Three kinds of help are easy to confuse, and choosing the wrong one first is costly: which do you need now? This guide separates their roles, gives the order in which they can come, and says what none of them will do for you. It describes roles in general, not any firm.
A consultant helps you decide what to build and where. A formation provider registers what you decided on. An accountant keeps the company's books and filings right once it exists. Asking one to do another's job can lead to disappointment.
For legal or tax opinions, a licensed professional is a fourth role that none of the three automatically covers.
Consultant: What structure, where, and why. Formation provider: How do I register it. Accountant: How do I keep it in order.
Consultant: Written options and risks. Formation provider: A registered company. Accountant: Books and filings.
Consultant: Before registering. Formation provider: When the decision is made. Accountant: From the first transaction.
Consultant: Registering the company. Formation provider: Deciding whether the structure fits you. Accountant: Choosing the jurisdiction.
Start with a review of the structure, not a new registration.
You may only need a provider and an accountant.
A licensed professional comes in early, before anything else is chosen.
Use a consultant or your own analysis. Do not let the registration deadline decide it.
Brief a formation provider with a clear, written decision.
An accountant can be involved before the first invoice.
This is business and structuring analysis, not legal, tax or investment advice. Where a legal or tax opinion is needed, we say so and point you to a licensed adviser.
Not always. A simple plan may need only two. The overlap is where costs can double up or gaps can appear.
Some offer several services. Ask for each role's scope separately and who answers for it.
No. A consultant structures a decision; a lawyer gives legal opinions.
No obligation. We read your request and reply with a straight answer.
Describe your plan and your constraints. We reply with what we would look at first.
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