Wealth Planning (HNWI Advisory)

Comprehensive wealth planning for individuals and families

For high-net-worth individuals and families, the structure, location and future disposition of wealth are not solely tax matters. Managing corporate shareholdings, investments, movable assets, real estate and cross-border assets involves complex decisions that require legal, tax, accounting and commercial considerations to be assessed in a coordinated manner.

Andersen’s comprehensive, multidisciplinary wealth planning service (HNWI advisory) helps clients ensure that their wealth is held and managed within a transparent, efficient and sustainable structure, both now and over the long term.

Wealth planning goes beyond traditional tax advisory

Wealth planning is not limited to optimising the taxation of individual income streams. Our approach is to consider all asset classes, including interests in private companies, financial investments, movable and immovable property, and international structures, within a coherent and integrated framework.

Our advice focuses in particular on the following matters:

• the transparency and effective oversight of the wealth-holding structure;
• the long-term exercise of ownership rights and continuity of decision-making;
• planning for the intergenerational transfer of wealth;
• the controlled and predictable treatment of distributions and returns; and
• the international tax and legal implications of individual decisions.

Structured solutions for wealth management and transfer

Complex wealth planning objectives often require institutional solutions that allow assets to be managed over the long term in accordance with predetermined principles.

These solutions may include in particular:

• asset management foundations;
• trust asset management structures; and
• international tax planning solutions.

Although these wealth planning tools and arrangements follow different legal and operational models, they share the ability to facilitate:

• the preservation of assets as a coherent whole;
• their structured management; and
• the advance determination of how they may be used in the future.

International focus and multidimensional planning

Substantial private wealth increasingly includes assets situated in multiple jurisdictions or investments with an international dimension. In such cases, wealth planning must ensure that the rules of the relevant countries operate in a coordinated manner and that the structure functions appropriately in every jurisdiction concerned.

Drawing on Andersen’s international network, we develop coherent and workable solutions for our clients, including in cross-border situations.

Wealth tax advisory

Determining a wealth tax liability requires the assets of the individual, the family and any related wealth-holding structures to be identified and assessed within a single framework. Ownership chains, the matrimonial property regime, assets transferred to close relatives, and domestic and foreign investments may all affect the tax base. Valuing holding structures and interests in unlisted companies can be particularly complex, potentially requiring consideration of equity, earnings capacity, hidden reserves and non-recurring items. Andersen’s wealth tax advisory services cover the full process, from the preliminary assessment of tax exposure and preparation of an asset inventory to the valuation of individual assets and preparation of the tax return.

How we support our clients

Our wealth planning services include, among others:

• reviewing and assessing existing wealth-holding structures;
• performing comparative analyses of alternative wealth management models, including foundation and trust asset management structures;
• designing the selected structure from a tax, legal and accounting perspective;
• identifying the key decision points and risks involved in establishing the structure;
• providing ongoing support and periodic review of the implemented solution;
• coordinating and managing workstreams across legal, finance and accounting functions; and
• wealth tax advisory, including a preliminary assessment of tax exposure, preparation of an asset inventory, valuation of individual assets and preparation of the tax return.

Our approach is tailored to each client. When developing a solution, we take into account the client’s business activities, family circumstances, long-term objectives and risk appetite.