A nominee shareholder is an unrelated person, who is officially registered as the holder of shares in an IBC. The purpose of the nominee shareholder is to shield the actual owner of the offshore company from being publicly associated with the ownership of that particular corporation. If a nominee shareholder is engaged, a confidential legal document (a declaration of trust, nominee services agreement or similar document) would be issued by the nominee for the beneficial owner. Such document would evidence the actual situation – namely, that the shares are only held by the nominee for the benefit and on behalf of the beneficial owner, and that only the beneficial owner may dispose with these shares and is entitled to all benefits and profits from those shares.
Nominee shareholding is routinely provided by Registered Agent firms to their client IBC`s. It`s an optional service. In-house nominee shareholders would normally be included under the umbrella license of the Registered Agent firm and would be similarly regulated and accountable.