How to structure yourself internationally: my experience across four countries
Companies, residences, banks, taxation: structuring internationally is serious work that requires real professionals. I explain how I built my structure and the mistakes to avoid.
Why you need a structure, not improvisation
When I started operating outside Italy I immediately understood one thing: doing business in several countries without a clear structure means accumulating invisible risks. Every country has its own rules on companies, taxes, bank accounts and personal liability. Ignoring them is not an option: sooner or later the bill arrives.
Today I operate with four companies across the United Kingdom, the Emirates, Europe and Australia, and I am resident between Lugano and London. This structure was not built in a day: it is the result of years of work with accountants, lawyers and tax advisers in each country.
The pillars of my structure
The first pillar is separation: each business has its own company, in the country where it operates. Luxury car rental in Dubai sits in an Emirati company, London real estate investments in a British structure, private aviation in a European company. This way the risks of one business do not contaminate the others.
The second pillar is substance: companies must be real, with genuine operations, not empty shells. Tax authorities worldwide now look at substance, and those who built façade structures are finding out the hard way.
The third pillar is the team of professionals. I have never relied on DIY: in every country I have a trusted accountant and lawyer, carefully chosen. Their cost is the best investment an international entrepreneur can make.
The mistakes I see most often
The first mistake is copying other people's structures. What works for one entrepreneur with certain businesses and residences can be disastrous for another. The second is chasing the "zero tax" country without looking at overall quality: banks, stability, reputation. The third is postponing: many start operating abroad and fix the structure "later". That later always comes at the worst moment.
My final advice: before opening anything abroad, sit down with a professional who knows both your country of residence and the destination country. A structure done well from the start costs much less than one that needs repairing later.