Entity Formation in the USA

Ready for a permanent US presence? We help you incorporate the right entity in the right state, and stay alongside you for the accounting, payroll, and compliance that follow. Independent advice, including telling you when it is too early.

  • Independent advice
  • Vetted partners
  • Honest Timing

What forming a US entity means

A C-corporation or LLC is the standard vehicle for a permanent US business presence. When you form one, you become the legal employer and operator in the US, with full control and no per-employee EOR fees, in exchange for the setup time and the ongoing obligations.

01

Your Own Company

Your own entity makes you the legal employer and operator in the US, with full control of employment terms and a local brand presence.

02

Lower Cost at Scale

No per-employee EOR fees. For permanent, proven headcount, owning the entity is more cost-effective than ongoing EOR arrangements.

03

Setup Takes Weeks

Incorporation itself is quick, but you cannot employ anyone until you have an EIN and have registered for payroll tax in each state. Timing the move matters, which is why many companies bridge with an EOR first.

How forming a US entity works, step by step

From structuring the company to operating it compliantly.

01 — Structure & prepare

We confirm an entity is right for you, then prepare the incorporation documents, reserve the company name, and arrange your registered agent.

02 — Incorporate & EIN

The entity is incorporated in your chosen state and we obtain your federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS.

03 — Register the company

Payroll and tax registration is completed in each state where you operate, so you can employ compliantly.

04 — Operate & stay compliant

Business bank account, then ongoing accounting, payroll, filings, and annual reporting, all of which we can run for you.

What forming a US entity costs

Two kinds of cost: the one-off formation, and the ongoing operating obligations. Both vary by state and structure. We give you a clear figure before you commit.

Structure & formation

Most foreign parents form a C-corporation (common for investment) or an LLC. There is no minimum share capital. The costs are state filing fees and a registered agent, modest and predictable.

Corporate tax

Federal corporate tax is a flat 21%, with most states adding their own; combined effective rates run from roughly 21% in states with no corporate income tax (e.g. Nevada, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) up to roughly 30% in the highest-tax states (e.g. New Jersey).

Sales tax

No federal VAT. Most states levy a sales tax, with registration once you have nexus in a state. We confirm what applies to your model.

Ongoing Obligations

Accounting, monthly payroll (federal and state withholding and FICA), state and federal tax filings, and annual reporting, all of which we can manage for you.

Why form your US entity through Bradford Jacobs

Why companies incorporate in the US through us rather than a one-off formation agent.

We advise you on the best time to incorporate

We are independent: we assess what you actually need, place you with the right vetted partner, secure pricing you will not get going direct, and stay on your side to escalate or renegotiate. You get advice, not a product pitch.

  • Independent advice
  • Vetted partners only
  • On your side at renewal

End-to-end, not just the paperwork

We do not disappear after registration. We stay on for the accounting, payroll, and compliance, so your entity runs, not just exists.

  • 15-25% below direct
  • Network benchmarking
  • Renegotiated for you

The right specialists, in place

Formation, tax, and accounting partners we have vetted and worked with, coordinated for you, so the process moves and nothing gets missed.

  • Direct escalation
  • No support queues
  • Named account contact

Two decades of formations

Two decades forming and running entities internationally. Every US state requires a registered agent with a physical address in that state to receive service of process and official notices, and a founder based overseas cannot act as their own. Getting this wrong means a missed lawsuit notice or a lapsed compliance filing before you even know there was a deadline. We arrange it as part of formation, not as an afterthought.

  • Entity formations
  • Tax & accounting partners
  • Traps avoided

We run it after you form it

Incorporation is the start, not the finish. We stay on for accounting, payroll, tax filings, and annual accounts, so your entity operates from day one without you building a local finance function.

  • Full back office
  • Accounting & payroll
  • Annual accounts

The Delaware default that isn’t always right

A growing business hits a good quarter and someone says, let us just set up a proper US company. It sounds responsible. It usually is not, yet. Here is what people expect against what happens in practice.

Employment & payroll obligations

Expectation: it is just admin. Reality: incorporation is quick, but you must appoint a registered agent, obtain an EIN, register for payroll tax in every state you operate in, and meet director and annual-report obligations, and you cannot legally employ anyone until those registrations complete.

Tax, filing & reporting obligations

Expectation: we can always reverse it. Reality: dissolving a US entity needs board and shareholder resolutions, creditor notification, and a winding-up period in each registered state. And once it exists, the obligations do not stop: annual reports, state franchise taxes, monthly payroll filings, federal and state corporate returns, and director liability. None of this is a reason not to form an entity. It is a reason to form it at the right time, with the right partners already in place.

What we handle for your US entity

Beyond incorporation, we can run the full back office for your US entity.

Compliant payroll

Compliant US payroll and employment administration, issued and maintained for you.

Payroll & filings

Monthly payroll run, with federal and state withholding and FICA calculated, withheld, and filed each month.

Statutory benefits

All statutory obligations administered: FICA, federal and state unemployment, workers’ compensation, and FMLA leave where eligible.

Compliance & support

Ongoing HR compliance and a single point of contact, for the life of the engagement.

Forming a US entity: your questions answered

Straight answers on forming and running a US entity.

How long does it take to form a US entity?

Incorporation itself is fast, but you cannot legally employ anyone until you have your EIN and have registered for payroll tax in each operating state, which takes longer. That is why timing matters and why many companies bridge with an EOR first.

There is no minimum share capital for a US C-corporation or LLC. The real costs are state filing fees, a registered agent, and the ongoing accounting and compliance, which we can run for you.

Yes. A US C-corporation or LLC can be fully owned and directed by non-residents. You will need a registered agent and an EIN, both of which we arrange.

Form an entity when you have permanent, proven headcount and want full control, and the per-head savings justify the ongoing costs. Use EOR while you are still validating the market or need people working quickly. Most companies start with EOR and incorporate later. We advise on the crossover.

Accounting, monthly payroll (federal and state withholding and FICA), federal and state corporate tax filings, annual reports, and state franchise taxes. We can run all of it so the entity stays compliant without you building a local finance function.

Yes, and it is how most companies use us. Beyond incorporation we provide ongoing accounting, payroll, and compliance, so your US entity operates smoothly from day one without hiring locally for back office.

Ready to form your company in the USA?

Tell us your plans for the US and we will tell you honestly whether now is the time to incorporate, then handle it end to end if it is, usually scoped within a day. No formation-mill upsell, just the right call.

Tax, company, and labor data verified June 2026 (IRS, OECD, PwC). Figures change; we confirm the current position when we scope your formation.