Smart Businesses use Off Shore Merchant Accounts

Among the many smart business accounting practices that can help your business is that of using an off shore merchant account for your credit card processing needs. These offshore accounts are completely legal and can help your business save money. They also provide service levels comparable or often even better than their on shore counterparts.

In the present day context credit card processing ability is almost a necessity for big and small businesses alike. Most people prefer to pay with credit or debit cards. The practice of paying by check or cash is fast disappearing. In this scenario, it is important to have the ability to process credit and debit cards. It allows you to serve a wider range of customers.

In order to ensure that the money paid by credit or debit cards is properly transferred from the customers' accounts into your account you will need to open a merchant account. Merchant accounts are similar to any other bank account, but should be kept separate as business accounts for accounting purposes.

Many companies will help you open a merchant account in the United States, but it is worth considering the option of opening off shore merchant accounts available from countries in the Caribbean, Central America, and Europe. This will help you save money in many ways in the process of money transfers through credit and debit cards.

If your account is located off shore, often it counts as foreign income. Foreign income, thought taxed, is taxed at a different rate than domestic income. Consult with your accountant or a tax attorney to settle the accounting necessities attending this option. At any rate, if you choose to open an off shore merchant account, you can send less of your money to Uncle Sam.

Another way that this accounting trick saves you money is by making it possible for you to save money in upfront costs and security fees. Many on shore accounts require quite a bit of money for an opening account and for security reasons, and then keep back a certain amount of money, on top of the original security amount, each month in order to cover charge backs. Initial deposits and holdbacks for charge backs are usually lower with off shore accounts.

Some of the transaction fees associated with off shore accounts are a little bit higher, but that cost is usually more than off set by the savings enjoyed in taxes and in other fees. Additionally, the service is often very good, as these companies are actively trying to gain and maintain clientele.

Checking out the feasibility of an off shore merchant account can be one of the smartest accounting moves you can make for your business.