What route should Canadian webmaster take?

[rhys]

What route should a small Canadian webmaster take re meeting CCBill/VISA's requirements for a 'presence' in the US or Europe? (don't wanna involve friends/family in all this)

advice/recommendations would be most welcome!

[Chilihost]

Too easy:
1) Open up a company in Gibraltar thru Fidelity (offshoregibraltar.com). Get an incorporation number - total cost will be about $US 1000.
2) Open your ccbillEU account

personally I would stay the hell out of the USA because your company will be subject to USA laws, rules & regulations, taxes (Gibraltar is an offshore taxfree zone) and visa EU does not charge the $750 rego fee. The next step is to stay 100% out of the USA by getting a Netherlands based server through us

cheers,
Luke

[BrianDN]

Your best bet is http://www.verotel.com/

[rhys]

good advice as always luke.

BUT Doug at CCBill tells me that VISA EU also requires a 'local presence' or 'resident agent'

is this the case for Europe?

[Chilihost]

your company is your local european presence as far as visa EU is concerned.

[rhys]

sigh... i wish it was that easy luke but ccbilleu's site says the following:

THE FOLLOWING ARE ACCEPTABLE FORMS OF DOCUMENTATION FOR PROOF OF YOUR EU-BASED BUSINESS LOCATION:
For Clients who own a Business in a Visa EU region, you must provide one piece of identification from each of the following categories

Corporation Related, you must include (1) of the following:
• Articles of Incorporation
• Business License
• Previous Year’s Filed Corporate Tax Return

and

Principal Related, you must include (1) of the following:
• Valid Passport
• National ID
• Valid Driver’s License
• Most Recent Personal Tax Return

[rhys]

bump.. no other comments/suggestions?:gossip:

[Chilihost]

I have provided you with valid advice. You are trying to make this this more complex for no reason. Re-read what you pasted very carefully!!!

[GaySearch4Sex]

first, I know of a major affiliate program with straight & gay sites based in canada with a "presence" in cyprus that proccesses with ccbill & paycom EU

secondly, from:
http://www.thedelawarecompany.com/_nonamerican
"Similar to a European "limited company", it is in some ways a corporation and in others a limited partnership. A Delaware LLC is totally disregarded for income tax purposes by US tax authorities. A Delaware LLC pays only one "tax": the $200 per year Delaware franchise tax."

[pierrefitch]

Dam

GaySearch4Sex

delaware looks like a nice place to have business only 200 a year for tax haha

[GaySearch4Sex]

Dam

GaySearch4Sex

delaware looks like a nice place to have business only 200 a year for tax haha

hehe, true... only if you aren't a US citizen But remember you still have to pay taxes back at home!

I bet this must be good for non US webmasters who dont have to pay taxes on worldwide income - they can just pay the taxes on the money they transfer to their bank account back home.

[pierrefitch]

what about fedarel taxes
it only cost 200 a year and that is it

[arrival77]

In terms of federal taxes up here, Pierre, you should make sure to always get a receipt from your landlord for your rent. In Canada up to 40% of your rent can be written off as a business expense. Also, when you take a cab ride, ask for a blank receipt. When you get home write in a $100 cab ride. HOw can an auditor possibly question such a receipt?

Have you used a cell phone? Internet in the last yet? Keep the receit and write it off as a business expense. Authories in Canada are much more concerned about the guy who 'injured his back' in 1972 and hasn't been able to work since. They will encourage an honest small business owner.

I have followed such a plan for the last 5 years and always get a fat refund check and have never been audited. Have you bought any computer or camera equipment in the last year? You can write that off to. Even if you haven't registered your official business yet, once you do, anything in the last year still counts as a deducation.

Just my two cents ... as a Libertarian ... cheers,
Casey

[chadknowslaw]

I have provided you with valid advice. You are trying to make this this more complex for no reason. Re-read what you pasted very carefully!!!

Luke, you are a good guy and have the best hosting service on the planet. However, your advice in this situation is not valid. Offshoring is a complex, time consuming and expensive endeavor if it is done legally. If done improperly it is a waste of money at best and baiting criminal indictments at worst.

There are legal ways to comply with the CC Bill US and EU rules. The solution is not easy enough nor one-size-fits-all to post on a board. The solution for one company may not be the same as for another, but the solution is never as simple as just incorporating an IBC in an offshore haven.

[Chilihost]

Chad, I have a ccbill EU account, I have helped about 12 others get ccbill EU and epoch EU accounts. Its NOT complex, all you need to do is setup an EU presence (a GIB corporation does this) and provide ccbill with your EU corporate documents plus a copy of your local ID (passport, drivers, etc - this does not have to be EU). They use your corporate documents for VISA EU rego and your passport for ID verification purposes.

All it takes is about $US1000 for the corporation and usually about 2-3 weeks for them to process it and thats it. And I am recommending Fidelity because it is a very trustworthy company and every corporation that I know of that has been setup by Fidelity has been painless and professional. Plus Gibraltar has a special tax setup - if you do not earn your income within the country you legally do not have to pay tax within Gibraltar....of course you will have to pay tax locally, and you should be able to write off the whole setup fee, but this is for you and your accountant to discuss.

cheers,
Luke