Anjouan
offshore structures.

Overview

Anjouan is part of the Union of the Comoros — a small island nation in the Mozambique Channel — and operates its own offshore financial services framework. The framework provides for International Business Companies (IBCs), limited partnerships, and trust structures. A 0% corporate tax rate applies to non-Anjouan-sourced income. Formation costs are modest (€2,500–€5,000) and the structure is recognised by most major correspondent banks.

On its own, an Anjouan offshore company is a holding or trading vehicle. It becomes more than that when paired with a regulated activity — a gaming license, a forex license, or a crypto license — which sits on top of the offshore chassis. Most founders reading this page are likely interested in that combined structure, not a standalone passive IBC.

Entity types

International Business Company (IBC)

The default. A limited-liability company with separate legal personality, 0% corporate tax on foreign-source income, and a minimum of one director and one shareholder. Directors and shareholders can be individuals or corporate entities, resident or non-resident. An IBC is the chassis under almost every Anjouan licensing structure.

Limited Partnership

A general partner with unlimited liability plus one or more limited partners. Used occasionally for investment funds and for structures that need partnership-level tax treatment in the partners' home jurisdictions. Rare in a gaming or forex context.

Trust

Anjouan recognises common-law trust structures for succession, asset protection, and privately-held family-office purposes. Not typically used for active business; occasionally appears as the apex of a holding structure over an Anjouan IBC.

Formation process

IBC formation is straightforward and takes 3–5 business days when the documentation package is complete.

1. Name reservation — confirm availability with the Anjouan registry.
2. Memorandum and articles — standard templates exist; customisation is required where the IBC will apply for a regulated license (specific business purpose clauses).
3. Director and shareholder identification — certified passport copies, proof of address, and reference letters.
4. Registered agent appointment — a local registered agent is required and must be maintained for the lifetime of the entity.
5. Registered office — typically at the agent's address.
6. Filing and incorporation — the registry issues a certificate of incorporation.

Total cost for a plain IBC is €2,500–€5,000 including first-year registered agent fees. Annual renewal runs €1,200–€2,400.

Tax framework

The headline position is straightforward: 0% corporate income tax on non-Anjouan-sourced profits. There is no capital gains tax, no withholding tax on dividends paid to non-residents, and no exchange controls.

This is the headline. The practical picture is more nuanced. Most operators' ultimate tax exposure is determined not by Anjouan but by the rules in their home jurisdiction (controlled foreign corporation rules in the UK, Subpart F in the US, and similar regimes elsewhere). An Anjouan IBC does not make tax disappear — it defers and geographically relocates it. Competent tax advice in your home jurisdiction is essential before incorporating.

The OECD common reporting standard (CRS) applies to Anjouan as a participating jurisdiction. Information about financial accounts held by tax residents of other participating jurisdictions is reported automatically.

Banking access

Realistic banking for an Anjouan IBC sits in three categories:

• Local Anjouan banks — limited; most operators do not use them.
• Offshore correspondent banks — Mauritius, Seychelles, and select Caribbean jurisdictions accept Anjouan IBCs. Onboarding is slow (6–12 weeks) and requires substantial documentation.
• EMIs and fintechs — Wise Business, Paysera, Revolut Business (limited), specialist iGaming EMIs. Faster onboarding (2–8 weeks), fewer frictions, but limited correspondent banking support.

Most operators use an EMI as the primary operational account and maintain a relationship with a traditional offshore bank for correspondent banking and higher-value transfers. The EMI-only approach works for smaller-scale operations but constrains wire-transfer flexibility.

Substance requirements

Post-2023 the offshore IBC landscape globally has evolved toward requiring some form of economic substance in the jurisdiction of incorporation. Anjouan has followed this trend for companies engaged in "relevant activities" — banking, insurance, fund management, financing, shipping, and intellectual property.

Gaming, forex, and crypto businesses operating under their respective licenses are treated as having substance through the regulated activity itself — the compliance officer, the technical infrastructure, and the ongoing supervision all count. Pure holding companies with no regulated activity need to document their substance position with the registered agent annually.

How offshore relates to gaming, forex, crypto

For most readers, the offshore framework is not the product — it is the chassis under the product. The typical structure is:

1. Anjouan IBC formed as the operating entity.
2. The IBC applies for the relevant regulated license (gaming, forex, or crypto).
3. The regulated license authorises the specific business activity; the IBC provides the corporate form and tax treatment.

Standalone offshore IBCs without a license have their uses — holding structures, IP protection, passive investments — but the combination with a regulated activity is where Anjouan's framework provides the most competitive offer.

For the regulated-activity side, see: gaming license · forex license · crypto license.