Ready-Made Companies — Transfer in 24h.

Standard incorporation of an offshore or onshore company requires between five business days (UAE Free Zone express) and four weeks (UK Ltd, US LLC), to which eight to twelve weeks must be added for opening a corporate bank account at Tier-1 institutions. A shelf company eliminates incorporation lead time and, when sold with a bank account, reduces overall time-to-market to 48-72 hours.

Three operational scenarios justify the price premium (15-40% over new incorporation):

• Time-sensitive deals: PE funds needing to establish an SPV for closing within an M&A window; traders requiring a merchant account to participate in an IPO or bond placement with an imminent deadline; founders who must satisfy a condition precedent in a licence or joint venture agreement.
• Reputational track record: commercial banks, enterprise suppliers, and institutional counterparties verify the incorporation date as a proxy for stability; a company incorporated in 2015 obtains a superior credit rating and better commercial terms compared to a 2025 newco.
• Incumbent bank account: when the KYC waiting list at UAE, UK, or Swiss banks exceeds ten weeks, purchasing a shelf company with an already-opened account (active IBAN, operational online banking, issued corporate card) enables immediate operability.

The ideal vintage depends on the objective: two to four years for banking requirements (beyond this threshold many banks still require complete KYC refresh), eight to fifteen years for public tenders or partnerships with government entities that reward decade-long track record. Companies with vintage exceeding ten years are rare on the market and quoted with an 80-120% premium over base price.

Main trade-off: reverse due diligence (verification of no debts, litigation, prior tax charges) requires three to five days and entails additional cost of £800-1,200; if this verification reveals issues, the seller must remedy them or the stock is withdrawn. Founders with a time horizon exceeding four weeks must assess whether the speed premium justifies the residual risk.

Every Iverex shelf company undergoes reverse KYC screening before being put on sale; for details on post-sale contractual warranties, consult the vendor due diligence section.

The Iverex catalogue comprises five categories of shelf companies, each optimized for a specific operational profile:

UK Ltd (Companies House)

Available vintage: 1-10 years | Bank account: Barclays, HSBC UK, Tide (35% of stock) | Base price: £2,400-4,800 + VAT.

Dormant English companies with dormant accounts filed annually, no trading history, updated confirmation statement. Ideal for European founders requiring a UK entity post-Brexit for B2B contracts or to satisfy substance requirements for UK CFC purposes (more than 50% non-UK activity requires substance test). Barclays or HSBC account guarantees access to SEPA, SWIFT, and Visa/Mastercard merchant acquiring.

US LLC (Delaware, Wyoming)

Vintage: 2-8 years | Account: Mercury, Relay (only 15% of stock), no traditional banks | Price: $3,200-5,500.

Delaware LLC with Certificate of Good Standing, annual report filed, active registered agent. Wyoming LLC with privacy advantage (no public UBO registry until CTA implementation). No account at traditional banks (Wells Fargo, Chase) as they require presence test; Mercury/Relay fintechs accept UBO changes but perform complete re-KYC, negating the speed advantage. Useful for non-US founders operating with American counterparties and requiring historic EIN.

UAE Free Zone (DMCC, IFZA, RAKEZ)

Vintage: 1-5 years | Account: Emirates NBD, Mashreq (60% of stock), RAKBANK | Price: AED 18,000-32,000.

Companies with active trading licence, renewed virtual office, valid Ejari. The UAE bank account is the main asset: current average waiting list (Q1 2025) is twelve weeks for Emirates NBD, eight for Mashreq. Shelf with open account enables operability within 72 hours post-share transfer. Attention: licence must be general trading or consultancy; vertical licences (crypto, money exchange) are not transferable and are revoked by the Free Zone authority upon shareholder change.

Offshore (BVI, Cayman, Hong Kong)

Vintage: 3-15 years | Account: rare (only 10% of stock, SVG or Puerto Rico banks) | Price: $4,500-12,000.

BVI Business Company or Cayman Exempted Company with Certificate of Good Standing, registered agent and office. Long vintage (8-15 years) sought by family offices for holding structures or by fund managers for secondary SPVs. Hong Kong Ltd with 5+ year vintage obtains superior Credit Bureau rating, facilitating HSBC HK or Standard Chartered openings. Absence of Tier-1 bank account in most cases; if present (Trustcom Bank SVG, Banco Atlantico PR), the account is often flagged high-risk by SWIFT network.

Cyprus (Cyprus Limited)

Vintage: 2-6 years | Account: Bank of Cyprus (25% of stock), Hellenic Bank | Price: €5,200-8,900.

Cypriot company with historic tax residency certificate, useful for founders structuring EU holdings and wanting to benefit from the bilateral treaty network (over 60 countries). Bank of Cyprus account guarantees SEPA access and facilitates onboarding for EU payment processors (Stripe, Adyen). Issues: Cyprus is an ATAD EU jurisdiction, so CFC rules apply to EU-resident shareholders; moreover, the beneficial ownership register has been public since 2019.

The optimal choice depends on the shareholder's tax domicile, target market, and substance requirements; for a tailored decision matrix, request an advisor briefing.

Purchasing a shelf company involves universal succession to all rights and—potentially—the company's prior obligations. Although shelf companies are by definition dormant (no commercial activity), five areas of residual risk exist:

1. Undeclared tax liabilities

UK (HMRC), US (IRS), UAE (FTA) tax registries may contain assessments or notices not notified to the registered agent. A UK shelf may have hidden VAT liability if the seller omitted VAT de-registration; a Delaware LLC may have unpaid back Franchise Tax (with penalty accruing at 1.5% monthly).

Our practice: we require the seller to provide a tax clearance certificate (UK: HMRC clearance; US: IRS Form 8822-B confirmation; UAE: Tax Registration Certificate with status Active-Nil Return) and a no-debt certificate from the registered agent. Any anomaly blocks the sale until remedied.

2. Pending litigation or judgements

Search at civil and commercial courts in the jurisdiction to verify absence of disputes. In the UK we query the Registry Trust for County Court Judgements (CCJ); in the US, PACER for federal litigation; in Dubai, the Court of First Instance DNRD database.

Practice: no pending litigation certificate issued by the seller's legal counsel, with warranty clause in the share purchase agreement (indemnity up to 200% of purchase price for hidden liabilities discovered within 24 months).

3. Sanctions and OFAC/EU lists

Verification that the company, historic directors, and previous shareholders do not appear on:

• OFAC SDN List (US sanctions)
• EU Consolidated List (EU sanctions)
• UK OFSI List (post-Brexit UK sanctions)
• DFAT Australia and other G7 registries

A single occurrence—even a false positive on a name—can render the company untouchable to banks and processors. We use Refinitiv World-Check and Dow Jones Risk & Compliance for automated screening; every match requires manual investigation.

4. Banking history and credit bureau

If the shelf includes a bank account, we require the seller to provide the last 12 months of statements to verify:

• Absence of transactions (must be truly dormant)
• No charges for returned cheques, overdraft, or fraud alerts
• No AML/CFT flags from the bank

For UK Ltd, we query Experian Business and Creditsafe for credit score; a rating below 50/100 indicates problematic history. For US LLC, we verify Dun & Bradstreet PAYDEX (absence of rating is acceptable, negative rating is a red flag).

5. Beneficial ownership and UBO trail

For jurisdictions with public UBO registers (UK PSC, EU beneficial ownership registries, UAE UBO resolution), we verify consistency between declared shareholders and the seller's documentation. Discrepancies indicate potential hidden nominee structure or UBO disclosure violation—both causes for rejection by banks post-transfer.

Due diligence deliverables:

• 15-25 page PDF report with check outcome (pass/fail/conditional)
• Original certificates from authorities (HMRC, Companies House, IRS)
• Warranty deed signed by seller with indemnity clause
• Legal opinion from local firm (cost £600-1,200, optional but recommended for stock >£10,000)

Time: 3-5 business days. Cost: included in Iverex price for standard stock; for shelf with vintage >10 years or bank account, £800 supplement.

In case of negative outcome, we propose alternatives from available stock without additional due diligence costs.

The legal transfer of a shelf company is structured in five phases, with timing and documentation varying by jurisdiction:

Step 1: Sign Sale & Purchase Agreement (SPA)

Share purchase agreement between seller (current shareholder) and buyer, containing:

• Purchase price and payment method (typically 50% at order, 50% at completion)
• Warranties from seller (no debts, litigation, tax charges)
• Indemnity clause (indemnification for hidden liabilities)
• Completion date (legal transfer date, 5-10 business days post-signature)
• Governing law and arbitration (English law for UK/offshore, Delaware law for US LLC, DIFC law for UAE)

Document drafted by Iverex legal counsel, executed via DocuSign or physical signature before notary (mandatory for UAE mainland, optional for other jurisdictions).

Step 2: Execute Stock Transfer Form

Legal instrument for share transfer, with variable nomenclature:

• UK: Stock Transfer Form under s.1 Stock Transfer Act 1963, HMRC Stamp Duty stamped (0.5% on consideration >£1,000)
• US LLC: Assignment of Membership Interest, no stamp duty but registration with Delaware Division of Corporations ($50 fee)
• UAE Free Zone: Share Transfer Request on authority form (DMCC, IFZA), Free Zone authority approval (3-5 days), licence update with new shareholder
• BVI/Cayman: Instrument of Transfer + shareholder register updated by registered agent, no public filing
• Cyprus: Share Transfer Deed + filing with Cyprus Registrar of Companies within 30 days (€100 fee)

Document signed by transferor and transferee, countersigned by Company Secretary (UK) or registered agent (offshore).

Step 3: Change Director and Company Secretary

Removal of seller's director/secretary, appointment of buyer's director/secretary:

• UK: Companies House filing form TM01 (termination) and AP01 (appointment), online within 24 hours, free
• US LLC: Operating Agreement update without public filing (Delaware/Wyoming have no manager registry), notification to registered agent
• UAE: manager change via Manager Resolution approved by Free Zone + new manager's Emirates ID, establishment card update (3 days)
• Offshore: registered agent updates internal register, no public filing (privacy preservation)

The buyer can retain the service provider's nominee director (cost £800-1,200/year UK, $1,500-2,200/year UAE) or appoint themselves. If shareholder is a US person, appointing a US director exposes the company to potential US tax residency via effectively connected income test; preventive tax advisory recommended.

Step 4: Update Beneficial Ownership (UBO)

For jurisdictions with UBO registers:

• UK PSC: filing confirmation statement with new PSC (person with significant control, >25% shares), online Companies House, 14-day deadline post-transfer
• UAE: UBO declaration via UAE notary + filing on UAE Cabinet Resolution 58/2020 platform, 15-day deadline, AED 50,000 penalty for late filing
• EU (Cyprus): Cyprus Beneficial Ownership Register update within 30 days

Failure to file UBO entails administrative sanctions (UK: £500-5,000; UAE: AED 50,000-100,000) and potential bank account suspension (banks verify PSC/UBO registry during annual review).

Step 5: Bank Notification and Onboarding

If the shelf includes a bank account, procedure:

1. Formal notification to bank of shareholder change, attaching redacted SPA, stock transfer form, new director/UBO details
2. Re-KYC of new UBO: bank performs KYC refresh (passport, proof of address, source of funds, origin of funds due diligence)
3. Relationship manager call: 30-45 minute conference call with RM to confirm business model, expected turnover, countries transacted
4. Online banking activation: credential reset, new corporate card issuance, authorized signatories update

Time: 10-20 business days for UK/UAE banks, up to 40 days for Swiss or offshore banks. Issue: if the business model declared by the buyer substantially diverges from the seller's, the bank may refuse the UBO change and close the account (rejection rate 15-25% for high-risk sectors: crypto, forex, gambling).

Final documentation delivered:

• Share certificate issued to buyer
• Updated shareholder register (register of members)
• Updated director register
• Certificate of Incumbency (summary document of current officers)
• Apostilled documents pack (if required for extra-jurisdictional use)

Iverex coordinates the entire process via dedicated project manager; for transfers involving multiple jurisdictions (e.g. BVI holding + UAE subsidiary), we estimate 15-20 business days overall.

Struttura Costi Shelf Company

Il prezzo di acquisto shelf comprende tre componenti:

a) Costo base società

• UK Ltd 2-4 anni vintage: £2.400-3.600
• UK Ltd 5-10 anni: £4.200-7.500
• US LLC (DE/WY) 2-8 anni: $3.200-5.500
• UAE Free Zone 1-3 anni: AED 18.000-24.000
• UAE Free Zone 4-5 anni: AED 28.000-38.000
• BVI/Cayman 3-8 anni: $4.500-8.200
• Offshore 10-15 anni vintage: $9.500-15.000
• Cipro 2-6 anni: €5.200-8.900

b) Premium conto bancario (quando incluso)

• +40-60% su prezzo base per UK Ltd con Barclays/HSBC
• +80-120% per UAE con Emirates NBD (scarsità elevata)
• +25-35% per Cipro con Bank of Cyprus
• Nessun premium US LLC con Mercury/Relay (no scarsità)

c) Costi accessori

• Stamp duty UK: 0,5% su consideration (es. £3.000 stock = £15 duty)
• Due diligence vendor: inclusa (standard) o +£800 (vintage >10 anni)
• Legal opinion: £600-1.200 (opzionale, raccomandata >£10k)
• Apostille documents pack: £180-320
• Notary fees UAE: AED 1.000-2.500 (obbligatori mainland)

Esempio UK Ltd 3 anni + conto Barclays:

• Stock base: £3.200
• Premium banking: £1.800 (56%)
• Stamp duty: £16
• Legal pack: £700
• Totale: £5.716 + VAT 20% = £6.859

vs. incorporazione nuova UK Ltd (£120) + apertura Barclays (12 settimane wait). Break-even finanziario se il valore del time-saving supera £6.700.

Rischi Compliance e Mitigazione

1. Successione in passività occulte

Nonostante due diligence, rischio residuo 5-8% di scoprire passività non rilevate (debiti verso HMRC, claims da ex-fornitori, environmental liability per società industriali pre-2015). Mitigazione: warranty insurance (costo 2-3% del purchase price, copre indemnity fino a £500k) o escrow account per 12 mesi (10% purchase price bloccati presso trust account, rilascio se nessun claim).

2. Revoca licenza o autorizzazioni

Giurisdizioni come UAE Free Zone revocano automaticamente licenze regulated activities (crypto, financial services, money exchange) al cambio azionista, perché legate a initial fit & proper test. Shelf con licenza regulated diventa inutilizzabile. Verifica pre-acquisto obbligatoria: conferma scritta da Free Zone authority che licenza è trasferibile.

3. Reputational legacy

Una shelf UK operativa fino a 2018, poi dormant, potrebbe avere negative press o litigation history rilevabile via Google. Banche e partner commerciali che eseguono background check scoprono lo storico e assumono continuità. Mitigazione: Google Alert sul company name, verifica Wayback Machine per sito web storico, screening media negativi UK (LexisNexis).

4. Tax residency ambiguity per azionisti US/UK

Se l'acquirente è US person, l'acquisto di shelf offshore può attivare Subpart F (CFC income inclusion) o GILTI (10,5-13,125% minimum tax) anche se la società resta dormant, perché IRS considera tested income qualsiasi passive income (interessi su conto corrente). Se l'acquirente è UK tax resident, una shelf non-UK con attività gestita dal Regno Unito fallisce il CFC exemption e tutto il profit è tassato UK.

Obblighi compliance post-acquisizione:

• Annual return e accounts: UK Ltd (Companies House entro 9 mesi da year-end), UAE (audited accounts se turnover >AED 50M), US LLC (Delaware annual report $300, Wyoming $60)
• UBO update: UK PSC ogni cambio >25% ownership, UAE ogni cambio UBO entro 15 giorni
• Tax filing: UK CT600 anche se dormant, UAE corporate tax return dal 2024 (9% su profit >AED 375k), US Form 5472 se foreign-owned LLC
• Registered office: mantenimento indirizzo legale (UK £120-180/anno, UAE incluso in licenza, offshore $800-1.500/anno agent fee)

Scenario worst-case: acquisto shelf UAE con licenza trading, scoperta post-closing di late filing penalty AED 20.000 presso FTA, revoca licenza da DMCC, chiusura forzata conto Emirates NBD. Costo totale ripristino: AED 35.000-50.000 + 60 giorni downtime. Prevenzione: due diligence con verifica FTA portal e DMCC compliance certificate.

Alternative Fast-Track (Non-Shelf)

Per founder con orizzonte 7-10 giorni, alternative a shelf company con risk/reward migliore:

• UAE Free Zone express (IFZA, RAKEZ): incorporazione in 24-48 ore, licenza general trading, costo AED 12.000-15.000, nessun passivo pregresso. Aperture conto Mashreq/RAKBANK in 4-6 settimane.
• UK Ltd formazione stessa giornata: Companies House same-day service £100, società operativa in 3-6 ore. Conto Tide/Revolut Business in 48 ore (no conto Tier-1).
• Estonia e-Residency + OÜ: costituzione online in 5 giorni, conto LHV/Wise in 2 settimane, costo totale €300-500.

Shelf company giustificata solo se (a) conto Tier-1 già aperto è asset critico, (b) vintage storico ha valore contrattuale dimostrabile, (c) deadline operativa <72 ore è non-negoziabile.

Per valutazione comparativa shelf vs. fast-track incorporazione, richiedere analisi costi-opportunità al team Iverex.

Iverex Global manages the entire shelf acquisition cycle through a five-stage process with dedicated project manager and contractual SLAs:

Stage 1: Requirements Gathering & Stock Matching (Day 0-1)

30-minute intake call with senior associate to gather:

• Operational requirements: target jurisdiction, bank account need, operational deadline, licensing needs
• Tax profile: shareholder tax domicile (to assess CFC/GILTI implications), existing holding structure
• Risk tolerance: acceptability of long vintage (>8 years) vs. preference for recent stock, maximum budget

Output: shortlist of 3-5 companies from available stock (Iverex maintains inventory of ~60-80 shelf cross-jurisdictions), each with fact-sheet containing incorporation date, registered address, current director (nominee), tax filing history, banking status.

Stage 2: Due Diligence & Legal Review (Day 2-6)

For the company selected by the client:

• Vendor due diligence (procedure described in previous section): tax clearance, litigation search, sanctions screening, UBO verification, credit bureau check
• Legal opinion from local firm (Kennedys UK, Richards Butler UAE, Maples Cayman) on clean title and absence of encumbrance
• Banking confirmation: if shelf includes account, obtaining written confirmation from bank that (a) account is active, (b) no AML flags, (c) change of ownership process is clear

If due diligence reveals red flags, we propose a substitute from stock without re-charging DD cost.

Stage 3: SPA Execution & Payment (Day 7)

• Drafting Sale & Purchase Agreement (8-12 pages, governing law English/Delaware/DIFC according to stock jurisdiction)
• SPA execution via DocuSign or physical signature
• Payment structure: 50% at order (deposit to Iverex trust account), 50% at completion post-transfer
• Iverex issues VAT invoice (if UK/EU stock) or pro-forma invoice (if UAE/offshore)

Stage 4: Transfer Execution & Registration (Day 8-15)

Coordination with registered agent, corporate registry authority, and bank:

1. Stock transfer form: signature by seller and buyer, stamp duty payment (UK), filing with Companies House/Division of Corporations
2. Director/secretary changes: form TM01/AP01 (UK), manager resolution (UAE), registry update (offshore)
3. UBO filing: PSC update (UK), notarized UBO declaration (UAE), beneficial ownership register (EU)
4. Banking onboarding: if shelf with account, coordination with relationship manager for buyer re-KYC (documentation: passport, proof of address, source of funds declaration, 6 months personal bank statements)

Iverex project manager holds bi-weekly status calls and shares Gantt chart via client portal.

Stage 5: Handover & 12-Month Support (Day 16+)

Delivery of final documentation package:

• Corporate kit: share certificate, updated shareholder/director register, M&A, operating agreement (US), certificate of incumbency
• Banking kit: online banking credentials, corporate card, IBAN/SWIFT details, relationship manager contact
• Compliance calendar: annual return deadlines, tax filing, UBO update for next 12 months
• Registered office: confirmation of active legal address, mail forwarding setup

Included post-sale support (12 months):

• Assistance filing first annual return (UK/UAE/US)
• Accounting coordination for first tax return (partners: Menzies UK, Alixco UAE, Armanino US)
• Change of business activity (if needed to modify UAE licence scope or UK SIC code)
• Banking troubleshooting (if RM raises post-onboarding queries)

Contractual SLAs:

• Due diligence completion: 5 business days from stock selection
• Transfer execution: 10 business days from SPA signing (15 days if includes bank account)
• Support query response time: 24 hours business days

Pricing transparency: all ancillary costs (stamp duty, notary, courier, legal opinion) are pre-disclosed in SPA Exhibit A; no hidden fees. If banking onboarding fails due to seller's incorrect documentation, Iverex guarantees replacement with equivalent shelf or full refund (excluding DD cost already incurred).

Client Documentation Required

To initiate the process, the buyer must provide:

• Valid passport/ID (all UBOs >25%)
• Proof of address <3 months (utility bill, bank statement)
• Source of funds declaration: origin of capital for shelf purchase (employment income, business profit, inheritance, investment gains) + supporting evidence
• CV/business bio (for banking onboarding)
• Current business plan (if shelf will be activated for trading)
• Certificate of incorporation of acquiring company (if purchase is corporate, not individual)

For US persons: additionally W-9 form and FATCA status disclosure. For UK tax residents: UK domicile disclosure and confirmation that transfer does not constitute CFC transaction (UK tax advisor opinion).

Realistic total timeline: from intake call to full operability (active bank account, director appointed, UBO filed), 15-20 business days for UK/UAE stock with included account; 8-12 days for offshore stock without account.

Next step: to consult available stock in real-time and receive tailored fact-sheets, book a 30-minute diagnostic call with the Iverex Corporate Structuring team or submit a request via contact form indicating target jurisdiction, operational deadline, and maximum budget.