EU Company for Affiliate Network

[bibing]

I would like to setup a new company for our new Affiliate Network.
This company will issue invoices to EU based companies and payout money to EU based companies.

I'm opening a thread here to get ideas for the best setup option.

My thought is to chose either between UK or Ireland.

I exclude Cyprus, Malta, any Eastern European country for various reasons.

What would be the best option between an Ireland LTD or UK LLP/LTD cosidering that:
1. I would, possibly (but not necessary), like the company to be owned by an extra-EU company (HK or SG, not sure yet)
2. keep the company shareholder info as private as possible (i know UK publish the info publicly)

Bonus question: Are UK LLPs a good option? What would be the limits?

 

[bibing]

I have had a Malta company before.
At the first mention of it with customers or whoever the discussion was if I enjoyed the low tax regimes.
Of course I enjoyed it but I can see there was a problem if "image".
Jokes on them you can almost 0 your tax with a UK setup or get a low 12.5% in IE, but somehow I will not be treated badly if I chose them

The thing was so bad that companies would avoid doing business with me.
We are talking about small business in France, Spain, Italy.

Same will happen if I go with any Eastern European company.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to get a company in any of these countries but when facing small businesses they will go like "Meh"

Unfortunately I have no choice.

Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria, Hungary they are all nice if you are dealing with big companies (who don't care where you are from).
Small businesses they tend to turn away.

PLEASE NOTE: This is what I noticed in south Europe (Spain, Italy, France).

 

[James Turner]

Hi @bibing If you create a UK LLP, which on the face of it can be created with privacy in mind by using two offshore partner companies this would appear to do the job. The only issue is that in the UK a PSC Register (Persons with significant control) exists and this means that whoever is the ultimate controlling individual(s) their details will be included in this register which is public. Using a company in the UK or even Ireland will always be open to scrutiny. Have you considered Gibraltar?

 

[TurnedToRobot]

Have you considered Gibraltar?

can you do Gibraltar and what are the costs for basic setup please? Do we have total privacy if we setup a Gibraltar company?

 

[bibing]

Unfortunately Gibraltar falls in the same pot with Malta, Cyprus etc.

 

[TurnedToRobot]

Why don't you setup a UK company as front face for your business and put some offshore corps behind it?

 

[bibing]

I could do that. As @James Turner has said, even if there's a PSC Register, I could use somebody else I know that I trust and that is living abroad.

At this point I would like to know if a UK LLP (which really will literally make the taxes 0) is a good option for an Affiliate Network

I checked around other big companies.
Awin is a German company but I see they are using a UK ltd for european customers. Then they opened several representative branches in the countries they are serving (I guess they use it to hire locals). I don't have idea which company an advertiser pays. Do they pay the local branch or the central UK LTD in their case?
TradeTracker, same, UK LTD company

 

[bibing]

I correct myself, TradeTracker has a Netherlands holding BV and the UK ltd is a subsidiary

 

[Archi]

I have had a Malta company before.
At the first mention of it with customers or whoever the discussion was if I enjoyed the low tax regimes.
Of course I enjoyed it but I can see there was a problem if "image".
Jokes on them you can almost 0 your tax with a UK setup or get a low 12.5% in IE, but somehow I will not be treated badly if I chose them

The thing was so bad that companies would avoid doing business with me.
We are talking about small business in France, Spain, Italy.

Same will happen if I go with any Eastern European company.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to get a company in any of these countries but when facing small businesses they will go like "Meh"

Unfortunately I have no choice.

Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria, Hungary they are all nice if you are dealing with big companies (who don't care where you are from).
Small businesses they tend to turn away.

PLEASE NOTE: This is what I noticed in south Europe (Spain, Italy, France).

Wow... This is the worst excuse i've ever seen here.... This is literally all your ego problems...

A small business joining a affiliate networks gives zero shits where the company is registered. Most people don't even check that on the website or anywhere. They see a website, it looks nice and they join. If they get super sceptical about your site then they maybe would want to get more info but even then nobody cares.

On the other hand big business usually care.

 

[bibing]

Absolutely not true!
Big companies (Google, Amazon, Booking, Expedia) as long as you have a company and VAT number, they don't care where you are incorporated (in Europe).

Try to deal with small companies, if you ever did, and you will see.

I don't know where you are but in Spain, Italy and France small companies are so suspicious. They think the Tax Authority will keep their company under observation if they issue invoices to some countries.

Anyway that's not the main discussion here.

I wanted to know if anybody had/has a UK LLP or Ltd or Ireland Ltd. and their opinion about those.

 

[James Turner]

We incorporate companies in UK (Ltd and LLP) and in Ireland. No privacy exists in Ltd or LLP form when using a UK and Irish Company I'm afraid.