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IANAL. That said, here's my armchair, never-done-it analysis from Canada: That is what a W8 form is for. So if you have an individual account with a US bank, th
by lstamour 11y ago
IANAL. That said, here's my armchair, never-done-it analysis from Canada: That is what a W8 form is for. So if you have an individual account with a US bank, the bank knows you aren't a US resident, meaning you don't actually reside in the US. Now, as someone non-American but connected to a company doing business, that's another W8 or W9 form. But even then, while you might have reporting obligations to the IRS as an individual (I'm not sure) your company definitely would, as in all scenarios, a US based company is considered a "US person" even if it has foreign shareholders. That you pay taxes on the company should reduce the need to pay taxes as an individual. If you reside in the US more than 50% (IIRC) of a year, you become a US resident even if you don't have a special visa or citizenship. If you don't actually live that long in the US it's easy to argue that you're not connected to the US, but you will likely have to self-report that. It might be a question of how you get paid too. If you set up a subsidiary C-Corp where dividends go back to the parent company, you'll pay taxes on the profits and taxes at home, but as mentioned elsewhere, you shouldn't pay more tax than your rate in both countries, whichever is higher. This is the cost of doing business -- taxes. Alternatively, you could work remotely for the company, thus taking profits before they are subject to tax. This is a more complicated structure and you might end up paying more taxes, it depends on the income brackets at your local jurisdiction. The reason you consult is not because US law is complicated but because most legal systems internationally do not have easy ways of dealing with US company income for taxation. LLCs can be especially interesting internationally, because their tax obligations can change based on how they declare themselves on the IRS form.