to stake your claim in a particular location before it’s fully developed, and profit as it matures.

The United States and Canada are mature markets—that opportunity is gone.

But in Belize, and other locations where I keep my eye…

As a speaker pointed out at our event, Belize right now is in the “sweet spot.” Just a couple decades ago, it was a country only divers and fishermen had heard of. Then cruise ships began bringing tourists to Ambergris Caye, Belize’s “paradise isle.” It started to take off as a family destination…

I saw Belize’s construction boom first-hand last week…

Belize’s development is on an upward curve. It’s got all the appeal of Caribbean hot spots like the Bahamas, but its real estate is half the price. The opportunity is to buy now and profit as prices converge with other top-tier Caribbean destinations. Meanwhile, cash flows in from renting…

These are the kind of “sweet spot” opportunities that, as I say, you have to be looking in the right places to find.

If I didn’t see you at this conference—I hope I’ll see you at the next one…

Lief Simon