S Corporation With Foreign Shareholder In San Bernardino
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FAQ
Any foreign individual or company can own a C-corp in the US. It is not exclusively for US residents. Ownership in a C-corp is given out by offering company's stock. Ones who own this stock are the called the shareholders of the corporation.
Similarly, all the members of the U.S. corporation's Board of Directors and all its officers can, if so desired, be non-U.S. nationals and U.S. non-residents. Most states require that all companies formed in the state have a registered agent in the state (more about registered agents can be found here).
There is no limit on the number of shareholders a corporation taxed under Subchapter C can have. Anyone can own shares, including business entities and non-U.S. citizens.
If you're not a citizen, you must qualify as a resident alien to own a stake in an S Corp. Resident aliens are those who have moved to the United States and have residency but aren't citizens. Of the below, only permanent residents can own an S Corp.
Can a foreign national start a business in the U.S. without being a resident? “Yes, You Can!” Every day, foreign nationals are setting up US businesses, from major enterprises to small shops. Accessing the US marketplace is the key to success for many businesses around the world.
For detailed formation steps, see our California LLC formation guide. Step 1 – Register a business name. Step 2 – Get an agent for service of process in CA. Step 3 – File California Articles of Organization. Step 4 – File California Statement of Information. Step 5 – Create an operating agreement for S corporation election.
Overall, a corporation has more structure and requires you to follow more formalities than with an LLC. See our article on how to form a California Corporation. A California LLC is formed by filing articles of organization with the state of California.
Because of the one-class-of-stock restriction, an S corporation cannot allocate losses or income to specific shareholders. Allocation of income and loss is governed by stock ownership, unlike partnerships or LLCs taxed as partnerships where the allocation can be set in the partnership agreement or operating agreement.
Only a green card or meeting the IRS' “substantial presence test” enables an alien to be eligible to be an S Corporation shareholder.
LLCs can have an unlimited number of members; S corps can have no more than 100 shareholders (owners). Non-U.S. citizens/residents can be members of LLCs; S corps may not have non-U.S. citizens/residents as shareholders. S corporations cannot be owned by corporations, LLCs, partnerships or many trusts.
