Exchange Control

The government of Mauritius abolished all in exchange controls in 1994 – in theory. The reality is that the rules still state that repatriation of foreign investment and the profits from it is subject to proof of the origin of the money and is subject to payment of any outstanding Mauritian taxes.

Mauritius Offshore Activities

All of the different types of offshore entity in Mauritius are limited in regards to the trading they can do in the jurisdiction but not in regards to the running of their businesses from Mauritius

All business of an offshore company, with the exception of day-to-day transactions, must be conducted in foreign currency. What’s more offshore companies must not conduct business in Mauritius except to seek and receive professional advice, employ local labor, and rent property.

With official permission, companies in the Export Processing Zone and the Export Services Zone are allowed to conduct 10-20% of their trading domestically. Should they do this, though, the profits of these transactions will be taxed according to the normal domestic regime.

Privacy

At this time Mauritius has neither signed a Treaty with the United States nor has it signed a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US. Moreover, Mauritius is not a participant in the European Union Savings Directive. As such, Mauritius offers a high level of privacy for both EU and American citizens. Moreover, American investors are able to maintain a high level of asset security thanks to the lack of a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty between the US and Mauritius. Overall, Mauritius has shown a strong commitment to maintaining the privacy of its foreign investors.