🇬🇧 UK Holding Company 🇬🇧

UK Holding Company: Asset Protection for Real Estate in Europe

A UK Holding Company is a limited liability company established in the United Kingdom (UK LTD), used as a legal vehicle for the protection of real estate assets such as residential properties, commercial buildings, or land located in various European jurisdictions.
This structure is widely used in the context of estate planning and legal optimization.

Real Estate Holding

A UK Limited Company (LTD) is incorporated.

The shareholder and the director can be the same natural person.

The share capital can be minimal (e.g., £1), and contributions may be made either in cash or non-cash assets (i.e., tangible property), in accordance with the Companies (Share Capital and Acquisition by Company of Its Own Shares) Regulations 2009.

Asset Protection Through the UK LTD

The shareholder, who owns real estate assets in Europe, carries out a legal transfer of ownership of those assets to the UK LTD.

The UK company becomes the formal titleholder of the property, which is then considered to be owned by a foreign legal entity.

Creation of a Self-Declared Jersey Trust

The owner of a company’s shares may, based on their needs, establish a self-declared trust registered in Jersey, one of the world’s most solid and stable offshore jurisdictions.

The settlor transfers their shares into the trust.

Once the shares are segregated in the trust, they become protected.

The assets (homes, real estate, etc.) are now shielded from seizure and are excluded from the ordinary inheritance system.

📘 Legal References – Jersey:
→ Trusts (Jersey) Law 1984
→ Article 9: Recognition of asset segregation
→ Article 10: Effect of the trust with respect to creditors and third parties

Key Benefits of the Structure

✅ Asset Segregation: The assets are not held in the name of the individual or the trust, but in the name of the company.
✅ Asset Protection: A structure that makes asset seizure extremely difficult.
✅ Estate Planning: Through the trust, it is possible to appoint beneficiaries and manage wealth transfer privately.
✅ Tax Neutrality: In the UK, companies are not subject to taxation if they do not generate taxable income within the territory.
✅ Legal Flexibility: UK and Jersey legislation offer wide scope for customization.