A consultation with a senior advisor provides the investor-ready structure and day-one clarity your expansion requires. We handle the tax complexity so you can focus on winning the US market.
US market entry planning : Scale into the US market without tax chaos
US revenue, staff, or investors trigger the IRS. We design tax-optimized structures that protect your global margins and ensure your expansion is built to last.
- 1,000s clients advised
- $500M+ in cross-border revenue structured
- 180+ client countries worldwide
Who we help : Foreign founders bringing their business to the US market
We work with non-US founders based in the EU, UK, LATAM, and Asia who are expanding into the United States. If you're generating US revenue or about to, the structure you enter with determines your tax exposure for years.
What goes wrong without the right entry structure
These are the three issues we encounter most often, and that prove most costly once the IRS has a foothold.
Unplanned ECI exposure
If your business is deemed to have a US trade or business, its income becomes subject to US federal tax at graduated rates - regardless of where you're incorporated.
Triggering Substantial Presence
Too much time on US soil across multiple years can make a foreign founder a US tax resident, bringing worldwide income into the US tax net.
Wrong entity elections
The entity type and elections you make at entry have long-term consequences for how profits are taxed and repatriated. The wrong choice is expensive to unwind.
Our expertise : We know where foreign businesses get caught.
ECI rules, treaty elections, withholding obligations, state nexus: the US tax framework for foreign businesses is layered and unforgiving. We've structured market entries across every major jurisdiction and business model, and we know which decisions matter most at the outset.
Areas we typically address:
- ECI analysis & risk mitigation
- Entity selection & structuring
- Check-the-box & treaty elections
- Substantial Presence Test planning
- Federal & state nexus analysis
- Withholding tax obligations
- Transfer pricing documentation
Our approach : Structure first. Scale second.
The decisions you make at entry (entity type, tax elections, ownership structure) compound over time. We get them right from day one, so your US operations scale without the structure becoming a liability.
-
Exposure assessment
We map your US touchpoints and identify where ECI, nexus, and withholding obligations arise.
-
Entry structure design
We determine the right entity, elections, and ownership layer for your situation.
-
Structured implementation
We coordinate entity formation, elections, and registrations across federal and state levels.
-
Ongoing compliance & advisory
We keep your structure optimized and filings clean as you scale.
Not sure where to start?
If you are unsure what you need, a free 30-minute discovery call is the right first step. We will review your situation, identify the key questions your move raises, and explain what a formal written analysis of your specific position would cover.
For many clients, that written analysis, a tax memo covering your pre-departure strategy, FEIE vs. FTC election, state tax severance, and retirement account decisions, becomes the foundation for everything that follows. It gives you a documented position you can act on, share with your financial advisor or attorney, and refer back to as your situation evolves.
Most of our larger advisory engagements begin here.
FAQ : What foreign founders ask us
Collapsed content for Do I need a US company to sell into the United States?
Not always. Some foreign businesses can operate without a US entity initially, while others create US tax exposure quickly through employees, contractors, inventory, or ongoing US operations.Collapsed content for What creates US tax exposure for a foreign business?
Common triggers include US employees or contractors, inventory stored in the US (including Amazon FBA), recurring US travel, US offices, and certain revenue-generating activities.Collapsed content for What is Effectively Connected Income (ECI)?
ECI is income considered connected to a US trade or business. If triggered, a foreign company may become subject to US tax and filing obligations even if incorporated abroad.Collapsed content for Do I need a Delaware C-Corp?
Not necessarily. While Delaware C-Corps are common for venture-backed startups, they are not always the most tax-efficient structure for international founders.Work with us : Enter the US market on your terms.
US tax obligations don't wait for you to be ready. Speak with a senior advisor: we'll assess your exposure and design a structure that keeps your entry clean from day one.
Strict confidentiality guaranteed