There are many reasons businesses and business owners elect to form an anonymous LLC. An anonymous LLC means that the owner’s information is not listed publicly, and instead a member or manager is listed. The main benefit, and the possible reason for this business structure’s popularity, is privacy protection. While Nevada is one of the few states that allow for anonymity of ownership, there are some steps you’ll need to take to optimize this protection.
Let’s start with one of two pieces of information most business owners decide to keep anonymous as it relates to their Nevada LLC. The first identifier is the owner’s name. While Nevada does not require you to list an owner when filing an LLC, they do require you to list a manager or managing member for the LLC. This information is listed publicly. If you need more information about managers and members of an LLC, you can read up on our previous blog here: Member Managed vs. Manager Managed LLC. The manager or managing member does not have to be a person, it can be a separate business entity, or a combination of people and companies. Listing a separate company or person is one way to achieve privacy.
To maintain anonymity, as a manager you will have to take additional steps. One option is to form a holding company or management company, to manage the Nevada LLC. The holding or management company would have to be formed in a state that allows for anonymous LLCs as well and, ideally, one that does not require a manager or member to be listed. Wyoming is a good example as they only require an “Organizer” to be listed, and not a manager or member of the LLC. States like Delaware and New Mexico are states that allow anonymous LLCs as well.
The second identifier owners want to keep private is their address. This is not an issue for LLCs with office space or a warehouse. A new LLC just getting started, however, may want to look at alternatives before listing their personal address. There are a few options such as shared office spaces, virtual addresses, and mailbox services. A Nevada business attorney can advise you on which one to use for your business. Depending on the city / county your business is registered in, and it’s industry category, there may be limitations for your address options.
A Nevada LLC can offer your business anonymity and asset protection, along with many other benefits the state provides businesses. However, once you’ve established anonymity, you have to make sure that your business structure and authorizing roles are clearly defined within the organization. There may be times when this info has to be shared and you’ll want to have the necessary records to present readily available. You are after all blocking the outside world from this information. An experienced Nevada business lawyer can make sure your anonymous LLC is properly structured and has the proper documentation when needed.
