Insights from the 2025 Cross-Border Conference: What Global Businesses Need to Know About U.S. Expansion

On October 28, 2025, Lodder CPA hosted the first Cross-Border Conference, a full-day event dedicated to one question: how can foreign-owned businesses expand into the United States in a way that is strategic, compliant, and profitable.

The audience reflected that focus. Founders, CFOs, controllers, accountants, attorneys, immigration lawyers, bankers, and advisors joined from across North America and beyond. They all shared the same challenge: managing the complexity that comes with selling into, operating in, and investing in the U.S. from another country.

Across nine sessions, the conference delivered a consistent message. Successful U.S. expansion is not driven by one clever tax strategy or one “perfect” entity type. It is built on intentional structure, coordinated advisors, and a clear understanding of how tax, immigration, banking, and legal rules interact across borders.

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Why U.S. Structure Matters More Than Most Foreign Owners Realize

One of the strongest themes from the day was the impact of U.S. entity structuring on everything that follows.

From the legal perspective, Gene Moses of Barkley Law Group (watch the session) walked through how choices about entity type and state of formation influence ownership flexibility, governance, and future transactions.. From the tax side, Colton Rasmussen and Zach Nordwell of Lodder CPA (watch the session) demonstrated how those same decisions determine where profits are taxed, whether foreign tax credits are available, and how cash can move between a U.S. entity and its foreign parent.

For foreign business owners, the takeaway was clear. A structure that is convenient or “standard” in the U.S. is not always appropriate for a non-U.S. owner. The right structure depends on where the owners live, how the group is organized globally, whether the company plans to reinvest or distribute profits, and what a future exit might look like. When multiple tax systems are involved, entity choice is no longer a simple administrative step, it is a major strategic decision.

Coordinated tax and legal planning at the outset can prevent the double taxation, treaty problems, and restructuring costs that many businesses face when they expand first and plan later.

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Collaboration: The Difference Between “Technically Correct” and Strategically Aligned

Another recurring theme was the importance of getting advisors out of their silos.

In practice, cross-border work touches tax, corporate law, immigration, banking, and sometimes customs and logistics. When each professional only optimizes for their own lane, clients can end up with a structure that passes a single test but fails in the bigger picture. For example, a structure that works well for immigration may be inefficient for tax, or a tax-driven decision could undermine treaty benefits or capital gains treatment in the home country.

Speakers including Heather Fathali of Cascadia Cross-Border Law (watch the session) highlighted the value of bringing immigration, tax, and legal advisors to the table at the same time. That is particularly important when owners need to spend time in the U.S., relocate key people, or move intellectual property and capital.

For Lodder CPA, this is standard operating procedure. Much of our cross-border work involves coordinating with law firms, immigration practices, and banks so that clients get one integrated strategy rather than conflicting recommendations.

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Banking Without Borders: Making U.S. Accounts Work for International Companies

Access to banking is often one of the first operational hurdles foreign businesses encounter when entering the U.S. market. Traditional banks may require a U.S. Social Security Number, a local address, and in-person onboarding, which can delay or even derail early-stage expansion.

In her session, Sam McClain from Mercury (watch the session) focused on how a modern, digital banking platform can remove many of those friction points. Mercury’s approach is designed for globally minded companies that need U.S. accounts, payment rails, and basic treasury tools without the traditional barriers.

Banking is not just a back-office detail. It is a critical part of any U.S. expansion plan. Without the ability to open accounts, receive payments, and move funds efficiently, even the best tax and legal structures will struggle in practice.

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Immigration: What Cross-Border Founders Can and Cannot Do

Immigration questions arise in nearly every cross-border engagement, and the conference reflected that reality.

Heather Fathali (watch the session) delivered a highly practical session on U.S. immigration options for business owners and key personnel, with a focus on what is permissible when founders are “testing” the U.S. market. She explained how business visitors can and cannot use B-1 status, when investor options like the E-2 visa become relevant, and how to think about longer-term work-authorized paths.

Attendees responded strongly to the clarity she provided around what activities can be carried out during short visits and where the line is drawn. For many non-U.S. owners, the risk is not a lack of interest in compliance, it is uncertainty about the rules.

The broader point was that immigration is not separate from business strategy. If a growth plan assumes that leaders can reliably enter the U.S. to meet customers, open facilities, or manage teams, then immigration planning needs to be part of the foundation, not an afterthought.

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Compliance as a Competitive Advantage, Not Just a Cost

Throughout the conference, speakers returned to a central idea: in the current environment, compliance is part of the growth strategy.

Businesses that invest early in sound structures, clear tax positions, transparent banking relationships, and proper immigration status tend to move faster and face fewer surprises. They are easier to finance, easier to acquire, and better able to withstand audit and regulatory scrutiny on both sides of the border.

Long-term success in the U.S. is not about aggressive shortcuts that may not hold up over time. It is about building a structure that works under both sets of rules, that can be explained and defended, and that supports the company’s real commercial goals.

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The Power of Cross-Border Partnerships

Another clear takeaway was that no single advisor can cover the entire cross-border landscape alone.

Tariff changes, AI-driven compliance tools, shifting visa programs, and evolving reporting rules are all reshaping how international businesses operate. To navigate that environment, foreign companies need advisors who understand both their home jurisdiction and the U.S., and who are prepared to work together rather than in isolation.

For Lodder CPA, this means maintaining active relationships with law firms, immigration practices, banks, and trade professionals who also focus on cross-border work. That network allows clients to move more quickly, with less guesswork, and gives them a clear point of coordination when questions cut across multiple disciplines.

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Who Will Benefit From Watching the Recordings?

The 2025 Cross-Border Conference recordings will be most valuable to:

• Foreign business owners and executives who are selling into, or planning to enter, the U.S.
• Finance leaders, controllers, and tax professionals who manage cross-border structures
• Advisors, including CPAs, lawyers, and consultants, who support international clients

If you are responsible for U.S. expansion strategy, cross-border tax, or international compliance, the sessions provide a concentrated view of what is changing and what still works in practice.

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Who Will Benefit From Watching the Recordings?

If you were not able to join the event live, you can still access the full content.

The keynote and all nine expert sessions from the 2025 Cross-Border Conference, including slide decks and reference materials, are now available on demand.

You can access the recordings here: 2025 Cross-Border Conference Recordings

Whether you are planning your first U.S. expansion or reassessing an existing structure, the conference offers a practical, advisor-level look at the tax, legal, banking, and immigration issues that matter most for global businesses entering the U.S. market.

Lodder CPA will continue to lead in helping international companies expand into the United States, with cross-border tax strategy, structuring, and compliance built in from day one. Contact us today to see how we can help support your or your clients' business.

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