On June 28, 2026, Spain removed Barbados from its list of non-cooperative jurisdictions (Order HAC/649/2026), a shift that turns Barbados from unusable to advantageous for Spanish and Latin American structuring.

Despite our proximity to Latin America, Spain’s blacklisting has long been a limiting factor to the growth Barbados is positioned for in the region. With the penalties now lifted, that potential is open. For members servicing Spanish and EU-facing clients, this reopens planning options that were previously restricted and re-establishes Barbados as a clean, treaty-rich hub linking Latin American capital to Spain and the wider EU.

The session will open with remarks from Sangene Watkins-Diagne, Director (ag.) of the Business Compliance Division at the Ministry of Energy, Business Development and Consumer Affairs, followed by a practical briefing from international tax practitioner Miguel Tomé de Medeiros on what the change means in practice and how to position affected structures to benefit.

The session will cover:

• What changed and when, the scope and legal status of Spain’s list
• The punitive measures that now fall away, including denial of the participation exemption, penalty withholding rates, the 3% real-estate surcharge, and reinforced reporting requirements
• Effective-date mechanics, how the change applies to periods accruing from June 28, 2026, and transitional points to watch
• Planning options that reopen, participation exemption on dividends and capital gains, and financing and holding-company positioning
• The Latin America bridge, Barbados as a treaty-rich hub linking Latin American capital to Spain and the EU
• Residual EU exposure, the distinction between Spain’s domestic list and the EU list, and what obligations remain
• Practical next steps, a checklist members can use to identify affected structures and prioritise action

The presentation will be followed by a live Q&A.

Opening Remarks

Sangene Watkins-Diagne
Director (ag.), Business Compliance Division
Ministry of Energy, Business Development and Consumer Affairs

Featured Speaker

Miguel Tomé de Medeiros
International Tax Practitioner & IBFD Correspondent

Miguel Tomé de Medeiros is an international tax practitioner specialising in cross-border corporate tax and transfer pricing across the Caribbean and Latin America. He is an IBFD correspondent, contributing to this session in an independent capacity. His work spans tax provision, treaty analysis, transfer pricing, and engagement with revenue authorities and finance ministries. He works in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Registration

BIBA Members: BBD $50 / USD $25
Non-Members: BBD $100 / USD $50

For enquiries, please contact the BIBA Secretariat at biba@biba.bb or 246-537-2422.