Willy's Recommendations
This section lists various services that I either have first-hand experience of or that have been recommended to me. You’ll find my list favors quality over quantity, and will help you save quite a lot of time when researching options. (And should you need more options than found here, a Google search is sure to turn up plenty.)
All the listed services are, to the best of my knowledge, reputable companies that have been in business for some time. Where applicable, I’ve included direct links to the Better Business Bureau and similar organizations that will let you easily check up on a company’s background.
Registered Agents
In order to form an LLC in Delaware, you will need to hire the services of a Delaware registered agent. The registered agent is a company that will incorporate your LLC, file your annual reports, in general act as your liason with the state, and accept due process on your behalf, all the while maintaining your anonymity (should you wish so).
There are many dozens of official registered agents in Delaware, most of them doing business online as well. With so many options, not to mention some non-official “agents” (in practice, resellers for a real agent) and occasional hit-and-run operations (if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!), I speak from personal experience when I say it’s a headache to compare among them and select one.
If you have a favorable agent recommendation from someone who has formed a Delaware LLC, good; go with that. If not, I’ve narrowed the options to come up with a short but succinct list of reputable companies that have been in business from several years to many decades.
Offshore Banks
Once you start making money with your business, you’ll likely want a safe place to keep it. While it’s possible to keep some money with online services such as StormPay and PayPal, sooner or later you will want to open a bank account.
For a Delaware-based LLC, it might seem natural to open the account with a U.S. bank; unfortunately, since President Bush’s Patriot Act, opening a domestic bank account has become very difficult, if not often in practice impossible, for non-U.S. residents. (For more information, consult the Handbook.)
Fortunately, there are many locations around the world that specialize in financial services, maintain strict bank secrecy, and will happily safe-keep your money without imposing any undue tax burden on your company. Commonly known as “offshore” banks, two traditional locations have been Switzerland and the Caribbean islands, with the Baltic States an increasingly attractive option (especially for Europeans).
Many of these banks offer innovative and useful services not often found in domestic banks; some examples include high-security numbered accounts, secured or prepaid Visa and MasterCard credit cards as well as anonymous virtual credit cards for online use.