Jersey vs DIFC (Dubai): which jurisdiction wins?

Jersey vs DIFC (Dubai) — both credible, very different trade-offs. Below: side-by-side on the variables that actually move the decision.

	Jersey	DIFC (Dubai)
Tax headline	0% (10% financial services, 20% utilities)	0% on qualifying income (9% otherwise)
Formation days	5	14
First-year cost	$5,500	$12,000
Treaties	14+	140+
Substance	Economic substance for relevant activities	Mandatory office, directors, employees in DIFC
Banking	Tier-1 (HSBC, Barclays, Standard Chartered)	DIFC-licensed banks and prime brokers

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