The structure of the book

The three sections into which the book is divided equate roughly to the natural division between the past, the present and the future. Some licence is taken with this arbitrary division – but not to the extent that it will detract from the purposes described in the Preface.

Each chapter begins with a brief summary of its content. Many of the chapters ‘stand alone’, and can be read independently of other chapters. The object of Chapter 1 is not only to show the linkages between chapters but also to describe the core themes that run through the text.

What does ‘Offshore’ mean?

Chapter 2 quotes some technical definitions, and some ‘working definitions’ are suggested. The contributions of the OECD and of the IMF are noted in this respect. Some background information is provided on the origins of ‘Offshore’, and its development is traced. The world's ‘Tax Havens’ (as defined by the OECD) are identified. Whether Tax Havens are the same as ‘Offshore Centres’ is a debate that is left until later, but section 2.7 shows that some writers see clear distinctions between the two.

The market, the buyers and the sellers

Chapters 3 and 4 identify three different interest groups that exist in respect of ‘Offshore’. Chapter 3 focuses on the marketplace, that is to say the ‘Offshore Centre’ per se.