How to Vet an International Structuring Firm
You are about to wire money to a firm in another country to do something you cannot easily check.
There is no register you can look up, no rating that means anything, and the people who got it wrong rarely write about it afterwards.
So the only real protection is the quality of your questions before the invoice, not your recourse after it.
Below are seven. They are not a scorecard for any one firm. Take them to whoever you are considering, including us, and listen to how they answer.
Who actually does the work in the country?
Almost nobody does all of this in-house. Structuring across countries runs on local partners, and that is normal rather than a red flag.
What matters is whether they will tell you plainly. A firm that presents a partner network as its own staff has already chosen how it handles awkward questions.
Ask who files, who appears in person if appearing is required, and who you are actually contracting with.
The seven questions work on us as well. That is the point of publishing them.
Book Your Assessment CallWhat happens if the application is refused?
Refusals happen for reasons nobody controls. A document is rejected, a rule changes, a file is incomplete on the other side of the counter.
The question is not whether they can promise approval. Nobody can, and anybody who does has told you something important.
The question is what the firm does next, at whose cost, and whether that is written down anywhere before you pay.
Is the fee for the filing or for the outcome?
These are very different products at similar prices, and the difference only becomes visible when something goes wrong.
A filing service ends when the paperwork is submitted. An outcome engagement ends when you are holding the thing you paid for.
Neither is dishonest. Buying one while believing you bought the other is where the damage happens.
What is not included?
Every engagement has a boundary and most sales pages describe only the inside of it.
Ask directly for the outside. Translations, apostilles, courier costs, government fees, the bank introduction, the second jurisdiction.
A firm that can list its exclusions from memory has thought about them. One that has to check is telling you the boundary has not been tested.
Being told early that you are not a fit is cheaper than finding out from a government.
Book Your Assessment CallWho do you turn away?
This is the question that separates an adviser from a vendor, and it is the one people forget to ask.
A firm that takes everyone is optimising for volume. A firm that can describe the client it declines is optimising for the work landing.
You are also listening for whether you are on that list. Being told no early is cheaper than being told no by a government.
Who do I speak to after the invoice is paid, and how fast?
Responsiveness before payment tells you nothing. Everyone is fast when the money is still in your account.
Ask for the channel and the person by role. A named contact and a stated response time is a commitment. An address is not.
Then ask what happens to that channel in month seven, when your matter is no longer new.
What does the second year cost?
Most of these structures are not a purchase. They are a subscription with a large first instalment.
Renewals, registered agents, filings, accountants, address services. Ask for the annual figure separately from the setup figure.
The firms worth using quote it without being pushed, because they would rather you stayed than be surprised.
The seven questions work on us as well. That is the point of publishing them.
Book Your Assessment CallWhat this page is not
It is not a ranking. No list of firms appears here, and none will, because a ranking written by one of the firms is worth nothing.
It is also not legal or tax advice. Which structure is right for you depends on where you are resident and what you own, and that is a conversation rather than an article.
What it is: the seven questions we would want asked of us. Use them on us too.
What the work looks like
Real client wins, straight from the Hall of Wins.
The rest of the picture
- Find your routeTell it what you are trying to do and it maps the guides to read in order.
- ITIN document checklistPick your situation, get the exact list the IRS accepts.
- What it costsPublished prices and timelines, service by service.
- US credit calculatorWhat your spend returns at the rates issuers publish today.
FAQ
How do I check an international structuring firm is real?
Should a firm guarantee my residency or company will be approved?
What is the most commonly missed question?
Is using local partners a bad sign?
Does this page rank specific firms?
Ask us the seven
The assessment call is where these get answered for your situation, including the ones with uncomfortable answers. Free, qualified, and direct about what applies to you.
Book Your Assessment Call
Founder & CEO, The First Class Citizen