The most robust structure I’ve come across lately for privacy, asset protection, and international flexibility goes like this:
You set up a US single-member LLC and open bank accounts under it. Then, you assign the ownership (via a private assignment document, which can technically be backdated if needed) to a Nevis trust. Happy to dive deeper into how to manage the trust , whether with professional trustees or a PTC, and how to structure settlor/trustee roles , but that’s a separate conversation.
The US LLC, now owned by the trust, holds a stake in a holding company incorporated in a jurisdiction with strong double tax treaties, solid banking access, and clean optics , ideally the UK, Cyprus, or Malta, especially if you’re focused on Europe.
The UK is particularly attractive, as it doesn’t impose minimum holding periods or ownership thresholds to access treaty benefits. In the UK PSC register, you simply list the US LLC as the shareholder, and in many cases no individual beneficial owner needs to be disclosed , worst-case scenario, disclosure defaults to the trustees of the Nevis trust.
It’s worth remembering that the US does not participate in CRS, making it, technically, one of the last top-tier jurisdictions (if not the last one) that functions as a tax haven. If you ever need to buy US securities or generate effectively connected income (ECI), I’d recommend setting up a separate US LLC under the holding company described above, and using the original US LLC purely as a pass-through for privacy.
