United States → Vietnam
Vietnam entry for US companies
There is no US-Vietnam tax treaty in force. That changes the structure question before anything else - so we start there, then set up, hire and run the entity.
What this means for you
Tax treaty position
There is no double taxation agreement in force between the United States and Vietnam. One was signed in 2015 and ratified on the Vietnamese side in 2017, but it has not been ratified by the US Senate, so plan on domestic rules and foreign tax credits rather than treaty relief until that changes.
Before capital leaves home
The United States does not require approval to invest abroad, but US owners carry reporting and anti-corruption obligations: controlled foreign corporation reporting with your federal return, sanctions screening on counterparties, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act exposure for payments made in Vietnam by anyone acting for you.
What this origin usually gets wrong
The absence of a treaty makes withholding on cross-border payments a real cost rather than a formality. We model it into the structure before you choose between a subsidiary, a branch and a service contract.
This is orientation as at today, not legal or tax advice, and rules change. Confirm the home-country steps with the authority or bank named above. BusinessPartner.vn is a business support and execution partner, not a law firm; where a matter needs formal legal advice we coordinate with licensed professionals.
What we see from this market
- Subsidiary vs branch vs service contract decided on withholding, not habit
- Engineering and support teams hired through EOR within weeks
- Local agents documented for FCPA and sanctions screening
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