The Rock of Gibraltar was formed; more or less in the shape we
see it today, by a massive upheaval of the earth about 200 million
years ago.
The Rock did not become a settlement until around 711 AD when a
Moslem general, Tarik ibn Ziyad, landed his forces at the southern
end of the Rock to begin the initial Muslim conquest of Spain. From
then on the Rock became known as the Mountain of Tarik - ′Jebel
Tarik′ - from which derives the name ′Gibraltar′.
Today Gibraltar is a surviving part of the British Empire and a
Crown Colony. Its community drawn from British, Genoese,
Portuguese, Spanish, Jewish and other origins is firmly
consolidated - friendly, bilingual and in racial and religious
harmony.
Gibraltar's unique position at the crossroads of Europe and Africa
coupled with its special terms of membership of the European Union
enables the provision of a wide range of services to meet the
requirements of international investors.
Gibraltar has developed a financial and commercial
infrastructure to meet the needs of new enterprises that are
seeking a low cost operation based in Europe.
As a business location, it provides a high quality professional
service overseen by a European standard of regulation.
Constitution and Regulatory Environment
Gibraltar is a self governing overseas British territory and
under the Treaty of Rome Article 299(4) Gibraltar is deemed a full
member of the European Union.
From a regulatory perspective all financial services are
regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission.
As Gibraltar is within the European Union financial institutions
are licenced and supervised in line with E.U. directives and
Gibraltar has put in place legislation and standards to match those
in place in the UK and other offshore jurisdictions.
Taxation
From a taxation perspective Gibraltar an attractive
jurisdiction in which to operate as there is no Capital Gains tax,
Inheritance or Wealth taxes; nor VAT or sales tax. There are a
range of tax efficient opportunities for structured solutions.
Travel Links
Gibraltar is just 2 and a half hours by 'plane from London and has
excellent flight networks between London Gatwick, Luton and
Manchester; along with Madrid and Barcelona.
