While the stock market in Panama is still small, the volume in the Panama Stock Exchange is being driven by the fact that properly registered shares and bonds do not pay income tax. Do I hear another reason to consider investing down here?
Capital.com.pa reports that “the stock market in Panama traded $512.2 million in January 2013, a figure which much higher than that negotiated in the months of January in the last seven years, with the exception of 2011
The explanation for this increase “has to do with many factors, but one of them is still the benefit of tax exemptions received by equity investments.”
The president of the firm BDO, Ruben Bustamante, said that “one of the benefits you get when you invest in the domestic capital market is that the profit from the sale of shares of companies registered with the Superintendency of Securities Market (SMV), generates no income tax, no tax on dividends nor complementary tax.
“At the same time, if the instrument or value is registered in the VPS, the interest that is paid incurs only 5% for income tax, however, if it is paid via the Stock Exchange, such interest would be exempt from Income Tax”, explained the accountant.
Source: Capital.com.pa
This is true for Panamanian nationals and some other nationalities. It is not true for American citizens. You are correct, Americans would pay no tax in Panama, but they would still be subject to U.S. capital gains taxes, and taxes on dividends and interest. Most brokerage houses now share information with the IRS so you cannot escape U.S. taxes. To try to do so is foolish in my opinion.