Foreign ownership of a US company


1

My partner and I have founded a British LTD, are registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce, intend to start trading in The Netherlands this fall, and we will have a Dutch BV or NV by end of year. We need to also setup a US-based entity, probably in Delaware or Nevada. (Those states are by no means a requirement--they just sounds like the quickest, cheapest and easiest states to work with.)

The purpose of this entity is three fold:

  • employ a remote employee (and minority shareholder), probably in Massachusetts
  • purchase goods and services in the US
    • save cash, thanks to the very weak dollar
    • some things we need are only available in the US
  • register trademarks and copyrights

If it matters, I am a US citizen.

So, the question: What types of companies can be owned fully by a foreign entity? Are their restrictions or hidden costs?

Legal International Corporate Structure

asked Aug 1 '11 at 20:04
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Stu Thompson
173 points
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1 Answer


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I have helped approximately 30 foreign clients (mostly European, many Dutch) start up and build businesses here in the U.S.

The process generally is straightforward (e.g., to form a corporation), but there are a few tricky issues (such as obtaining an Employer Identification Number and opening a bank account - though both may be easier if you have an employee here).

I recommend that you go to my blog's Foreign Countries page and read every relevant post that the links take you to. If you then have remaining questions, you may contact me directly.

answered Aug 2 '11 at 04:02
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Dana Shultz
6,015 points

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