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Yuki Yamamoto

Remote e-commerce business forming as Delaware C-corp - best company address to avoid state taxes?

I'm setting up an e-commerce business with my business partner and we're planning to form as a C-corporation in Delaware. We're both experienced entrepreneurs but want to build this venture completely remotely with contractors only, aiming for profitability from day one. We're planning to seek investment in about 6-9 months and hoping to qualify for QSBS (Qualified Small Business Stock) benefits down the road, which is why we're going with the C-corp in Delaware structure. Here's our situation - we're both working 100% remotely from various locations across the US. Neither of us has a permanent address except my partner's parents' place in Connecticut. That would be the obvious choice for our company address, but we're concerned about getting hit with Connecticut state corporate taxes. We're looking at Wyoming, Nevada, or Texas as potential states for establishing our company address to minimize state tax burden. What's the best way to make this happen? Do we need a registered agent service? We don't want just a virtual mailbox - we're looking for an actual physical address. Any recommendations on which state would be best and how to go about setting up a legitimate physical company address there? What are the tax implications we should consider?

The state where you establish your physical presence is where you'll typically have nexus for tax purposes, regardless of where you're incorporated. While Delaware is popular for incorporation due to its business-friendly laws, you'll still face tax obligations in states where you have physical presence or economic nexus. If you're trying to minimize state corporate taxes, Wyoming, Nevada, and Texas are indeed good options as they don't have corporate income tax. However, Texas does have a franchise tax that applies to larger businesses, so keep that in mind. For establishing an address, you'll need a registered agent in Delaware (required for all Delaware corporations) AND in any other state where you're "doing business." A registered agent service can provide you with a physical address in your chosen state. Companies like Northwest Registered Agent, Incfile, or ZenBusiness offer these services for reasonable fees. Remember though, if either of you are physically working from Connecticut regularly, Connecticut might claim nexus regardless of your official company address. The same applies to any state where you have employees, inventory, or significant sales.

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So if we use a registered agent service in Wyoming for example, is that enough to establish "nexus" there instead of CT? Or do we actually need to be physically present in WY? And what happens if we're constantly traveling - does nexus follow us around to every state we work from temporarily?

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For establishing nexus, a registered agent alone isn't enough. Nexus typically requires physical presence (office, employees, inventory) or economic presence (significant sales in that state). If you're just using a Wyoming address but operating from Connecticut, Connecticut could still claim nexus. For your traveling situation, temporary presence usually doesn't create nexus, but if you consistently work from specific states, those states might have a claim. Many states have thresholds (like 183 days of presence) before they consider you to have established nexus there. I'd recommend consulting with a tax professional who specializes in multi-state taxation to develop a compliant strategy for your specific situation.

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After struggling with similar tax nexus issues when setting up my remote business, I found https://taxr.ai incredibly helpful. I uploaded my formation documents and business plan, and they analyzed my specific situation regarding multi-state tax exposure. Their system flagged several issues I hadn't considered - like how my temporary work locations could create unexpected tax obligations in different states. They provided detailed guidance on structuring my company address and operations to minimize state tax exposure while remaining compliant. For remote founders especially, they break down the difference between "statutory" presence (your registered agent) versus "physical" presence (where you're actually working). This distinction is crucial for tax purposes.

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How exactly does their service work? Do they just give general advice or do they actually help you implement the right structure? I'm in a similar situation but moving between FL and GA constantly.

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I'm skeptical - wouldn't you still need a dedicated tax attorney to implement any recommendations? These online tools seem like they just tell you what you already know from googling.

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They provide a personalized analysis based on your specific situation rather than general advice. You upload your business documents and answer questions about where you work, have inventory, make sales, etc., and their system identifies tax exposure risks. They give specific recommendations for your business structure and nexus considerations. For implementation, they provide detailed guidance but they don't replace attorneys or accountants. However, their analysis helps you have more informed conversations with these professionals. In my case, I saved significantly on consultation fees because I already understood my options and could ask specific questions instead of paying for the education phase.

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Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after seeing this thread and it was super helpful for my situation! I was going back and forth between Florida and Georgia and wasn't sure how to handle nexus issues. The report I got identified several problems with my original plan that could have caused double taxation. Their analysis showed me that my initial structure would have created unnecessary tax exposure in both states. They recommended a specific registered agent service in Wyoming and explained exactly how to document my time in each state to avoid permanent establishment issues. Already implemented their recommendations and feel much more confident about my setup now!

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Mei Liu

When I was setting up my e-commerce business, I hit a wall trying to get clear answers from the IRS about multi-state taxation. Called for weeks and couldn't get through. Finally tried https://claimyr.com to get someone on the phone from the IRS. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They got me through to an actual IRS representative within a couple hours when I had been trying for weeks. The agent walked me through the federal tax implications of my business structure and how it interacts with state-level considerations. Totally worth it for getting definitive answers straight from the source.

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Wait, how does this even work? The IRS phone system is completely broken - I've literally waited on hold for 3+ hours and got disconnected. Is this legit?

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Sounds sketchy. Why would you need a service to call the IRS? And would they even have answers about state tax issues since that's not really their jurisdiction?

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Mei Liu

It works by continuously calling the IRS through their automated system and navigating the phone tree until it connects with an agent. When it gets through, it calls you back and connects you directly. It's like having someone repeatedly call on your behalf until they get through. You're right that the IRS doesn't handle state taxes directly, but they absolutely can provide guidance on federal tax implications of business structures and how different entity choices interact with state-level considerations. In my case, they clarified how my federal filing status as a C-corp would affect state filing requirements and what federal forms I needed to maintain compliance across multiple states.

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I need to eat my words. After seeing this thread, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr since I've been trying to get IRS clarity on a multi-state business issue for months. It actually worked! Got connected to an IRS agent in about 45 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks. The agent clarified that while they don't advise on specific state tax obligations, they were able to explain how our federal tax reporting would need to account for activities in multiple states. Got confirmation about how to properly document business travel between states and what triggers federal reporting requirements when operating across state lines. Definitely helped me understand the federal side of things, which made it easier to then tackle the state-specific questions with a local tax advisor.

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Have you considered using a mail forwarding service that provides a physical address? I use one in Wyoming through a company called Wyoming Mail Forwarding for my e-commerce business. For about $200/year, I get a real physical address (not a P.O. box) that I can use for my business. They scan all mail, and I can decide what to forward to wherever I'm currently staying. The key is understanding that having an address is different from having nexus. If you're truly remote and don't have inventory, employees, or significant sales in a particular state, you might be able to avoid nexus there. But be careful—economic nexus laws vary by state and many now have sales thresholds that can trigger tax obligations regardless of physical presence.

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Do these mail forwarding services actually hold up if you get audited? I'm worried about setting something up that looks fishy to tax authorities.

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Mail forwarding services are completely legal and legitimate for business addresses when properly used. The key is transparency and accuracy in your tax filings. You need to be truthful about where business activities actually occur, regardless of your official address. If you're audited, what matters is where you're conducting business operations, not just where your mail goes. If you claim Wyoming for tax purposes but are clearly operating from Connecticut, that would be problematic. However, many digital businesses can legitimately operate from anywhere. Document your work locations, keep records of travel, and consult with a tax professional to ensure you're handling multi-state issues correctly.

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I went through exactly this last year. Ultimately chose Wyoming because: 1) No state income tax 2) No franchise tax (unlike Texas) 3) Strong privacy laws for owners 4) Relatively low registered agent fees I used a company called Wyoming Corporate Services that provided both registered agent service AND a physical address I could use for business purposes. Cost about $350/year total. One thing nobody mentioned - if you're planning to take investment soon, sophisticated investors will see through attempts to avoid state taxes if you're clearly based elsewhere. Focus on proper compliance rather than extreme tax avoidance. I ended up having to file as "foreign entities" in states where I had actual nexus anyway.

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Thank you for sharing your experience! Great point about investors potentially seeing through tax avoidance strategies. Did you end up having to register as a foreign entity in multiple states despite having your Wyoming address? Were there any complications with banking or receiving payments with this setup?

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Yes, I did end up registering as a foreign entity in California because I spent significant time working there (over 183 days). The Wyoming address wasn't an issue for banking - I used Mercury for business banking and everything was set up online. They just required my EIN, formation documents, and operating agreement. For payments, no complications at all. Most payment processors and platforms don't care about your physical address as long as you have proper business documentation. The biggest challenge was actually keeping track of where I was working throughout the year for tax purposes. I created a simple spreadsheet to log my location each week, which helped tremendously when tax season came around.

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