diff -r dee028db6e9b -r 73bdfa70b04e src/net/fortuna/ical4j/model/TimeZone.java
--- a/src/net/fortuna/ical4j/model/TimeZone.java	Tue Feb 10 19:25:00 2015 +0100
+++ b/src/net/fortuna/ical4j/model/TimeZone.java	Tue Feb 10 19:38:00 2015 +0100
@@ -72,16 +72,27 @@
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
-    public final int getOffset(final int era, final int year, final int month, final int day,
+    public final int getOffset(final int era, final int year, final int month, final int dayOfMonth,
             final int dayOfWeek, final int milliseconds) {
+
+        // calculate time of day
+        int ms = milliseconds;
+        final int hour = ms / 3600000;
+        ms -= hour*3600000;
+        final int minute = ms / 60000;
+        ms -= minute*60000;
+        final int second = ms / 1000;
+        ms -= second*1000;
+
+        final Calendar cal = Calendar.getInstance();
+        cal.clear();	// don't retain current date/time, it may disturb the calculation		
         
-        final Calendar cal = Calendar.getInstance();
+    	// set date and time
         cal.set(Calendar.ERA, era);
-        cal.set(Calendar.YEAR, year);
-        cal.set(Calendar.MONTH, month);
-        cal.set(Calendar.DAY_OF_YEAR, day);
         cal.set(Calendar.DAY_OF_WEEK, dayOfWeek);
-        cal.set(Calendar.MILLISECOND, milliseconds);
+        cal.set(year, month, dayOfMonth, hour, minute, second);
+        cal.set(Calendar.MILLISECOND, ms);
+        
         final Observance observance = vTimeZone.getApplicableObservance(new DateTime(cal.getTime()));
         if (observance != null) {
             final TzOffsetTo offset = (TzOffsetTo) observance.getProperty(Property.TZOFFSETTO);
@@ -97,7 +108,12 @@
         final Observance observance = vTimeZone.getApplicableObservance(new DateTime(date));
         if (observance != null) {
             final TzOffsetTo offset = (TzOffsetTo) observance.getProperty(Property.TZOFFSETTO);
-            return (int) offset.getOffset().getOffset();
+            if (offset.getOffset().getOffset() < getRawOffset()) {
+            	return getRawOffset();
+            }
+            else {
+            	return (int) offset.getOffset().getOffset();
+            }
         }
         return 0;
     }
@@ -145,26 +161,34 @@
     }
 
     private static final int getRawOffset(VTimeZone vt) {
-        // per spec, rawoffset is the raw offset at the current date
-        final DateTime now = new DateTime();
         
         List seasonalTimes = vt.getObservances().getComponents(Observance.STANDARD);
         // if no standard time use daylight time..
-        if (seasonalTimes.size() == 0) {
+        if (seasonalTimes.isEmpty()) {
             seasonalTimes = vt.getObservances().getComponents(Observance.DAYLIGHT);
+            if (seasonalTimes.isEmpty()) {
+                return 0;
+            }
         }
         Observance latestSeasonalTime = null;
-        Date latestOnset = null;
-        for (int i = 0; i < seasonalTimes.size(); i++) {
-            Observance seasonalTime = (Observance) seasonalTimes.get(i);
-            Date onset = seasonalTime.getLatestOnset(now);
-            if (onset == null) {
-                continue;
+        if (seasonalTimes.size() > 1) {
+            // per java spec and when dealing with historical time,
+            // rawoffset is the raw offset at the current date
+            final DateTime now = new DateTime();
+            Date latestOnset = null;
+            for (int i = 0; i < seasonalTimes.size(); i++) {
+                Observance seasonalTime = (Observance) seasonalTimes.get(i);
+                Date onset = seasonalTime.getLatestOnset(now);
+                if (onset == null) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                if (latestOnset == null || onset.after(latestOnset)) {
+                    latestOnset = onset;
+                    latestSeasonalTime = seasonalTime;
+                }
             }
-            if (latestOnset == null || onset.after(latestOnset)) {
-                latestOnset = onset;
-                latestSeasonalTime = seasonalTime;
-            }
+        } else {
+            latestSeasonalTime = (Observance)seasonalTimes.get(0);
         }
         if (latestSeasonalTime != null) {
             final TzOffsetTo offsetTo = (TzOffsetTo) latestSeasonalTime.getProperty(Property.TZOFFSETTO);
@@ -174,4 +198,22 @@
         }
         return 0;
     }
+
+    public boolean equals(Object o) {
+        if (this == o) return true;
+        if (o == null || getClass() != o.getClass()) return false;
+
+        TimeZone timeZone = (TimeZone) o;
+
+        if (rawOffset != timeZone.rawOffset) return false;
+        if (vTimeZone != null ? !vTimeZone.equals(timeZone.vTimeZone) : timeZone.vTimeZone != null) return false;
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    public int hashCode() {
+        int result = vTimeZone != null ? vTimeZone.hashCode() : 0;
+        result = 31 * result + rawOffset;
+        return result;
+    }
 }