The last twelve months have seen a steady stream of new admissions to the AIM Market. A growing number of new applicants have been Isle of Man companies, which suggests that an increasing number of businesses are realising the advantages of using an Isle of Man vehicle to access the AIM Market.

  • The Isle of Man has been in the vanguard of moves towards transparency and regulation in international business and is recognised as one of the best regulated offshore financial centres.

  • The Isle of Man is an English-speaking jurisdiction in the same time zone as London. The City of London is only a one hour plane journey from the Isle of Man.

  • Zero rate corporate tax from 2006. The Isle of Man has traditionally offered a tax neutral jurisdiction from which to base efficient international tax planning. This offering has now been simplified and enhanced. With effect from 6 April 2006, the general rate of corporate income tax in the Isle of Man is 0% (with the exception of some regulated sectors and income derived from land and property in the Isle of Man). This new regime removes the "ring-fencing" associated with tax exempt regimes and thus meets the expectations of the international community as regards tax competition.

  • There are no capital gains or stamp taxes in the Isle of Man.

  • An Isle of Man public limited company listed on AIM is not a regulated entity in the Isle of Man and the administration of such a company is not regulated as fund administration.

  • Familiar corporate structures. The Isle of Man shares its company law heritage with England and other common law jurisdictions. City lawyers and advisers are comfortable dealing with Isle of Man companies, so deal costs can be minimised.

  • The Isle of Man has a well-established and well-regulated infrastructure for the provision of corporate administration services.

  • Common law legal system. The laws of the Isle of Man in most areas are very similar to those of the UK. In particular, credit and security concepts are the same, so London-based banks and their lawyers are comfortable dealing with Isle of Man companies, so financing costs can be minimised.

  • The Isle of Man government offers inward investment incentives to certain businesses looking to establish substantive operations in the Isle of Man.

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