"Online Collaboration Goes Legit" - Vermont's new virtual corporations

onthecommons.org

20 points·gojomo··7 comments

> But it hasn’t yet made it easy for a group of individuals, located around the globe, to create a persistent legal entity that has the ability to own property, open a bank account and enter into contracts with third parties

Does this mean that a group of individuals who are not US citizens can form a virtual company under Vermont law?

You don't have to be a citizen to start a regular Delaware company either. You don't even have to live in USA. When I first heard this, I was so impressed and realized how most of the world is Doing It Wrong.

How is this different from forming an LLC? They have almost no administrative requirements.

Actually the Vermont law amends the definitions associate with the formation of legal entities so that Vermont law does not require the filing of paper documents; nor require any member of the company to live in VT.

You can see more detail at http://vermontvirtual.org/Vermont_legislation_--_as_passed

Interesting... this seems kind of weird:

> If you use a template Operating Agreement that we provide {link to come}, you can establish a company that is based solely (or primarily) on the pooling of time, attention and effort (as opposed to investment of capital in exchange for shares).

I wonder what the practical issues are regarding these, like can you get a bank account 'entirely online'? You pretty much need that part too, to have a real company.

Re: "entirely online" bank accounts, E*Trade is a company providing such services.

ING Direct does this too. I feel like I've seen quite a few online-only banks lately, usually in conjunction with high-yield online savings accounts.

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