Isle of Man trust cost depends on the structure, the assets and who does the work, so no single total fits every family. We publish the set-up fee for a standard trust or foundation in the Isle of Man on this page; annual administration, event-based work and third-party charges are quoted after we review your case.
The set-up fee for a Isle of Man trust is shown under the key facts. The other groups of cost depend on the structure and are quoted after we review your case.
Set-up
Structure design and onboarding checks
Trust deed drafting by the law firm
Trustee acceptance and account opening
Ongoing
Annual trustee fee
Accounting, minutes and records
Reporting to authorities
Third party
Bank and custodian charges
Tax and legal advice in other countries
Registry or stamp duty where it applies
Key facts
Governing law
The Trusts Act 1995 is a core statute for Isle of Man trusts[1]
Foreign law rules
A Manx trust is not void just because it defeats foreign heirship rights[3]
Reporting to authorities
The Isle of Man takes part in automatic exchange of tax information under the CRS[2]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Set-up fee
Standard trust
USD 10,000
Trust set-up in the Isle of Man: the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed or foundation charter drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by One Pacific Trust or a partner trustee, confirmed in your quote.
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
Standard foundation
USD 12,000
Foundation set-up in the Isle of Man: the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed or foundation charter drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by One Pacific Trust or a partner trustee, confirmed in your quote.
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
Set-up fees shown are One Pacific Trust fees in US dollars for the standard scope described, before government, registry, bank and other third-party charges, which are passed through at cost or billed to you directly.
Annual administration, event-based work and anything outside the standard scope are quoted after we review your case.
A published fee is not an offer and is not tax or legal advice; the terms that apply are those set out in writing when you engage us.
Set-up costs: what they cover
Illustration, not a real client.
Set-up costs pay for the work that happens before the trust holds any asset. They are mostly one-off.
Structure design. Agreeing with counsel whether a trust, a foundation or a private trust company fits your aims.
Drafting. An Isle of Man law firm drafts the deed under the Trusts Act 1995 (source: Isle of Man Government, Isle of Man legislation), and your own lawyer reviews it. The firm charges for its own time.
Identity and source-of-funds work. We verify the settlor, any protector and the other people connected with the trust, and review the evidence of where the money came from.
Local roles. We work with a local partner where the work is done on the Island. The partner charges for the role it takes, and your engagement letter sets it out.
Companies and foundations. If the structure includes one, forming it carries its own incorporation and agent costs.
The set-up guide shows when each of these happens.
Ongoing trustee and administration costs
Once the trust is running, the trustee’s work repeats each year. It covers holding title to the assets, keeping records and accounts, holding trustee meetings with minutes, refreshing identity checks and collecting the forms used for tax information exchange.
A family trustee company or a foundation adds its own yearly work: a board that meets, accounts for the entity and a registered office.
Some tasks are charged when they happen rather than yearly. Examples are a distribution to a beneficiary, the addition or removal of a beneficiary, a change of protector and a change of trustee.
The engagement letter says which tasks fall under the yearly arrangement and which are charged separately. Read it with your own lawyer before you sign.
Third-party costs
Third parties charge for their own work, and we pass nothing through without telling you.
Law firm. Drafting the deed and advising on later changes.
Local partner. The role it holds in your structure.
Bank or custodian. Account opening and its own fees for holding the assets.
Accountant or auditor. Where the structure includes a company or the deed calls for audited accounts.
Your own advisers. Tax advice in the country where you live is separate from the trust and is paid by you.
Government and registry fees may also apply to a company or a foundation. We confirm which ones apply once the structure is fixed, and we tell you before any of them is paid on your behalf.
What changes the total
Four things move the total more than any others.
The type of structure. A single trust is simpler than a trust with a family trustee company and a foundation.
The kind of assets. A portfolio of listed securities is simpler to hold than shares in an operating company or real estate through a company.
The number of people and countries. More beneficiaries and more countries mean more identity checks and more reporting.
How much of the work you do yourself. Complete documents at the start save time on every later step.
Time also matters. A structure that stays unchanged costs less to run than one that changes often, because each change needs advice, minutes and sometimes a new deed.
If the beneficiaries live in several countries, expect more reporting work. Each person’s tax residence is recorded and refreshed, and the trustee keeps those records for the life of the trust.
We explain the main drivers when we send the quote, in plain words, so you can see which choices move the total and decide which you want to keep.
How to get a quote
A quote follows from five answers: the structure you have in mind, the type of assets, the number of beneficiaries, the countries involved, and whether you want a family trustee company or a foundation.
We reply with an estimate. It is not a binding offer, and we confirm it after we have seen the documents and the assets.
What do I pay for when I set up a trust in the Isle of Man?
You pay for the structure design, the law firm that drafts the deed, our identity and source-of-funds work, the local partner's role, and any company or foundation that is formed. Each is quoted separately so you can see what it covers.
Are there ongoing costs for a trust in the Isle of Man?
Yes. A trust has yearly costs for the trustee's work, accounts, meetings, identity refreshes and reporting. Events such as a distribution or a change of beneficiary may be charged when they happen. The deed and the engagement letter set out which.
How do I get a quote for a trust in the Isle of Man?
Give us five facts: the structure in mind, the kind of assets, how many beneficiaries there are, which countries are involved, and whether a family trustee company or a foundation interests you. A reply follows with an estimate that we confirm after reviewing the documents. It is not a binding offer.
Pick a question for a short answer from our FAQ. Nothing you choose here is sent anywhere. This is a scripted guide from our FAQ, not live chat and not advice.
Setting up, the law and tax
What happens, step by step, when you set up an offshore trust?
First agree the purpose and who should benefit. Your lawyer drafts the deed under the chosen law while the trustee checks identity and the source of the assets. After signing, the assets move into the trustee’s name and are recorded. The guide shows each stage in more detail.
Usually the owner transfers the shares or membership interest to the trustee under the deed, after checking the company’s own documents and any consent a lender or partner must give. The trustee then holds the interest and the company carries on. Company, tax and local law checks come first, so involve your lawyer.
Yes, in the places whose law provides for them. A trust needs a lawful purpose, a valid deed under its governing law, and taxes and reporting dealt with where the people involved live. It cannot be used to hide assets, defeat existing creditors or evade tax. A trustee will refuse a trust whose purpose or funding it cannot confirm.
It depends on where the settlor, the beneficiaries, the trustee and the assets are, and on the law that governs the trust. Many countries tax trust income or distributions in the hands of the people they treat as owners or recipients, and exchange account data under international reporting rules. We do not give tax advice, so ask your own adviser before you sign.
How long does it take to appoint a Hong Kong trustee?
Time depends mostly on how quickly documents arrive and on checks by banks and registries outside our control, so we do not promise a date. Once you apply, the client portal shows each step and what is outstanding, and a 30-minute call sets out what to prepare first.
The cost depends on the structure, the places and assets involved, how many parties the trustee must check, and how much work the trust needs each year. We publish the set-up fee for each place; annual administration and event-based work are quoted after we review your case. Banking, legal and registry charges outside our control can add to it.
A trustee can borrow only if the deed and the governing law allow it. A lender will usually ask to see the deed, the trustee’s authority and the purpose of the loan. Some deeds limit borrowing or need a protector’s consent. Ask a lawyer before approaching a lender.
What is asset management, and is it what a trustee does?
Asset management means running investments for a client, usually under a licence. A trustee does something different: it holds the assets, checks instructions against the deed, approves distributions and keeps the record. A bank or licensed manager that the deed allows for can run the investments.
Hong Kong
Singapore
BVI
Jersey
