Question 1

What kind of clients does HPT Group serve?

Accepted Answer

We work with three principal communities: founders and owner-managed operating businesses with cross-border complexity; private high-net-worth families and family offices; and a defined set of regulated intermediaries (private bankers, family-office advisors and counsel) who refer specialist work to us. Most engagements involve clients with assets, residency or operations across two or more jurisdictions.

Question 2

Is HPT Group regulated?

Accepted Answer

HPT Group is an independent advisory consultancy. We are not a licensed Trust or Company Service Provider, banking institution, fund administrator, immigration agent or regulated investment adviser in any jurisdiction. Where an engagement requires a regulated counterparty — a TCSP, trustee, bank, licensed local agent or fund administrator — we identify, brief and coordinate that party. The regulated work is performed under their own authorisation and named clearly in every engagement letter.

Question 3

Are you tax advisors?

Accepted Answer

We provide cross-border tax structuring advice and we coordinate with local tax counsel in the client's home jurisdiction. We do not file home-country tax returns. Where required, local counsel signs off on the home-country tax position before any structure is implemented.

Question 4

Why are you a deliberately small firm?

Accepted Answer

Director-led, written-down advice cannot be delegated to associates without losing the value. The business model that supports senior practitioners on every file is incompatible with the scale of a Big Four firm. We have chosen the model on principle and we hold the headcount accordingly.

Question 5

Who are HPT Group's principal competitors?

Accepted Answer

We sit between three groups. The Big Four private-client practices are typically more expensive and less senior on the file. The Magic Circle private wealth teams are more expensive and less commercial. The boutique formation agents are cheaper but offer no banking access, no substance and no tax integration. HPT was built to occupy the middle.

Question 6

Where are your offices?

Accepted Answer

Our headquarters is in Hong Kong, at 1603, 16/F The L. Plaza, 367-375 Queen's Road Central, Sheung Wan. A second office in London handles EMEA mandates and EU-facing work. All client meetings take place in one of these two offices, by appointment, or remotely over secure video.

Question 7

Who leads engagements at the firm?

Accepted Answer

Will Hodgson (Founder & Managing Director, Hong Kong) leads structuring, family-office and private-client work. Gabriel Pincus (Director, Compliance — London) leads internal compliance and counterparty oversight. Jack Burgess (Senior Account Manager, Hong Kong) leads day-to-day client delivery. Every engagement is signed by a director, never by an associate.

Question 8

Do you act for US persons?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with US-specialist co-counsel. We coordinate with US tax counsel before designing any structure where a US person is a settlor, beneficiary, director, shareholder or signatory. US filings (5471, 8938, FBAR, 3520, 3520-A) are filed by the client's US accountant, with structuring papers prepared by HPT to support those filings.

Question 9

What languages do you work in?

Accepted Answer

Our written work product is in English. Client meetings and informal communication can be conducted in English, Cantonese and Mandarin in Hong Kong, and in English, French and Russian through our London office and external counsel network.

Question 10

Do you accept work from sanctioned individuals or jurisdictions?

Accepted Answer

No. We screen every prospective client against UN, OFAC, EU, HMT, UK and HKMA sanctions lists at intake. We will not act for sanctioned individuals or entities, designated PEPs without elevated EDD, or matters with a connection to sanctioned jurisdictions. We decline work in writing when a sanctions concern arises.

Question 11

How do I begin a conversation with HPT?

Accepted Answer

Three routes: complete the form at /get-a-quote, complete the longer client-intake at /become-a-client, or write directly to enquiries@hpt.group. A principal director reviews every submission and responds within 48 business hours, either with a fit assessment and indicative fee, or with a referral if your matter is outside our scope.

Question 12

What does an engagement cost?

Accepted Answer

Every engagement begins with a written fee proposal before any work starts. A single-issue diagnosis starts from £1,500. A full structuring blueprint starts from £7,500. Implementation and ongoing retainers are scoped per matter, reflecting the structure, jurisdictions and counterparty workstreams required. We never bill by the hour.

Question 13

Do you charge hourly?

Accepted Answer

No. Hourly billing creates incentives that are not aligned with the client's interest. Every HPT engagement is fixed-fee and quoted in writing. If the work expands materially, we re-issue the engagement letter with the additional scope and fee before continuing.

Question 14

What happens if the scope changes mid-engagement?

Accepted Answer

We pause, re-quote in writing, and resume only on your written acceptance of the revised scope. There is no charge for the re-quote itself, and no scope creep is added without your express agreement.

Question 15

How long does a typical engagement take?

Accepted Answer

A diagnosis is typically delivered within 5–10 business days of the engagement letter. A full structuring blueprint takes 3–6 weeks. End-to-end implementation, including company formations, banking onboarding and counterparty appointments, generally completes within 60 to 120 days.

Question 16

Do you take ongoing retainers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Family-office retainers are scoped on engagement with a 12-month minimum term, covering ongoing director access, periodic structure reviews and coordination of counterparty workstreams. Quarterly billing is the standard cadence, with quarterly written reporting on activity and material developments.

Question 17

What does the engagement letter cover?

Accepted Answer

Scope (what is included, what is not), deliverables, timeline, total fee and payment milestones, the directors leading the matter, the counterparties to be appointed, the agreed communication channels, confidentiality and a clear termination provision. The letter is signed by both parties before any work starts.

Question 18

What payment terms do you offer?

Accepted Answer

Diagnosis fees are payable in full on engagement. Larger engagements (blueprint, implementation) are payable against milestones documented in the engagement letter — typically a deposit, an interim milestone and a balance on delivery. We accept GBP, EUR, USD, HKD and SGD payments.

Question 19

Can I cancel an engagement?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The engagement letter sets out the cancellation provisions, including the fee due for work already completed and the return of unused retainer balances. We do not lock clients into engagements where the relationship is not working.

Question 20

Do you offer a refund or fee-back guarantee?

Accepted Answer

For specific deliverables (e.g., bank-account introductions) we offer a fee-back arrangement under defined conditions, set out in the engagement letter. For advisory work, the standard is that fees correspond to deliverables; if a deliverable cannot be produced, the corresponding fee is refunded.

Question 21

What services does HPT Group offer?

Accepted Answer

Eighteen service areas across two practices. Corporate Services covers offshore and onshore company formation, corporate structuring, investment funds, banking, fintech and iGaming licensing, fiduciary coordination, payment cards, yacht and aircraft registration, deal and exit structuring and crypto. Private Clients covers family office advisory, trusts and foundations, citizenship and residency by investment, tax residency planning, private banking introductions and gold custody.

Question 22

Can you form a company for me?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Formation itself is a small step in a structuring engagement, and we always place formation in the context of the wider structure. The company is formed by a licensed local agent we work with; HPT prepares the structuring memorandum, instructions to the agent and the supporting documents.

Question 23

Can you handle bank-account introductions?

Accepted Answer

Yes — to a curated panel of 25+ active corporate and private banks across the UK, EU, GCC, APAC, Caribbean and US. We pre-qualify the structure against the bank's appetite before any name is mentioned, and introductions go to a named relationship manager rather than the central onboarding queue.

Question 24

Do you provide directors, trustees or other officers?

Accepted Answer

HPT does not act as a director, trustee or nominee shareholder. Where the engagement requires an independent director, trustee or compliance officer, we identify and place the appointment with a licensed local provider, and we manage the relationship for the duration of the engagement.

Question 25

Can you handle the entire structure end-to-end?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A full implementation typically includes structuring memorandum, formations, director and trustee appointments through licensed counterparties, banking onboarding, substance setup, accounting and compliance, and ongoing oversight. The engagement letter scopes which elements are direct HPT deliverables and which are coordinated through counterparties.

Question 26

Can you advise on my home-country tax position?

Accepted Answer

We model the home-country position in the diagnosis and coordinate with local tax counsel for the formal sign-off. For substantial matters (UK, US, EU, UAE, Singapore, HK), we have a panel of local counsel we work with regularly. The home-country tax letter accompanies the structure as a deliverable.

Question 27

Can HPT operate my family office?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for family offices typically up to USD 200M AUM. Above that, we design and stand up an in-house family office for you, recruiting the team and operationalising the systems, then transition to an advisory role. The retainer model is scoped on engagement.

Question 28

Do you handle ongoing accounting and statutory compliance?

Accepted Answer

Year-one statutory compliance is included on most formations (annual returns, registered office, BO register filings). Bookkeeping, statutory accounts and tax returns are scoped as a separate retainer through our accountancy panel — coordinated by HPT but delivered by a licensed local accountant.

Question 29

Which jurisdictions does HPT work in?

Accepted Answer

More than sixty jurisdictions across six continents, including BVI, Cayman, Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, St Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, Belize, Panama, UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malta, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Ireland, Netherlands, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Seychelles, Labuan, Vanuatu and the major onshore jurisdictions (UK, US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland and most of the EU).

Question 30

How do you choose the right jurisdiction for a structure?

Accepted Answer

The choice is driven by the question the structure is trying to answer: treaty access, banking acceptance, tax efficiency, substance feasibility, beneficiary residency and the home-country tax position. The jurisdiction is the answer, not the starting point. The diagnosis maps the actual choice against three or four shortlisted jurisdictions.

Question 31

Will an offshore structure be 'blacklisted' anywhere?

Accepted Answer

The EU non-cooperative list and the FATF grey list are the two reference points. Both are monitored quarterly and modelled in every diagnosis. We do not recommend structures in jurisdictions on those lists where the listing materially affects banking, treaty access or audit defensibility.

Question 32

What is your view on FATF grey-listed jurisdictions?

Accepted Answer

Grey-listing is workable but consequential. Banks become more selective, EDD becomes heavier and treaty access becomes harder to evidence. We continue to advise on grey-listed jurisdictions where the substance and reporting position is genuinely defensible, but we tell clients in writing when the grey-list status will narrow their options.

Question 33

Are offshore structures still legal in 2026?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Offshore structures are themselves never the question. Whether they are reported, substantiated and tax-resident correctly is the question. Every structure we design is built to be read by your banker, your auditor and your home tax authority — we design for transparency, not opacity.

Question 34

Do you do onshore structuring (UK, US, EU)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Roughly 35% of our work is onshore. Holdco-Opco architectures, UK Ltd companies, Delaware LLCs, Singapore Pte Ltds, Cyprus holding companies, Luxembourg SOPARFI, Irish trading companies and Dutch BVs are all routinely deployed alongside offshore elements where appropriate.

Question 35

How many entities will I typically need?

Accepted Answer

A simple formation is one entity. A defensible operating structure is typically three to seven entities across two to five jurisdictions, accommodating holding, IP, operating, and (where relevant) trust and asset-protection layers. The diagnosis sets the right entity count for your matter.

Question 36

Can a structure be unwound later?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with planning. We model an indicative wind-up path during the diagnosis so the structure is built to be unwound cleanly if circumstances change. Most structures can be liquidated, redomiciled or merged without leaking value, provided the wind-up is planned at the design stage and the tax position is modelled before each step.

Question 37

Can offshore companies still open bank accounts in 2026?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but only with the right introducer and the right structure. Cold applications to tier-one banks now fail at scale. We pre-qualify the structure against our bank panel before formation, and introductions are made to named relationship managers with the file pre-prepared. Roughly 95% of our recent formations had a working account within 60 days.

Question 38

Which banks does HPT work with?

Accepted Answer

Our active corporate banking panel includes 25+ institutions across the UK, EU, GCC, APAC, Caribbean and US. Our private-banking introduction panel covers tier-one houses across Singapore, Hong Kong, Monaco, Switzerland, London, Liechtenstein, Panama and Andorra. The full list is shared with engaged clients.

Question 39

What's the difference between an EMI and traditional banking?

Accepted Answer

EMIs hold client funds with a custodian bank under segregated-account rules; they do not lend, and their licence scope is narrower. They are well-suited to operating businesses needing multi-currency rails. Traditional banks offer the full credit, custody, foreign-exchange and Lombard suite. Most modern structures use both — an EMI for operations and a private bank for wealth.

Question 40

What's a typical minimum at a private bank?

Accepted Answer

Most tier-one private banks ask for at least $1M to open and $3M–$5M to access the full advisory and discretionary services. Some Swiss and Liechtenstein houses publish higher floors. We will tell you in writing which banks fit your number before any introduction is made.

Question 41

Do you connect HNW individuals with private banks personally?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Private banking introductions are a defined HPT service. We work with tier-one private banks across Singapore, Hong Kong, Monaco, Switzerland, London, Liechtenstein, Panama and Andorra, on the personal side for individuals and families and on the corporate side for the operating companies they own.

Question 42

Does HPT receive any commission from banks?

Accepted Answer

No. HPT does not accept commission, trail, referral fee or any other consideration from any bank or counterparty. Our fee is paid by you, the recommendation is independent, and we have no incentive to push one institution over another.

Question 43

How long does a bank-account opening take?

Accepted Answer

EMIs: 1–4 weeks. Traditional corporate accounts: 4–10 weeks. Private banking: 6–12 weeks. Timelines depend principally on the speed at which the client provides source-of-funds documentation, not on the bank's internal processing.

Question 44

What if a bank-account application is declined?

Accepted Answer

We re-place the file with the next-best-fit bank from the panel at no additional fee. Pre-qualification is designed to make declines rare; when they happen, the cause is usually new source-of-funds information that emerged during the bank's review, not a fundamental structural issue.

Question 45

Will offshore companies trigger CFC rules?

Accepted Answer

Almost always for residents of CFC jurisdictions (UK, US, most of Europe, increasingly the GCC). CFC rules attribute the foreign company's income back to the domestic shareholder. We model CFC exposure in every diagnosis and design structures that either accept the attribution, qualify for a CFC exemption, or break the shareholder-residence chain through trust or foundation layering.

Question 46

What about CRS and FATCA reporting?

Accepted Answer

Both are mandatory and unavoidable for in-scope accounts. We design every structure so the reporting is clean and predictable — the home tax authority sees what they expect to see, and there are no surprises. Treating reporting as a problem rather than a planning input is the most common error in mediocre offshore advice.

Question 47

Will my structure have a substance problem?

Accepted Answer

Only if it is designed badly. Substance is non-negotiable for any structure that needs treaty access, banking acceptance or audit defensibility. We model substance requirements (directors on the ground, premises, employees, decision-making location, expense profile) in the blueprint and budget for them in the implementation cost.

Question 48

Will you model my home-country tax position?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in the diagnosis. For substantial matters we coordinate with local tax counsel in your home jurisdiction for formal sign-off. The home-country tax letter accompanies the structure as a deliverable and can be shared with your home accountant and counsel.

Question 49

What about OECD Pillar Two and the global minimum tax?

Accepted Answer

Pillar Two applies to multinational groups with consolidated annual revenue over €750M. Most HPT clients are under the threshold. Where a client is in scope, we model the GloBE calculation, the QDMTT in each jurisdiction and the practical impact on the effective tax rate.

Question 50

Can I be invisible to my home tax authority?

Accepted Answer

No, and we will not design to that brief. The honest position in 2026 is that any structure built for invisibility will fail. We design for visibility — structures that report correctly, hold up under audit, and accept that the home tax authority will see them.

Question 51

Will my structure be reported to HMRC / IRS / etc?

Accepted Answer

If it should be, yes. Reportable structures (most cross-border ones) are reported under CRS, FATCA, DAC6, DAC8 and the home-country equivalents. We design for that reporting from day one rather than work around it. The structures we recommend assume full disclosure.

Question 52

What is your view on the UK's 2025 non-dom abolition?

Accepted Answer

The historic non-dom regime ended on 5 April 2025 and was replaced by the four-year Foreign Income and Gains regime for new UK residents, plus a long-term-resident IHT test that displaced deemed domicile. The planning for existing UK non-doms now sits in the structural layer (trust restructuring, asset rebasing, residency-shift modelling) rather than in claiming the old basis.

Question 53

Can HPT help me secure a second passport?

Accepted Answer

Yes, across thirteen government-approved Citizenship-by-Investment programmes spanning the Caribbean (St Kitts, Dominica, Antigua, St Lucia, Grenada), the EU (Malta), Eurasia (Turkey, Jordan) and the Pacific (Vanuatu, Nauru). Every application is filed through the licensed local agent in the granting state; HPT designs the strategy, prepares the source-of-funds pack and manages the process end-to-end.

Question 54

Which CBI programmes do you recommend?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the client's primary objective. Visa-free travel breadth, family-inclusion economics, processing speed, due-diligence rigour, tax-interaction with home country and post-acquisition residency obligations all weigh differently for different clients. The diagnosis ranks two or three shortlisted programmes for your specific case.

Question 55

How long does a typical CBI application take?

Accepted Answer

Processing times in 2026 range from approximately 60 days (Vanuatu) to 6–9 months (Malta MEIN). Caribbean programmes are typically 4–6 months from filing. Total elapsed time from initial enquiry to passport in hand is usually 6–9 months once the source-of-funds pack is complete.

Question 56

Can my family be included in a CBI application?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The major programmes allow spouse, dependent children and (in most cases) dependent parents and adult unmarried siblings to be included, subject to programme-specific age and dependency rules. We model the family-inclusion economics in the diagnosis as cost-per-passport.

Question 57

Will I have to renounce my current citizenship?

Accepted Answer

Not for any of the CBI programmes we work with — all permit dual citizenship. Your home-country position may differ; some jurisdictions (most notably parts of east Asia) restrict dual citizenship. The diagnosis covers the home-side position before any application is filed.

Question 58

Do CBI passports still provide visa-free EU and UK access?

Accepted Answer

The Caribbean programmes retain visa-free access to the UK Schengen area in 2026, with periodic political and procedural risk. We track the EU and UK schengen-equivalence positions quarterly and flag changes to current clients. Visa-free reach for any specific programme is documented in the diagnosis.

Question 59

What about Residency-by-Investment / Golden Visas?

Accepted Answer

We advise on thirteen RBI programmes including Portugal (post-NHR), Greece, Spain, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, UAE Golden Visa, Singapore GIP, Switzerland (forfait), the US EB-5 and Caribbean residency. RBI work tends to overlap with tax-residency planning, which we handle in parallel.

Question 60

How does CBI or RBI interact with tax residency?

Accepted Answer

Citizenship does not equal tax residency. Holding a second passport changes nothing about your tax position unless you also relocate your tax residency or restructure your asset base. We make this distinction explicit in every mobility engagement and model the tax-residency position alongside the citizenship application.

Question 61

Do I actually need a trust?

Accepted Answer

Not always. Trusts add a layer of cost, complexity and reporting. We recommend a trust when one or more of the following applies: a credible asset-protection threat, multi-generational succession requirements, forced-heirship avoidance, charitable-giving infrastructure, or beneficiary protection (minors, the vulnerable, contentious situations). Where a corporate-only structure does the job, we say so.

Question 62

Trust or foundation — which is right for me?

Accepted Answer

Common-law clients (UK, US, Hong Kong, BVI) generally find trusts more familiar and operationally cleaner. Civil-law clients (continental Europe, Latin America, GCC) generally find foundations more familiar and easier to defend at home. Both can achieve the same outcomes. The diagnosis recommends the right vehicle for your home jurisdiction and family situation.

Question 63

Where are the strongest asset-protection trust jurisdictions?

Accepted Answer

Cook Islands and Nevis remain the two leading asset-protection venues for offshore-trust planning, distinguished by short statutes of limitations for fraudulent-transfer claims, high evidentiary bars (clear-and-convincing in Cook Islands), and a track record of refusing to enforce foreign judgments. BVI VISTA trusts and Cayman STAR trusts serve different but related purposes.

Question 64

Can creditors or an ex-spouse reach an offshore trust?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the timing, jurisdiction and structure. A trust settled before any claim could reasonably be foreseen, in a strong jurisdiction, with proper documentary discipline, is very difficult for creditors and matrimonial claimants to reach. A trust settled after a claim has crystallised, in a weak jurisdiction, with poor records, is easy to attack. Timing is everything.

The questions our clients most commonly ask.

The firm

Process, pricing and fees

Services and deliverables

Jurisdictions and structures

Corporate and private banking

Tax position and reporting

Mobility and second passports

Trusts, foundations and protection

Fintech, crypto and licensing

Information, privacy and records

Bring us your hardest question.