At A Francis + Associates we work side-by-side with our clients and tailor our services to fit their specific needs. We combine personal attention and access to the highest technical expertise and specialized knowledge levels. International Taxation. Timely communication and responsiveness are hallmarks of our client relationships. All of these attributes support our objective of helping you reach your financial goals.
We pursue excellence by staying on top of current developments and technologies. We stay abreast of industry issues and observe the marketplace to provide service and advice tailored to your specific needs and goals. We use our experience and resources to develop industry insights and specialized skills that allow us to bring maximum value to your projects. These factors allow us to deliver superior service and act as a trusted business adviser.
A detailed listing of the services we provide is set out below. Take a look at what we have to offer and how we can help you or your business.
Specialized International Taxation and Accounting
For foreign companies establishing a US presence
Our firm specializes in International Taxation and Accounting for foreign companies (or will be) establishing a US presence. Throughout the process, we provide tax planning and services of many types that are customized to the newly incorporated company. International Taxation. It is our privilege to facilitate services to our clients from the State(s) registration until the M&A or Exit (from when the company is registered with the state until it is purchased). Within this complex cycle, we provide (but are not limited to) the following services.
International tax planning, strategies, consultation – especially new tax reports
Effective international tax planning is a complex balancing act and has never been easy. The constant shifting of the tax landscape in multiple jurisdictions makes it difficult to time your tax and cash needs appropriately, take full advantage of tax deferral opportunities, avoid the seizure of foreign tax credit opportunities, double taxation, and control your overall tax exposure.
Maintaining a robust international tax structure is an ongoing project, requiring foresight to adapt tax strategies that fit your future, especially regarding an M&A or other exit event. Revisiting your international tax structure every three to five years is good practice. Still, significant changes such as entering new markets, major changes in tax regulations, or a cross-border merger or acquisition should trigger a strategy re-evaluation.
Minimizing your overall global tax exposure is another critical concern. Businesses can pursue strategies to manage their effective global tax rate, including locating assets, risks, and essential functions of business in taxpayer-friendly jurisdictions.
Finally, it’s important to remember that local experience matters. The best international tax strategy is as good as executing it in every operational jurisdiction. Each jurisdiction brings its unique banking, legal, and tax environments. Navigating these concerns means building effective relationships with local advisors, and building these relationships takes time.
Transfer pricing consulting
Transfer pricing presents special tax and legal risks, including the potential commitment of significant management time in the event of a transfer pricing examination. Our experience helps companies manage their transfer pricing issues, especially the risk of double taxation.
Tax Treaties
Tax treaties are another effective mechanism to avoid double taxation, especially since the U.S. has entered into income tax treaties with more than 60 countries. Most tax treaties require rigorous documentation tracking and have complex and exacting legal requirements to stay in compliance. We can help you assess the cost-benefit of complying with tax treaties and optimizing strategies.
Advising on the leading US structure that fits investor requirements
The U.S. system offers companies several entity structures that have different tax implications. We can help you determine which design is best for your entity, whether a C Corp, S Corp LLC or another type. We carefully consider how the U.S. structure’s choice impacts your overall tax obligation and long-term strategy.
International tax reporting and ensuring that the company is complying with the due diligence process
Few things can put a damper on an M&A or exit, like a non-compliance issue. Imagine the due diligence process going smoothly, coming near closing, and then suddenly, a tax compliance issue that halts the process or significantly impacts valuation.
Companies are struggling to do more with less while driving value out of their tax and finance functions while dealing with complex local rules, disparate technologies, and manual processes during the compliance cycle, resulting in the risk of compliance failures. We use our experience providing cross-border tax compliance services to coordinate all tax compliance activities.
Accounting and payroll services designed for booking services destined for multinational Parent-Subsidiary relationship
We provide a full range of accounting and payroll services for our international clients. Cross-border operations can create complex payroll compliance issues and stringent bookkeeping requirements to provide financial reporting across a broad range of accounting standards (i.e., U.S. GAAP, IFRS, Spanish GAAP, etc.). Until the convergence of all accounting methodologies, companies need a firm that can assist with these challenges.
Assisting the company officers and executives with their US taxes
Foreign national executives filing their US taxes face numerous challenges, and the last thing a company wants is for this to distract them from their operational performance. Providing these services to your executives and officers offers them deep value and can help with retention and recruitment.
Foreign nationals face unusual tax circumstances. Especially if they hold savings or investments outside the U.S., We can help determine how they should be taxed and what reporting requirements are required, such as reporting foreign bank accounts, etc.
State and sales tax reporting and compliance.
Companies that have never done business in the U.S. are often surprised by tax systems’ disparity throughout the various states. Every state has its income and sales tax systems, which can be daunting to companies operating in the U.S. without proper guidance. We can help you navigate not only the state and sales tax reporting requirements but also plan in the context of your overall international operations.
International Taxation
If you’re like most owners of growing firms, you might wonder about the best way to protect your personal assets and conduct your daily activities. For some businesses, forming a corporation is the best solution. Others benefit most from the creation of a Limited Liability Partnership.