Straight answers.

Atiko forms companies for e-commerce businesses, mainly in the United States, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. After formation, we prepare bank and payment provider applications with the owner and keep track of the company’s yearly obligations. The work is done by an in-house team of filing specialists.

It is designed for founders of online stores with serious growth plans, most of whom live outside the country where their company is registered. Some are launching, and others already sell and want a more suitable structure. Atiko does not serve residents of comprehensively sanctioned countries.

No. Non-residents can own a US LLC or C Corporation, a UK limited company or a Hong Kong company. Each jurisdiction has a local requirement, such as a registered agent, a registered office or a company secretary, which is met through a service provider.

No visa or Social Security number is needed to own a US company, and the United Kingdom and Hong Kong do not require directors or shareholders to live there. The company does need an official local address, which is provided by the registered agent or registered office service.

We explain what each option involves in filings, local requirements, yearly obligations and cost. The decision is yours, and it often depends on where your customers are, how you plan to grow and how your country of residence taxes you. For legal or tax advice, consult a licensed professional.

A valid passport, proof of your residential address, two or three company name options and a clear description of what you sell are enough to begin. If you have a store or a draft of one, share its address so that we can look at it with you.

You receive a written quote before any payment. It shows our setup fee, our management fee if you choose ongoing service, and government and third-party costs on separate lines. Government fees are set by the state or the registry, are the same whoever files, and are shown separately from Atiko’s own fee.

In the United States, a company is typically formed within 24 hours of a complete file, depending on the state. Online incorporation in the United Kingdom is typically completed within 24 hours, and Hong Kong typically takes a few working days. The state or registry decides the actual processing time.

A registered agent is a person or company with a physical address in the state where a US company is formed. It receives official and legal mail on the company’s behalf. Every state requires one for as long as the company exists.

An EIN is the federal tax identification number issued by the IRS on Form SS-4. The online application requires the responsible party to have a Social Security number or ITIN. Without one, the application is made by fax or mail, or by phone for international applicants, and typically takes from several days to a few weeks.

An LLC is formed by filing Articles of Organization, has members and an operating agreement, and is taxed as a pass-through by default. A C Corporation has shareholders, directors, officers and bylaws, pays federal corporate income tax and is the standard form for venture capital. The choice between them is yours.

It needs at least one director who is a natural person, at least one shareholder, a registered office address in the UK and a registered email address. There is no residency requirement. Companies House now requires identity verification for directors and persons with significant control.

It needs at least one director who is a natural person and at least one shareholder, neither of whom has to live in Hong Kong. A company secretary based in Hong Kong and a registered office there are both required. The Certificate of Incorporation and the Business Registration Certificate are issued together.

You receive the official formation document issued by the state or registry, together with the company’s internal documents, such as an operating agreement, bylaws or articles. The tax identification confirmation follows when the authority issues it. All documents are delivered to you and remain yours.

In most cases, yes. For US companies there are business accounts that can be opened remotely, and similar options exist for UK and Hong Kong companies. Each bank applies its own eligibility rules and verification, and it decides on every application.

You are the applicant and the account holder. We prepare the application with you, check that the documents are complete and consistent, and help you answer any questions the bank sends. Atiko never holds client funds and has no access to your account.

For US companies, accounts typically open within a week of applying. Timing in other jurisdictions varies more from one institution to another. A complete application and prompt replies to follow-up requests are the factors most within your control.

Both are available to companies in the United States, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, each subject to the provider’s own verification. Requirements for the account representative vary and change, so we check the current ones with you before you apply.

They verify the company, the people behind it, the bank account and the store. For the store, they look at contact details, the refund and returns policy, shipping information, terms and the privacy policy. Applications in which these elements are complete and consistent usually move faster.

No. Atiko is independent of Stripe and Shopify and claims no partnership with either. We prepare your setup according to what each provider asks for, and the provider makes its own decision.

The decision belongs to the bank or the provider, which does not always state its reasons. We review the response with you and explain what it indicates. You then decide whether to apply to another institution.

No. Atiko is not an accounting firm and gives no tax advice. Tax returns, bookkeeping and audits are carried out by independent licensed professionals. We track the deadlines and gather the company documents they need.

A foreign-owned single-member LLC must generally file Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 every year, even when no tax is due. The penalty for not filing starts at $25,000. The state where the LLC is formed may also require an annual report or tax.

It depends on the state. A Delaware LLC pays a flat annual tax of $400, a Wyoming LLC files an annual report with a minimum fee of $60, and New Mexico requires no annual report from an LLC. A registered agent must be maintained in every state.

Sales tax is set at state level, and nexus is the connection that obliges a seller to collect it. Since South Dakota v. Wayfair in 2018, sales volume alone can create nexus, and many states use a $100,000 annual sales threshold. Inventory held in a state can also create it. A licensed tax professional can determine where your store must register.

It files a confirmation statement and annual accounts with Companies House, and a Company Tax Return with HMRC. The main rate of corporation tax is currently 25%, with a lower rate of 19% for small profits. VAT is separate and has its own registration rules.

It files an annual return with the Companies Registry, renews its business registration, has its financial statements audited and files a profits tax return with the Inland Revenue Department. Profits tax is territorial, at a standard rate of 16.5%, with 8.25% on the first HK$2 million under the two-tier regime.

That depends on the rules of the country where you live, which may tax income from a foreign company or the company itself in certain cases. This question is outside what Atiko can answer. A licensed tax adviser in your country of residence is the right person to ask.

No. Atiko provides company formation and administrative assistance. It gives no legal, tax or financial advice, and it never holds client funds.

An in-house filing specialist prepares your documents, files them and follows each application. You are told what has been filed, what is pending and what is needed from you at every stage.

You do. You are the owner of the company, the applicant on every application and the holder of every account. Atiko does not appear as an owner or a signatory.

No. States, registries, tax authorities, banks and payment providers make their own decisions on their own schedules. We tell you what is typical and prepare a complete file, which in most cases is what a reviewer needs.

We ask only for the documents that a filing or an institution requires. They are shared with the authority, bank or provider concerned and with the professionals you have agreed to work with. You review every form before it is submitted.

If Atiko cannot start work on your file, you receive a full refund. Once work has started, the setup fee is not refundable, including if an institution declines an application. The management service can be cancelled with 30 days’ written notice.

The company, its documents and its accounts remain yours. We give you a summary of upcoming filings and deadlines so that you or another provider can take them over. Local services tied to the company, such as a registered agent, must be kept in place or transferred.