Panama vs British Virgin Islands: which jurisdiction wins?

Panama vs British Virgin Islands — both credible, very different trade-offs. Below: side-by-side on the variables that actually move the decision.

	Panama	British Virgin Islands
Tax headline	0% on foreign-sourced income (territorial)	0% corporate tax
Formation days	5	3
First-year cost	$2,200	$2,500
Treaties	17+	Limited
Substance	Light	Economic Substance Act 2018 — relevant activities must demonstrate substance
Banking	Local Panamanian banks; USD economy	Limited domestic banking; introductions to EMIs and Caribbean/Asia correspondents

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Wrong jurisdiction, wrong substance, or wrong bank shortlist is a 12-month problem. A 30-minute briefing fixes 80% of it.