James Wolfson, Solicitor

James has over thirty years’ experience in tax, trusts and private client services, commencing in South Africa where he worked in the tax departments of two of the “big four” accountancy firms, was associate director and tax specialist in a large commercial law firm and team leader in a private bank. Originally qualifying in South Africa as an Attorney, and obtaining post graduate qualifications in tax law, he later was admitted as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales.

He has thereafter gained international private client experience working offshore over 17 years, including 6 years in the Isle of Man working for private bank/trust companies, and 12 years in Jersey working in the trust industry. He joined Healys in 2014.

James specialises in co-ordinating multi-jurisdictional tax and estate planning for international private clients and their families (in particular those with UK connections) in order to preserve and allow free movement of their capital. The planning often involves the creation of offshore trusts, foundations, corporate entities and family office services, often structured to harmonise with clients’ other wealth planning and commercial/entrepreneurial strategies.

James is recognised as a leading practitioner in his field, and has been ranked as a Top Recommended Tax Lawyer by the Spears 500 guide to the best private client advisors.

Inheritance tax and offshore estate planning advice in the context of a foreign domiciled businessman having disposed of his UK business to international purchasers and claiming UK entrepreneur’s relief on the gain for capital gains tax

Advice to South American clients to acquire a London residential property structured to avoid inheritance tax, capital gains tax and annual tax on enveloped dwellings and restructure of UK investment properties through an offshore structure to avoid inheritance tax

Advice regarding creation of offshore trust for UK family of Italian parents consequent upon tax disclosures between Italy and Switzerland in relation to family investments held in Switzerland

Co-ordinate international offshore structures for wealthy South African family whose members have moved to the Australia, the US and Canada

Co-ordinate the offshore structuring for the international textile business of a wealthy Indian family, including licensing of international brands, repatriation of a particular brand to India with a view to Indian listing, and international development of another well known fashion brand involving offshore holding and licensing entities

Advice regarding divestment of US investor in a South African food conglomerate, restructure of existing Jersey trust structures involving Dutch “Co-op” and Antilles holding structure, and disposal of part of the South African business under the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) programme

Advice relative to a number of US foreign grantor trusts for heads of families with children and relatives in the US to avoid US tax on income, future “step- up” basis to avoid tax on historical gains and tie in with US family perpetual trust and estate planning

Advice regarding a purpose trust structure to hold resort properties in Thailand as part of commercial joint venture holiday concept similar to timeshare for UK and US joint venture partners

Advice relative to restructure and rationalisation of Jersey trusts for Singaporean high net worth family with a view to creation of private trust company/ family office structure

Working with US tax lawyers to interpose a purpose trust structure holding a finance company between existing Jersey Trust and US trust structures requiring funding to develop US shopping complexes and commercial property

Advice relating to the creation of unitised property trusts in Jersey (JPUT) and Guernsey (GPUT) for international commercial property investments in the UK