If you have ever tried to explain to a client why they will not find detailed financial accounts for companies registered in the British Virgin Islands, just thrust a copy of Guiding You Through… Company Searches In The British Virgin Islands – Withers LLP into their mitts! It very neatly summarises the registration, filing and disclosure requirements. The key sentence for researchers is:
“A company is not required to file its register of directors, register of members, register of charges or an annual return1 with the BVI Registrar of Corporate Affairs.”
So there you have it. Many thanks to Hazel Edmunds of ADSET (http://www.adsetsinformationweblog.blogspot.com/) for the link.
Hi there,
It is true that it is not mandatory for a BVI Company to file its register of directors and members with the BVI Registry of Corporate Affairs. However, there have been cases where the company has filed such information for various purposes. Therefore, you cannot rule out that no information on directors or shareholder will be available at the Registry. Yu can conduct a search where in fact directors and shareholders information are available. Please visit http://www.bvicompanysearches.com should you wish to conduct a search or obtain official documents from the BVI Registry of Corporate Affairs or the BVI High Court Registry. http://www.bvicompanysearches.com provides a very fast, reliable and accurate service.
Hi Mitsy
You are of course right. Companies may file such information voluntarily for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, far too many researchers have far too high expectations when it comes to the general availability of BVI company information and assume that the regulations are the same as the UK. They are all too often disappointed 🙁 At least the article summarises what one can realistically expect to obtain – anything more is a bonus!
Thanks also for the link to your BVI Company Searches web site. It is always useful to know about such services and often quicker and more cost effective to use these if you don’t know your way around the Registry and how it works.