Service · Insurance Wrappers
EU-compliant insurance wrappers matched to your residency, succession goals, and investment strategy.
An insurance wrapper — typically a unit-linked life assurance or whole-of-life policy issued by an EU-regulated carrier — holds investment assets inside a legal structure that changes how those assets are taxed, reported, and transferred on death. For Slovak residents, correctly structured wrappers can significantly reduce income tax drag on investment returns and simplify the inheritance process for the next generation. Atelier of Edinburgh does not manufacture these products. What we provide is independent selection: we map your residency status, family structure, and investment goals, then identify which wrapper architecture from which licensed carrier best matches your situation. We present at least three alternatives before recommending one, and we document the selection rationale in writing.
Each use case has specific product and jurisdiction requirements — we identify the right fit.
Investment gains inside a qualifying wrapper are not subject to annual Slovak income tax, allowing compounding to work uninterrupted over multi-year horizons. The tax event is deferred to withdrawal, and in some structures, to the next generation.
Life assurance wrappers can name beneficiaries directly, bypassing the probate process and distributing capital to heirs in weeks rather than months or years. For blended families or non-linear succession, this precision is valuable.
If your situation involves multiple EU countries — residency, children studying abroad, business interests in Austria or the Czech Republic — we identify wrappers that remain compliant when your tax residency changes.
In certain structures under Slovak law, life assurance policy assets are separated from personal insolvency proceedings. This is not a blanket guarantee and requires careful structuring — but for business owners, it is a meaningful layer of protection.
Insurance wrappers are powerful tools within specific parameters. They are not appropriate for every situation. If your primary need is immediate liquidity, a locked-in wrapper may create more constraint than benefit. If your portfolio is below the typical carrier threshold (often €100,000–150,000 for institutional-grade unit-linked products), your options narrow considerably. Wrappers also depend on the continued solvency and regulatory standing of the issuing carrier — something we assess carefully when selecting providers. Finally, EU-wide anti-avoidance rules mean that wrappers must be structured with genuine economic substance; arrangements designed purely for tax avoidance carry regulatory and reputational risk. Our role is to ensure you understand both the benefits and the limits before any product is recommended.
“I had been advised to use a unit-linked wrapper ten years ago but never really understood what it was doing for me. Atelier of Edinburgh reviewed the existing policy in 2022, showed me three gaps in the beneficiary structure, and fixed them before my daughter's inheritance would have been delayed by months in probate.”
— Jozef H., Poprad
A sixty-minute wrapper review maps your residency, succession needs, and current arrangements — and produces written recommendations.