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United States offers international entrepreneurs an attractive entry point: a Delaware or Wyoming LLC that files no FinCEN beneficial ownership report, because entities formed in the United States are exempt. The US LLC (Limited Liability Company) is the dominant corporate form for SMEs, holdings, and trading entities, and we hold a stock of pre-formed, never-traded LLCs ready for immediate ownership transfer through the State Secretary of State filings (state SoS).
ShelfCompanies24 has been arranging company formation and the transfer of pre-registered US entities since 1995. We work with a network of US corporate-service providers, accountants, and banks to deliver a consolidated, start-to-finish service, whether you need your USA company ready in 24 hours or a brand-new one built from scratch in 24 hours.
Ready-Made Shelf Companies in United States, buy a pre-registered US LLC with clean history and state SoS entry. Transfer in 24 hours.
Company Formation in United States, register a new US LLC, Corp or other US corporate vehicle. End-to-end service: state SoS filing, tax registration, banking. 24 hours timeline.
Bank Accounts for US Companies, corporate account introduction with banks active in United States. Multi-currency and online banking included.
In American usage a shelf corporation is a company that was incorporated with a state and then left on the shelf, never traded, never staffed, never used, so that a buyer can take it over instead of waiting for a new filing. The same idea covers a shelf LLC, which is what most international buyers actually want, because the LLC is pass-through by default and welcomes foreign members. We hold both, in Delaware, Wyoming, Nevada and Florida, with the state record clean and the federal tax ID already issued.
An aged corporation is simply a shelf entity that has sat on the shelf longer. The incorporation date is real: the Secretary of State publishes it and nobody can move it. Age is worth having when a counterparty, a landlord or a platform wants to see that the entity is not a week old. Age on its own does not create a trading record, a credit file or a payment history, and any seller who tells you otherwise is describing something that does not exist. Ours carry honest dates from a few months to several years.
| Legal form | Typical use | Liability |
|---|---|---|
| LLC | Flexible LLC | Limited to membership interest |
| Corp | Standard US corporation | Limited to share capital |
| C-Corp | Standard US C-corporation | Limited to share capital |
Most USA clients choose the LLC (Limited Liability Company) for the combination of limited liability, ownership flexibility, and predictable state SoS treatment.
The 2026 headline corporate tax position in United States is 21% federal + 0-11.5% state.
21% federal + 0-11.5% state, with the LLC pass-through by default. Entities formed in the United States are exempt from FinCEN beneficial ownership reporting: the interim final rule of March 2025 removed them and the final rule of 11 August 2026 made that permanent. Only entities formed abroad and registered to do business in a state still report, and they do not report US owners.
VAT, withholding-tax, and treaty-network specifics are jurisdiction-dependent and best discussed in a free first call, your consultant will map your operational profile to the correct US tax treatment before you commit to a structure.
Opening a company in the USA is a state filing, not a federal one, so the first two decisions are the legal form and the state. Foreign founders almost always land on an LLC in Delaware, Wyoming, Nevada or Florida. From there you either take over a pre-formed LLC, where the transfer is filed within 24 hours, or register a new one. Either route ends with a registered agent in the state, an EIN from the IRS, the beneficial ownership report where your entity is in scope, and a bank introduction. Founders in Britain, India and the Gulf make up much of our US desk, and none of them needs a visa or a US address of their own to own the company.
A US corporate bank account is critical to operating the company, and one of the practical bottlenecks foreign owners hit when they apply directly. Our consultant introduces you to the right banking partner for your profile (high-volume international transfers, EUR/USD/GBP multi-currency, e-commerce processing, custodial, or simple operating-account-only).
A pre-formed US LLC with clean state SoS entry typically passes bank KYC more smoothly than a newly formed entity, which is why operators in a hurry to begin trading specifically request a shelf company.
Operators looking at United States often also evaluate similar jurisdictions:
A shelf corporation is a US company that was registered with a state and then held unused, so that it can be sold and put to work immediately. It has never traded, never employed anyone and never run an operating bank account, and the state record shows that dormancy. One held for longer is usually sold as an aged corporation. Buying either is a transfer of ownership rather than a new incorporation, which is why the filing goes in within 24 hours.
Pick the form and the state first, because both are chosen rather than assigned: an LLC suits most foreign owners, and Delaware, Wyoming, Nevada and Florida cover most cases. Then either take over a pre-formed entity, filed within 24 hours with the register amendment completing in 2 to 5 working days, or register a new LLC, which our US desk turns round in 24 hours. Registered agent, EIN and a bank introduction come with either route.
With a pre-formed US LLC the share transfer is documented and the state SoS update filed within 24 hours; the register amendment completes in 2 to 5 working days; you can sign contracts in the company’s name from day one. A newly formed LLC takes 24 hours end-to-end because the State Secretary of State filings and the tax authority each add their own processing time.
Both are US corporate vehicles registered with the state SoS. The LLC is the standard SME limited-liability form chosen by most operators. The Corp is typically used for larger, capital-raising or listed structures. Most foreign owners arriving in United States pick the LLC unless they have a specific reason, listing plans, multiple investor classes, or a partner-structure preference, to choose otherwise.
No. United States corporate procedures are remote-friendly through our consultant network. Documents are couriered, apostilled and sworn-translated where needed; signatures use either qualified electronic signature or notarisation in your home jurisdiction. We handle the state SoS interface end-to-end, most foreign clients never set foot in United States.
The 2026 headline rate in United States is 21% federal + 0-11.5% state. 21% federal + 0-11.5% state, with the LLC pass-through by default. An entity formed in the United States files no FinCEN beneficial ownership report: the exemption of March 2025 was made permanent by the final rule of 11 August 2026, and only entities formed abroad and registered to do business in a state still report. VAT/sales-tax, withholding-tax on dividends, and treaty-network impact depend on your operating profile, a free first call with our consultant maps your business model to the correct US tax treatment.
You do not need citizenship, residency, a visa or a green card to own a US LLC or a C-Corp. What you do need is a registered agent in the state of formation, an EIN from the IRS and a bank that accepts a non-resident owner. The one form closed to you is the S-Corporation, which is limited to US resident shareholders. Banking, not ownership, is the step that needs planning.
All ShelfCompanies24 shelf entities in United States were incorporated solely to be held in reserve. They have never traded, never opened a customer-facing bank account, never invoiced a third party, and never accumulated tax losses, so the state SoS record shows pure dormancy. This avoids the loss-utilisation and beneficial-owner-disclosure complications that a real ex-trading company would carry.
Choose a shelf LLC when you need to be trading immediately, when banking onboarding speed matters, or when a counterparty insists on dealing with an established legal entity. Choose new formation when you want to design the constitution, share classes, or registered name from scratch and you can wait 24 hours for the state SoS entry. Both options come with the same service, banking introduction, and post-formation support.
Yes. Every state we use accepts electronic filing, so the articles go in online through the registered agent and the state returns the stamped document by email. The EIN application, the operating agreement and the beneficial ownership report where it applies are all handled the same way. Nothing in the formation itself needs a signature in person. Bank onboarding is the one step where some US banks still ask to meet a director.
Ready to discuss your United States corporate setup? Contact our US desk, we reply within one working day with a service tailored to your needs. Specify whether you want a pre-formed LLC ready in 24 hours or a fresh formation taking 1 to 2 weeks.