by Peter Macfarlane for The Q Wealth Report

A number of readers have recently been asking me recently about the ‘Perpetual Traveler’ or ‘Permanent Tourist’ theories. The idea behind these theories is that smart, freedom-seeking individuals should not be bound in their allegiances to just one government. But do these theories have a practical application in real life?  In other words, do they work?

There also seems to be some confusion about the number of flags: The ‘Three Flags Theory’ of Harry Schultz, the ‘Five Flags Theory’ of the W.G. Hill series, publicized last year by Neil Strauss in his bestselling book Emergency… or the ‘Six Flags Theory’ of Bye Bye Big Brother?

What useful purpose does a government serve? Most people accept the institution of government because it has always been there; they have always assumed it was essential. People do not question its existence, much less its right to exist.

The various flags theories are all about achieving freedom by not having one single government controlling you. Most countries treat foreigners far better than their own citizens. So the idea is to be a foreigner wherever you go – hence the ‘Permanent Tourist’ tag. You also achieve privacy, because no government will have access to the full picture of you.

In general ‘PTs’ can, by moving between countries on a regular basis, legally reduce or eliminate their tax burden. Many, however, adopt this lifestyle primarily for self-ownership or freedom reasons – checking out of “The System”.

Either goal is achieved by simply using different governments, or flags, for different parts of your life. At its simplest, the theory works well with three flags:

• Have your citizenship somewhere that does not tax income earned outside the country.

• Have your businesses and speculations in stable, low or no tax countries – your business havens.

• Live as a tourist in countries where what you esteem is valued, not outlawed. These countries are known as Playgrounds.

Back in the 1980s, author Dr W.G. Hill and the Scope International publishing house produced a series of books such as The Passport Report, PT1, PT2 and Banking in Silence in which the original three flags were increased to five flags, by adding an additional ‘asset haven’ – a money management or offshore banking center, independent of the business flag – and a ‘residence’ flag in a tax haven where you have official residence.

Note that this is a paper or ‘official’ residence and is not necessarily where you physically spend your time. I wrote recently about residence and citizenship in the Dominican Republic for example – it’s ideal for this purpose, since you are allowed to be gone for up to a year at a time and still qualify as a resident.

Finally, in 2005, an anonymous author under the name of Grandpa wrote a new three volume update named Bye Bye Big Brother. In this, he added the sixth flag of cyberspace – a kind of virtual country which binds the other five flags together.

If your interested, check out our Critique of the PT Five Flags Theory which explains this in more depth. There’s also more information on the Survival Podcast forum.

Anyhow, having cleared up the confusion about the number of flags, the big question is, does it actually work?

It certainly does. Not only do I live this lifestyle myself, but I know plenty of other people who do too. However, I don’t know anyone who follows the rules absolutely. I think this was a set of rules made up for people who don’t like rules! Most people tend to interpret it in their own ways, picking and choosing the bits they like best.

When people first hear of the PT theory, they think it sounds difficult, complicated or expensive. It’s not.

Most people don’t decide to become PTs overnight. Think of it as a gradual process – little by little, you might open a bank account offshore (asset haven), buy real estate or spend time overseas (the playground) and expand your business by diversifying internationally (business haven.) Apply for a residence in a tax haven that can lead to a second passport, use the internet (sixth flag – cyberspace) and before you know it you are a fully fledged PT.

So this is certainly an interesting theory to bear in mind. If you would like to learn more about it, browse the Q Wealth website, and why not sign up for our free five part course ‘Secrets of the Super Rich’ which covers these ideas in more depth? There is no obligation, no spam, and you a free to unsubscribe at any time…

Although the Dominican Republic is not typically regarded as a tax haven, that is actually one of its attractions. Unlike traditional offshore centres, it has not been under pressure from the likes of the OECD, the G20 and the Obama administration. The Dominican Republic has a territorial tax system much like Panama’s, meaning that you can live there and enjoy the beaches tax free, provided your income comes from outside the country. It’s also known as one of the more liberal places for those seeking a second passport or citizenship.

The following is an edited version of an article by Rob Montes appeared in last week’s Q Bytes, our free newsletter. If you are not yet on the distribution list, sign up here: Free Q Bytes Membership to receive more exclusive content like this on a weekly basis.

Three Good Reasons to Consider the Dominican Republic for Second Passports and Offshore Investing

The more I learn about the Dominican Republic, the more I like it and see potential. Learning more was my original purpose in studying its national history. Right now the country has three things about it that would be particularly appealing to our members:

• Tax Haven – Dominican Republic has a territorial tax system, meaning that if you live there, you would only be subject to pay taxes if you had local income. You can earn what you like outside the country and you don’t even have to declare it, yet alone pay any taxes. This applies to both individuals and companies.

• Second Passports – Dominican Republic is one of the most liberal countries when it comes to granting citizenship through naturalization. After two years of residence, you can ask for a passport. As long as you haven’t done anything to upset the President, he will sign a decree making you a citizen. Absences of up to one year at a time don’t affect your residency status. This liberal naturalization law dates back to 1948, and there is much talk of it changing soon. Dual citizenship is allowed.

Note: Please do not confuse the Dominican Republic with the Commonwealth of Dominica. The Commonwealth of Dominica is a small, English-speaking island state with an established economic citizenship (second passport) program catering mainly to the super wealthy. The Dominican citizenship program requires an investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars. With Dominican Republic, however, you could likely obtain your second passport for as little as $10,000 – $15,000 plus the two year wait.

• Liveability – Dominican Republic is a good place to live. First of all, it’s affordable. The tax exemption you get in the Bahamas by buying a half-million-dollar property you get almost for free here. The capital, Santo Domingo, is a modern cosmopolitan city with a beautiful colonial heart. The Spanish colonised it, then the Americans were mainly responsible for the development of the city. The country’s second city Santiago, and the beautiful north coast, were only joined by decent roads built by the Americans in the 1920s. Before that, the north was almost a separate country – trading more with the British and Germans. Today there is a substantial Jewish population up there, and parts where French and Italian are frequently spoken. So there’s really something for everybody.

Dominican Republic has not been high on the traditional lists of places to retire to, that are hyped on the internet. This might be a good thing. Real estate is good value, it’s relatively easy to immigrate and obtain citizenship, and the business environment is nearly as favorable as the climate!

We will be in Dominican Republic next month and if any subscribers would like to get together, feel free to e-mail me. We can also recommend a special VIP immigration processing service, so you can get your initial residence by spending as little as one day in the country.