getting legal...

[jp]

hi all

Anyone know a good lawyer who covers residency and company registration?

I need to register a company here and be set up to receive local and international payments and provide legit invoices. Also need to get some form of residency set up.

Company won't make much money, won't have any employees and won't involve huge investment in argentina. I'm looking for something like monotributo status - but from my understanding you need to have residency to get monotributo status.

Seem to be stuck in a chicken and egg situation - want monotributo status but need residency, and can't get residency without a job.

All help gratefully received

Cheers

J

 

[RWS]

"Jp", as an American lawyer who's worked with Argentine ones, I understand that the common (and simplest) means may be to set up an Argentine company, then hire yourself. You'd receive a work visa and, after awhile, residency.

BUT I'm not an Argentine lawyer, so you'd be wise to consult one with a specialty in commercial law (and one in immigration, too, if possible).

 

[steveinbsas]

If your "company" wont make much money consider the numbers in the following post by citigirl:

Attorney - si, just clarifying that one must have "legal" residency, not just live in Argentina on a tourist visa.

1 - Can't comment on the permits required for a cafe - that is outside of my experience.

2 - We spent probably over 10K USD but there were complications (had to register both the foreign companies here then move the ownership from individuals to foreign entities, etc). This is a quick guideline for a price estimate from my lawyer for basic incorp:

(ii) Incorporation of an SRL: US$ 1600


(iv) Expenses for registration of SRL (publications in the official gazette, deposit, etc.): US$ 1,157.14



3- Our accountant is about 1000 USD per month. That includes audit, payroll services, book-keeping, pretty much everything. I had quotes as low as 400 USD per month.


Let me know if I can help in any way.

And Bairesgirl posted this"

Just in case it is of use, my accountants (at Estudio Kaizen) are very correct, diligent and reliable. Also they charge everybody pesos (wherever you may hail from)

Both partners have worked at the tax/and accounting departments of Grupo cencosud (Supermakets Jumbo/ Disco and Easy) in hierarchical positions (being audited to ISO 9001 standards and such)

They are currently charging I have just checked
From AR$ 3000 for incorporation of a SRL (all charges citygirl described included) depending on size of SRL
And from AR$ 1100 monthly all they require includes audit, payroll services, book-keeping, pretty much everything.

If you or anyone wants their details let me know.....

best of luck in your endeavours.....

I also found an accountant who charged fees in pesos that were less than another was asking in dollars!

 

[jp]

Thanks RWS, thats the plan - set up and self hire. Only snag is I think you need residency to set up in the first place. Which makes things complicated.

I saw the city girl numbers. They were not encouraging!
But I suspect the scale of her operation would dwarf anything we're planning.

This would be along the same lines as setting yourself up as english teacher - a sort of monotributo status that gives you legal status without involving a huge amount of paperwork and red tape.

 

[mrisley]

When I first came to Argentina, I used this company. http://www.monferini.com.ar/indexi.html

 

[citygirl]

If you are incorporating - someone needs to be a resident. If not, (as we did), you can have your lawyer act as president of the company and then once the company is incorporated, you can hire yourself.

It depends what type of entity you want to set up (SRL, SA, etc) but I would budget at least 2K US - there are mandatory charges such as filing forms with the gov't etc that can't be avoided.

You definitely can find a cheaper accountant than what we have - we pay more due to the complexity of the accnt'g procedures, the handling of all our employees en blanco, etc.

 

[clarkywarky]

Hello!

I work (as an intern) for an Argentine law firm that specializes in International Commercial Law and helping international companies become legal here in Argentina. Their website is http://www.alloncalaw.com/english/index.htm

On the other hand, if you only want monotributista status (you're working as a freelancer of some sort), you do not need "residencia". You need to prove that you are currently living somewhere in Argentina. In order to do this, you go to your local police office ("Comisaría" ask around in your neighborhood or look on their webpage) and make an appointment for the next day (this costs ten pesos) and they come by between 7AM and 2PM and verify that you actually live where you say you live. They give you a certificate (this is called a "certificado de domicilio" and I know people who got them living in a hostel, so I don't think the requirements are too stringent) and with this you go to your local AFIP office (you have to figure out which is your local office- this should be available on the AFIP page) and fill out the monotributista form (and bring 3 copies of your passport- the website says two, but they asked me for three, so just in case...) and they will make you a monotributista. (I did this recently and it was very simple and I found the staff at my local police office and at AFIP very friendly and helpful.) Once you have monotributista status, you can start to cobrar (charge others money)- you will pay a fee of around 30 pesos a month to be a monotributista (well, I think this depends on what type of work you do- as a freelance teacher, that's what I pay - and you can pay a bit more and get health insurance).

Resources for becoming monotributista:
AFIP's website: http://www.afip.gob.ar
Comisarias (Police) website: http://www.policiafederal.gov.ar/esp/salc/comisarias/index.html

Hope this is helpful!

-MCF

 

[Maxba]

Hi MCF, that's nice anice way, by coincidence I was checking this for somebody else recently and couldn't get the right answer. About the lawyer and accountant fees....Although quality might has its price, some rates i read seem really high to me an if they quote you amounts in Dollars better start to pay attention....

About DNI, if possible start thinking about a solution close to home, if you have argentine friends, they might be able to put you on the payroll which could be cheaper than setting up a company just for that ( a company costs money every month and also to close it one day)...

 

[cafayate.com]

Clarkywarky - My understanding was, with a monotributo you had to have a dni as well? You can receive a monotributo with only a certificado de domicilio?

 

[armbou]

You need to have some kind of residency to be able to work. Even a student visa allows you to work, legally. As a tourist or a non-resident, you can only get a CDI from AFIP, which is not the same as the CUIT, which is what you need in order to become a monotributista.