Corporate oil booms in low-tax Switzerland - to stay out of reach of Obama's tax-seeking admin

[The Straight Story]

Corporate oil booms in low-tax Switzerland
Thu Apr 9, 2009 9:42am BST


By Sam Cage

ZUG, Switzerland (Reuters) - The tidy towns and mountain vistas of Switzerland are an unlikely setting for an oil boom.

Yet a wave of energy companies has in the last few months announced plans to move to Switzerland -- mainly for its appeal as a low-tax corporate domicile that looks relatively likely to stay out of reach of Barack Obama's tax-seeking administration.

In a country with scant crude oil production of its own, the virtual energy boom has changed the canton or state of Zug, about 30 minutes' drive from Zurich, beyond all recognition. Its economy was based on farming until it slashed tax rates to attract commerce after World War Two.

...

Over the past six months companies including offshore drilling contractors Noble Corp and Transocean, energy-focused engineering group Foster Wheeler and oilfield services company Weatherford International have all announced plans to shift domicile to Switzerland.

"Switzerland has a stable and developed tax regime and a network of tax treaties with most countries where we operate," Transocean Chief Executive Bob Long said in a statement in October, when it announced its move. "As a result, the redomestication will improve our ability to maintain a competitive worldwide effective corporate tax rate."

Guido Jud, head of Zug's tax office, said about 1,200 companies had set up shop there in 2008 -- in line with the long-term average, though it is difficult to assess how many of those are foreign companies until they file tax returns.


....

Analysts note that because Switzerland has its own tax treaty with the United States, blacklisting it at a corporate or individual level could cause unproductive diplomatic incidents.

Low-tax jurisdictions like Bermuda or the Cayman Islands look more vulnerable because they have less diplomatic clout, which is prompting some companies to head for Switzerland.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/stocksAndSharesNews/idUKLNE53801920090409

[Lucky Luciano]

1. Insurance company ACE did this as well.

I actually track these for large companies because if the company is a member of the S&P 500 and they domicile to another country (Bermuda et al are conisdered ok for some reason), then it will get kicked out of the index which creates a short term technical trading opportunity when index funds trying to replicate the returns of the S&P 500 are forced to sell their entire position.

Noble (NE), Weatherford (WFT), Foster Wheeler (FWLT), TransOCean (RIG), ACE (ACE)have all completed their domiciling in Switzerland.