Services · Trusts & private foundations

Jersey trust

Updated 6 October 2026

Open pricing. The final quote is fixed in writing before work starts.

A Jersey trust is a classic tool for asset protection and succession planning. Jersey is a Crown dependency with its own trust legislation rooted in English law, a deep body of case law and a large sector of licensed trust companies. It suits people who want to separate personal wealth from business risk, arrange how assets pass to the next generation, or hand day-to-day management to a professional trustee.

We start by clarifying the task: which assets go in, who the beneficiaries are, and how much control the settlor wants to retain. We then select a licensed Jersey trustee, negotiate the trust deed, guide you through compliance checks and help transfer the assets. The service covers both establishment and ongoing maintenance: dealings with the trustee, amendments to the structure, day-to-day questions. Pricing depends on the assets and complexity, and we quote after an initial consultation.

How a Jersey trust works under the law

Jersey trusts are governed by the Trusts (Jersey) Law 1984. What matters for a settlor:

• No time limit. No rule against perpetuities applies (Article 15): a trust can continue indefinitely unless its terms say otherwise.
• The settlor keeps powers. Article 9A allows the settlor to reserve the power to revoke or vary the trust, give directions on investments and distributions, and appoint and remove trustees and beneficiaries, without invalidating the trust.
• Protection from foreign law. Under Article 9, trust questions are decided under Jersey law regardless of foreign forced heirship rules and foreign judgments about the trust.
• Time limits for claims. A beneficiary can bring a breach claim within 3 years of learning of it, but no later than 21 years after the breach; there is no limit for fraud (Article 57).
• Purpose trusts. A trust for a purpose without beneficiaries is valid if an enforcer is appointed (Article 12).

The law does not require a trust to be registered. A professional trustee must be registered by the Jersey Financial Services Commission to carry on trust company business.

Tax

Where all the beneficiaries live outside Jersey, under Jersey tax practice the trustees are not taxed on income arising outside the island. The beneficiaries are taxed by the country where they live, so we also check the structure against that country's controlled foreign entity rules.

How the setup works

1. Defining the task: which assets, who the beneficiaries are, whether a protector is needed and which powers the settlor keeps.
2. Choosing a licensed Jersey trustee and passing the trustee's client checks.
3. Agreeing the trust deed and the letter of wishes.
4. Transferring assets into the trust: accounts, company shares, property through separate companies.
5. Ongoing administration: trustee reports, changes to the structure, distributions to beneficiaries.

What documents you need

Under anti-money laundering law a licensed trustee must identify the settlor and the beneficiaries and understand where the money comes from. So prepare: a passport and proof of address for each person involved, a description of the assets and their value, source of funds documents (sale of a business, dividends, inheritance, salary) and details of tax residence. Documents not in English are translated and copies certified.

Who gets refused

A trustee will not take on a structure if the source of funds cannot be documented, if anyone involved is under sanctions, or if the aim is to hide assets from creditors who are already known. Sanctions regimes restrict work with Russian citizens, so we check whether the case can proceed before any documents are prepared.

Sanctions restrictions and settlor checks

Jersey applies a sanctions regime aligned with the UK's. Since 16 December 2022 it has been prohibited to provide new trust services to persons connected with Russia: creating a trust, acting as trustee, providing a registered office. The connection is determined not by citizenship but mainly by where a person lives, or by a company's registration in Russia. So we check the status of the settlor and beneficiaries before work starts.

Who a Jersey trust suits and who it does not

Jersey is chosen by families with substantial wealth in several countries who value a predictable court and experienced trust companies: the island's trust law has developed since 1984, with decades of case law behind it. A trust suits those who need to allocate assets between children in advance, protect wealth from business risks and keep the settlor's right to change the terms.

Jersey is not the best choice for modest wealth: a licensed trustee works for an annual fee, and with small assets a will costs less. Nor will a trust help hide money: the trustee checks its source and discloses information to the authorities.

Taxes for Russian tax residents

For a Russian tax resident, a Jersey trust is a foreign structure without legal personality. The tax office must be notified of its establishment within 3 months, and a settlor who keeps powers under Article 9A almost always becomes a controlling person: the trust's profit may be taxed in Russia, and a controlled foreign company notification is filed every year. Russia has no double tax treaty with Jersey, so tax credits do not work. We prepare notifications and reporting on the controlled foreign companies page.

Which assets go into a Jersey trust

Most often company shares, bank accounts and investment portfolios are transferred to the trust. Property in other countries is usually held through a company whose shares belong to the trust: that way each property does not have to be re-registered when the trustee or beneficiaries change. The transfer is documented as a gift or sale to the trust, after which the assets stop being the settlor's personal property. So a transfer shortly before creditors' claims can be challenged, and a trust is set up in advance, not in the middle of a dispute.

Who knows about a Jersey trust

A trust does not need to be registered, and the island has no public register of trusts. Information on the settlor, beneficiaries and protector is held by the licensed trustee, who by law discloses it to supervisory and tax authorities on request. Banks and brokers holding the trust's accounts report them through automatic exchange of tax information to the countries where the beneficiaries are tax resident.

Trust or foundation in Jersey

The island also has a private foundation - an independent legal person with a charter, a council and a register entry. A trust is more flexible and familiar to families from common law countries; a foundation is clearer to those used to companies and charters. Compare on the Jersey foundation page and in the article trusts and foundations in Jersey and Guernsey.

What it costs and how long it takes

The deed is drafted in a few days, but the whole process usually takes several weeks: the trustee spends the longest checking the settlor, beneficiaries and source of assets. The cost depends on the assets and the complexity of the structure, and we fix the quote in writing before work starts.

What we do

• Trust establishment and maintenance

FAQ