Is Panama on the EU blacklist?

Yes. As of February 2026 Panama is on EU Annex I, the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes (the actual blacklist), not the lighter Annex II. We disclose this on every Panama surface. The practical effect is enhanced due diligence or outright refusal from EU banking counterparties. If that blocks your use case, the Liechtenstein Foundation is the EEA-aligned alternative with comparable civil-law mechanics.

What does it cost all-in, and what is the renewal?

$2,499 all-in for Year 1: the Panama government registration, the public-deed notarization, the Foundation Council nomination, the licensed resident agent for the first year, and OffshoreGuy service. Year 2 onward is $999/yr for the resident agent and the government renewal. You settle the single invoice in BTC (on-chain and Lightning) or USDT via BitSettle.

Is a Panama Foundation anonymous?

There is no public UBO register in Panama, and your beneficiaries live in the private by-laws (reglamentos) rather than on the public deed, so beneficial ownership is not published. But the licensed resident agent is statutorily required to identify the founder and ultimate beneficial owners under Panama AML law, regardless of our platform tier, and reports them to the private government registry accessible to authorities. Privacy from the public is real; anonymity from a regulated agent or the authorities is not.

Does it reduce my taxes, and what do US persons need to know?

No. A foundation is an asset-separation vehicle, not a tax shield. US persons face heightened IRS scrutiny and foreign-trust-style reporting can apply: FBAR, Form 8938, and possibly Form 3520 / 3520-A for a foreign foundation. We form the entity; we do not file those returns. Get cross-border tax counsel before forming. General information, not tax advice.

SKU #12 · Panama · GRAY

Panama Foundation formation

Panama private-interest foundation filed under Law 25 of 1995 (Fundación de Interés Privado). Civil-law asset-protection vehicle distinct from a trust. Panama is on EU Annex I (the tax blacklist) as of Feb 2026; buyers should expect elevated due diligence from EU banking counterparties. The Liechtenstein Foundation is our EEA-aligned alternative for clients whose counterparties treat Annex I as a hard block.

Tier: GRAY
Formation: up to 7 business days
KYC: Tier 1
Renewal: $999/yr

Quick answer

What is the Panama Foundation formation and what does it cost?

Civil-law foundation. EU Annex I: disclosed. It is $2,499 all-in / ₿0.03139447 / 3,139,447 sats, paid in Bitcoin or USDT, and formation takes 7 business days.

Tier: GRAY
All-in price: $2,499 all-in / ₿0.03139447 / 3,139,447 sats
Year-2 renewal: $999/yr
KYC tier: Tier 1
Formation time: 7 business days
EU / FATF status: EU Annex I, off the FATF lists

Who this is wrong for:EU Annex I status is real and it bites. Panama is on the EU's list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes as of February 2026, so many EU banks and corporates will refuse to deal with the foundation or apply enhanced due diligence by default. If your counterparties or your banking are EU-heavy, this is the wrong tool; look at an EEA-aligned foundation instead.

What's included

Panama government registration and Public Registry filing fee: we file and pay it on your behalf
Foundation Charter (the public deed under Law 25 of 1995)
By-laws (reglamentos) naming the beneficiaries, drafted to the statute
Foundation Council nomination and public-deed notarization
First-year licensed Panamanian resident-agent service
Beneficial-owner and founder declaration collected by the resident agent under Panama AML law
Sanctions screen on the order (OFAC, EU, UN) + Tier 1 KYC

What's NOT included

Apostille (sold separately at $189; Panama supports it, and most banks require it, adding 5 to 10 business days)
Year-2+ renewal ($999/yr: resident agent plus the Panama government renewal)
Bank account opening (separate post-formation flow; budget 30 to 90 days, and see the Banking Introduction add-on)
Any tax filing: US persons may owe FBAR, Form 8938, and possibly Form 3520 / 3520-A for a foreign foundation; your responsibility, we refer you to cross-border tax counsel and do not file those returns
Mail forwarding (we don't sell this)

We list what's not included on every product page so there are no checkout surprises.

When to choose this product

Operator-grade use case

The classic civil-law foundation of the Americas. Reach for it when you need a self-owning legal person, not a trust and not a company, to hold assets apart from personal creditors for estate planning, succession, or holdings meant to outlive their founder. A Panama Foundation (Fundación de Interés Privado) has no shareholders: a Foundation Council governs it and private by-laws (reglamentos) name the beneficiaries off the public record. Law 25 of 1995 is mature and well-litigated, with decades of Panamanian jurisprudence behind it. Panama is GRAY tier.

Most appropriate for operators whose counterparty pool is mostly outside the EU and who work across Latin America, where local counsel, notaries, and counterparties already understand the structure and it will not need explaining. It pairs with founders who want precise control over who benefits and when, settled in Bitcoin at a known cost, without forcing assets into a corporate share structure.

Less ideal for: EU-heavy operators, because Panama sits on the EU Annex I tax blacklist as of February 2026 and EU banks and corporates will apply enhanced due diligence or refuse outright. If that blocks your use case, the Liechtenstein Foundation is the EEA-aligned alternative with comparable civil-law mechanics. If you want a lighter, cheaper civil-law foundation and can carry a non-EU posture, the Seychelles Foundation at $1,499 is the lower-cost option. US persons should be especially cautious and get cross-border tax counsel first.

KYC document checklist

What you'll need to hand us

Tier 0

Applies

Email address
Country of residence
Intended use statement (free-text)

Tier 1

Required

Government-issued photo ID (passport or national ID)
Proof of address (utility bill, bank statement, or government letter, dated within 90 days)
Source-of-funds attestation (drop-down + free text)
Optional: PEP and adverse-media screening consent

Tier 2

Not required

Everything in Tier 1
Beneficial owner declaration for every party with 25%+ ownership
Source-of-wealth documentation (tax return, employment letter, salary, asset proof)
Manual enhanced-due-diligence reviewer notes from our KYC partner

FAQ

Common questions

Is Panama on the EU blacklist?: Yes. As of February 2026 Panama is on EU Annex I, the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes (the actual blacklist), not the lighter Annex II. We disclose this on every Panama surface. The practical effect is enhanced due diligence or outright refusal from EU banking counterparties. If that blocks your use case, the Liechtenstein Foundation is the EEA-aligned alternative with comparable civil-law mechanics.
What does it cost all-in, and what is the renewal?: $2,499 all-in for Year 1: the Panama government registration, the public-deed notarization, the Foundation Council nomination, the licensed resident agent for the first year, and OffshoreGuy service. Year 2 onward is $999/yr for the resident agent and the government renewal. You settle the single invoice in BTC (on-chain and Lightning) or USDT via BitSettle.
Is a Panama Foundation anonymous?: There is no public UBO register in Panama, and your beneficiaries live in the private by-laws (reglamentos) rather than on the public deed, so beneficial ownership is not published. But the licensed resident agent is statutorily required to identify the founder and ultimate beneficial owners under Panama AML law, regardless of our platform tier, and reports them to the private government registry accessible to authorities. Privacy from the public is real; anonymity from a regulated agent or the authorities is not.
Does it reduce my taxes, and what do US persons need to know?: No. A foundation is an asset-separation vehicle, not a tax shield. US persons face heightened IRS scrutiny and foreign-trust-style reporting can apply: FBAR, Form 8938, and possibly Form 3520 / 3520-A for a foreign foundation. We form the entity; we do not file those returns. Get cross-border tax counsel before forming. General information, not tax advice.