Through an anonymous trust that can own the LLC itself, as well as serve as title holding trusts for the real estate asset you wish to protect. The anonymous trust is the member listed on the filing and since it is a private document and it is not filed with the state, anybody researching the owner or beneficiary of the trust will be unable to find that information in the public records.
Yes, always have insurance. Insurance gets rid of the nuisance lawsuits like the slip and falls on your front porch. The company structure protects you from the big lawsuits that would wipe you out.
Either address is fine. But we recommend using a Texas mailing address, so that it cannot be linked back to you personally. The parent LLC must file annual reports and tax returns, among other paperwork. For clarification, please use Scott’s business address for anything of public record. You may use your address for anything private, such as bank statements, credit cards, etc.
Tax documents will be sent to the address of the grantee on the deed. In the instance where the attorney address is listed as the address of the trust, the client should contact the county tax assessor’s office and update the address to the client’s address so that they can receive the tax bills directly.
No, just the standard information to set up a business bank account. However, a series can have its own bank account and credit card if, and only if, you are accounting for the money separately for each series. If you think you are going to get sloppy with your accounting, then it is important to have separate bank accounts and separate credit cards. If the series is operating under a DBA, then the DBA name can be used for the bank account.
The instructions for obtaining an EIN by internet, mail, telephone, or fax, are found at this link: www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-to-apply-for-an-ein
Always set these agreements up between the holding company (the individual series) and the vendor. The purpose is to create asset protection through anonymity, so using your individual name may defeat that purpose.
Homestead property is already protected under statute, but the value of the home may be more than the statutory protection. If the value of the home is less, then leave it alone. If it is more, then you should consider removing the equity in the property that is above the statutorily protected amount.
If you want anonymity, don’t include a name that will connect with you personally. Otherwise, the name does not matter. The purpose of the anonymity is to make it harder for you to be found, thus protecting your assets.
You move money from your personal account into the LLC bank account as a capital contribution.
You will move money from the LLC bank account to your personal account and you will record it in your accounting as a dividend or distribution to the members of the LLC.
Example scenario: Real Estate Business LLC with a “doing business as” registration of REI Investors
Example title: Scott Smith, managing member of Real Estate Business LLC, DBA REI Investors
Example scenario: Real Estate Business LLC
Example title: Scott Smith, managing member of Real Estate Business LLC
Example scenario: Real Estate Business LLC which has the registered member and owner as real estate business agent trust, and Scott Smith as trustee.
Example title: Scott Smith, trustee of Real Estate Business agent trust, managing member of Real Estate Business LLC
You should try to use your individual names as little as possible. One of the reasons for this type of structure is asset protection through anonymity.
Texas only requires a yearly franchise tax filing–filed online with the comptroller. Otherwise no annual requirements are there unless the law changes.
It offers anonymity, lawsuit protection, compartmentalized liabilities, and it may reduce operating costs and streamline administration.
A Series LLC is a unique form of limited liability company that provides protection from liability across multiple “child” Series, within each main “parent” Series LLC protected from liabilities arising from the other Series. Each “child” Series is treated as if it were its own LLC for liability purposes.
Easy. The Series is a private document that you create on your desktop, sign, and store in your safe.
The Series LLC is legally controlled by the anonymous trust, through a trustee. Any money generated by the company is split by the “beneficiary(s)” designated in the trust. This way, one partner can manage the company while the other partner(s) split profits evenly.
You are the Trustee of Series LLC.
The Series LLC has one EIN number and should be treated for tax purposes as if it were one entity (though it has the liability protections as if it were many separate entities). Typically, only one type of income should be held in each series llc (e.x. Rental income from investment properties should be held in a separate Series LLC than active “fix and flip” income).
Any real property that you own should be held in the Series LLC. We recommend that all property be held anonymously through a land trust – if someone can find it they might sue for it.
The presumption in American business is that legal entities (such as LLCs and corporations) of one state should be upheld in the other states.
The Series LLC structure we use is either a disregarded entity (individual or spousal ownership) or is classified as a partnership (if two non-spouse co-owners). A disregarded entity will simply report the income on the Schedule E of the personal income tax return of the solo owner. If there are non-spousal co-owners, then a partnership return must be filed on behalf of the LLC.
This will depend on your own record keeping abilities. A series can have its own bank account and credit card if, and only if, you are accounting for the money separately for each series.
If you don’t manage it correctly all of the series can collapse into one and everything that we thought we have accomplished by isolating each of the assets–now it goes out of the window. Now we have one big pot of money for them to go after.
You will need to contact your insurance agent and add the entity as an additional insured.
A land trust is a trust that holds a piece of land–it’s as simple as that. In a land trust used in conjunction with a Series LLC, the series will be the grantor and beneficiary. The client will be the trustee in charge of managing the assets of the trust.
Trust documents are private and they do not require public disclosures in most cases. Even where public disclosures are required, the penalty for failure to do so is negligible and is outweighed by the benefit of having privacy. You can modify the trust per the terms dictated in the trust agreement by issuing resolutions of the trust.
Trust agreements and operating agreements are not legally required to be notarized. However, some clients wish to notarize them for a sense of added security.
Yes, every property should be held in its own land trust titled in the name of the property. If the property is located at 123 Main St., then it will be held in the 123 Main St. Trust
Any address you list on a deed is public information and you will want to use an address that does not go back to you directly. P.O. boxes are often not allowed, so we recommend either USPS address or the attorney address to be listed for the trust.
Bylaws are used to govern a company. They are company specific, so it’s really up to you as to what you would like in them.
Simple. Contact your insurance agent and add the entity as an additional insured.
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