A shelf corporation is a company that was prepared, filed and maintained for years before its acquired.  It's aged like wine.

WHY A SHELF CORPORATION?

A shelf corporation provides the following advantages:

• Increase credibility
• Bidding opportunities
• Customer, clients, vendors and investors prefer to do business with a company that's done business for several years rather than several weeks. 
• Age represents experience and stability
  • Lenders prefer to extend credit to companies that are at least two years old rather than two weeks old.
  • Clients prefer to buy and contract with companies that will be there next year.
• No need to wait two years to build corporate credit
• Protect assets with an aged shelf corporation.  Limited liability is asset protection.

HOW MUCH IS A SHELF CORPORATION?

We offer six year old shelf corporations for under $1500.  We make it up in volume.

CAN I OBTAIN CORPORATE CREDIT WITH A SHELF CORPORATION?

It's unusual to obtain more than $100,000 in corporate credit with an aged shelf corporation.  Lines of credit vary greatly depending on the purpose of the loan, the business plan, the bank, who is reviewing the loan application at the bank, and the Paydex score of the company.

THESE ARE THE TWO GROUPS OF AGED SHELF CORPORATION:

A clean aged shelf corporation with no credit, no EIN and no bank account. 

• The shelf corporation is safe from unseen liabilities, or potential problems.
• There's no EIN.  An EIN is obtained at no cost from the IRS.
• No bank account
• No history of business transactions.  This makes the company safe.  A company with no business history is a company with no risk of fraudulent tax returns, no history of bad deals, and no creditors. 
• No back taxes, litigation or other problems.  A clean aged company means that you can build a future with a solid company.
• Requires work on the part of the buyer because the company is a clean slate
• Buyer must build the corporate credit profile of the company.

An aged shelf corporation with established corporate credit, EIN, bank account and operations

• It looks easy when acquiring a shelf corporation with corporate credit, EIN and a bank account.  Appearances are deceiving.
• Who would sell any company, after two or three years, after establishing credit and accounts?  A business owner that's going out of business. 
• What do businesses, that are going out of business, have in common?  They owe money, taxes, or both.  Why take a risk with a bankrupt company?  This is no way to start your enterprise.
• There's no pay off.  DNB resets the corporate credit to zero, in 90 days, after you acquire any company with established credit.

HOW DO I GET AN EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER FOR A SHELF CORPORATION?

A shelf corporation is like any other corporation.  You don't treat them differently.  When you apply for the EIN, make certain you state the correct date the business started.  The date started is the date you bought the company from us.  It is not the incorporation date of the company.  To obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for your aged shelf corporation, apply here: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=102767,00.html

The application is free.  The EIN is necessary to file your taxes and to open a bank account.

DO I NEED A REGISTERED AGENT?

All Montana companies need a registered agent.  That registered agent must be in Montana.  If you don't live in Montana, then you must acquire a Montana registered agent to keep the company in good standing.

SHOULD I SHOP FOR SHELF CORPORATIONS IN MY HOME STATE?

The best shelf corporations are found in Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming.  This is because ownership information is not requested, nor shared.  You would then be considered the first owner of the corporation.  Why is this important?  When someone is registered as an owner of the company, and the company is sold, then lenders consider that as a "reset" of the age of the company.  For some reason, DNB and lenders doesn't like when the company changes hands.  If your state requires business licenses, disclosing the owners, and you buy a shelf corporation in your home state, then the age of the company is reset.

You're better off obtaining a shelf corporation from either Montana, Wyoming, or New Mexico, and filing the company in your home state.  The company is then expanding into the state you intend to do business.  Since you are the first owner of the shelf corporation, then the age of the corporation is retained.

If you're seeking privacy, Montana is the same as Wyoming, New Mexico and Delaware.

ARE MONTANA SHELF CORPORATIONS JUST AS GOOD AS THOSE FROM NEVADA?

Banking in Nevada is difficult and troublesome because of the transients and the widespread fraud. 

Nevada is famous for legalized cannabis, legalized prostitution, transients, crime, illegal drugs, violence, organized crime, gangs, and cash based businesses to support the gambling industry.  That's why banks take a closer look at Nevada companies.  To avoid this problem, avoid Nevada corporations or Nevada LLC's.

Likewise, the audit rate for Nevada corporations is four times the annual average for the same company elsewhere.  This is because Nevada continues to promote that they have information sharing agreement with the IRS.  What is the truth?  Nevada sells their information to database companies, which sells the data to the IRS.  And what does it matter to you?  Acquiring a shelf corporation and building corporate credit requires that your name is on the company.  It requires that you're the applicant for the EIN and the applicant for the bank account.  There's no privacy from the IRS.  And yet, promoters of Nevada corporations still tout this bogus benefit.

Nevada is known for gambling, prostitution, mining and tourism.  Montana and Wyoming are known for oil and gas, ranching, agriculture, national defense and a pro-business atmosphere.  Nevada is deep in debt.  Montana and Wyoming are in great financial shape.   

STATE INCOME TAXES

You must file and pay state income taxes in the state in which the business is conducted.  If you intend to do business in California with a Montana shelf corporation, then you would file the Montana shelf corporation in California.  Although the California filing is new, the age of the shelf corporation is preserved.  Banks prefer to see you as the Director, President, Treasurer, Vice President, and Secretary, and an address where the officers are located.   Please check with your tax advisor.

ARE YOUR AGED SHELF CORPORATIONS LISTED ON YOUR WEBSITE?

Our Montana shelf corporations are not posted online to protect the interests of our clients.  Request a list of shelf corporations here.

HOW DO I OBTAIN BUSINESS TELEPHONE SERVICE IN MONTANA?

Obtain a MT telephone number by reaching CENTURYLINK.COM.  Ask for a market expansion line.  This is a business line installed at the telephone company.  No onsite installation is required.  Calls are forwarded to your landline or cell phone.