Nina Berger
Hello, fellow Peakboard friends, there’s some news I’d like to share with you. Our subsidiary Peakboard America Inc. is ready to launch and departure is not far off, which means Peakboard and I will soon be packing our bags. In this blog post, I’ll tell you about our next steps, and you’ll find out exactly what else needs to be done before we fly to the US. The next update will follow from Seattle. Until then, I hope you enjoy reading.
this is how we got a tax number in the USA.
As in Germany, companies in the USA also need a tax number. Since I am not a US citizen and do not (yet) have a Social Security number, unfortunately only a tax advisor can apply for the tax number, the so-called “Taxpayer Identification Number TIN” in short: TIN or also called Federal Tax Identification Number. This is a nine-digit number issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to companies operating in the USA for identification purposes. Once the number is used to report payroll taxes, it is referred to as the Employer Identification Number (EIN for short).
As soon as the tax number exists, the company is ready to do business. This means that a bank account can be opened and invoices can be written.
update on the journey: nothing works without a visa.
Since the visa applications are currently taking longer because of Corona, I will first travel to the USA with the so-called B1 visa, a business visa. Basically, I will be sent to the USA by the German Peakboard GmbH and with the B1 visa I can stay a little longer in the USA than with the ESTA.
Simultaneously, the application process for the so-called E1 visa is already underway. This is a work visa or a long-term visa. If this visa is approved, Peakboard America Inc. is automatically “E-1 registered”. The E visa is usually valid for 5 years.
living in seattle and hunting for housing.
For my first months in the United States, an already furnished apartment was a convenient option. In such apartments, everything you need is already there, and you don’t have to worry about electricity contracts or internet connection in advance. I personally found this platform very helpful.
To rent an apartment in the US, even if it’s only for a few months, a background check is required. Unfortunately, being a non-US citizen, this is not so easy, since you are not registered within the system. So it came that my booking for an apartment was rejected at first. After consulting with the organization, other documents were sufficient to confirm that I was able to pay the rent. Such as bank statements and employment letters.
almost ready for take-off.
The flight is booked and fortunately, there is a flight from Frankfurt am Main directly to Seattle. The total flight time is just under 11 hours. By the way, we leave on April 30.
my experience with health insurance.
If you are in the USA for more than 90 days, a simple health insurance for tourists is no longer sufficient. This means that additional insurance must be privately purchased. Unfortunately, your home health insurance is of little help in this regard. The research work to find out which insurance fits your needs has to be done by yourself. Important criteria are that the insurance also covers business trips to the USA and can be taken out for the entire travel period. By the way, this German comparison portal helped me with my search.
market check and a few facts:
To wrap up, here’s a bit of trivia on the USA market analysis:
There are eleven different time zones in the United States. On the contiguous mainland of the United States, the most important of these are: Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific Time Zone.
And: The USA is the trade fair country par excellence and continues to be so even after Covid. So-called conventions, where entire industries come together, are especially popular. But small conferences in hotels are also well visited. I’ll take you to one of these soon and capture the whole thing on video in my vlog. Follow us on YouTube, so you don’t miss any more updates.
hello Peakboard friends, nice to meet you!
My name is Nina, and I am the head behind our project “Peakboard goes America”. In this blog, I will take you on our journey and give you some insight into how Peakboard is doing in the USA. I am very excited about this extraordinary project, and already have a lot in store.
I am 27 years old and joined Peakboard in August 2018 as a Master’s student. After that, I stayed with Peakboard as a Business Development Manager.
Now the time has come for Peakboard and me to travel across the Atlantic. Exciting times ahead!
See you real soon,
yours Nina
