Offshore Company Solutions

Many e-commerce entrepreneurs set up a company outside their home country: a UK limited company, a Hong Kong company or a US LLC. Done correctly, such an entity can give you access to better payment processors, fewer account freezes and a structure that fits an international business.

What it does not do is remove your EU VAT obligations. If you sell to consumers in the EU, EU VAT rules apply no matter where your company is registered. A lot of the "offshore" advice online skips that point, and it is where many sellers get into trouble.

What an offshore company can and cannot do

What it can do

• Give you access to payment gateways and banking that are not available, or harder to get, in your home country.
• Reduce the risk of account freezes by giving your business a clear, well-documented legal structure.
• Support an international setup with suppliers, customers and team members in several countries.

What it cannot do

• Make EU sales VAT-free. VAT follows the place of supply, which for B2C sales is generally linked to where the goods are delivered, not where the seller is registered.
• Shield you from tax authorities. EU member states exchange information, payment providers report cross-border payment data, and tax claims can be recovered across borders.
• Replace substance. Where a company is actually managed and controlled matters for corporate tax. A company without real substance can be treated as resident where its owner lives.

What our offshore company service covers

• Advice on selecting the right jurisdiction for your company.
• Incorporation support in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and the United States.
• Assistance with opening business bank accounts and payment gateways.
• Structuring for compliance and tax efficiency, including the correct EU VAT treatment of your sales.
• Ongoing advice to align your international structure with your e-commerce growth.

UK, Hong Kong or US LLC: a short comparison

• UK limited company. Well-known to payment providers and quick to set up. Since Brexit, the UK is outside the EU, so sales from the UK to EU consumers are imports into the EU.
• Hong Kong company. Common for businesses that work closely with suppliers in China. Banking can take longer to arrange.
• US LLC. Popular for access to US payment platforms. The tax treatment depends heavily on how the LLC is set up and on where its owners live.

The right choice depends on your residence, your suppliers, your payment needs and your markets. We go through it with you before you incorporate.

Who this is for

E-commerce entrepreneurs who are considering, or already have, a company outside their home country and want it set up so that payments, banking and EU VAT all fit together.

It is not for anyone looking for a way to avoid paying tax that is due. If a structure only works as long as nobody asks questions, we will not set it up.

Frequently asked questions

If my company is in Hong Kong, do I still pay EU VAT?

If you sell to consumers in the EU, EU VAT rules apply. Whether VAT is charged at checkout or at import depends on how your sales are structured, not on the country where your company is registered.

Can you help if my payment account has been frozen?

We can help set up a structure and documentation that payment providers accept. We cannot guarantee that a specific provider will reopen or approve an account.

Should I move my company outside the EU to sell to EU customers?

Not for VAT reasons. There can be good commercial reasons for an international structure, and we will tell you honestly whether they apply to you.

Considering an international structure? Start the free VAT assessment and we will look at your whole setup.