# Corporate services > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Corporate_services > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Corporate_services.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_services > Source revision: 1299690252 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Activities combining enterprise support services **Corporate services** or **business services** are activities which combine or consolidate certain [enterprise](/source/Business)-wide needed support services, provided based on specialized knowledge, [best practices](/source/Best_practices), and technology to serve internal (and sometimes external) customers and business partners. The term **corporate services providers** (CSPs) is also used. Corporate Service Providers may work in a diverse set of fields such as [finance](/source/Corporate_finance), [consulting](/source/Consulting_firm), [IT service management](/source/IT_service_management), [advisory services](/source/Advisor), [auditing](/source/Audit) and so forth. Typically the emphasis of the service agreement is on providing clients with an improved functional and experiential quality over time.[1] In the United Kingdom, the public audit agencies produced a report in May 2007 called "Value for Money in public sector corporate services".[2] This provides performance indicators in five categories: Finance, Human Resources, Information & Communication Technology, Procurement, and Estates Management. ## Examples of corporate services ### Business advisory service Further information: [Consulting firm § Models of business](/source/Consulting_firm#Models_of_business) A [Business](/source/Business) Advisory Service counsels [clients](/source/Customer) re the current and future state of their [Company](/source/Company), with the aim of advancing the prospects of the enterprise in question. This service, used across various industries, involves (i) examining the relevant legal, tax, financial, market, and/or [risk factors](/source/Enterprise_risk_management), and then (ii) advising re start-up (including [company formation](/source/Company_formation)), or more common, re ongoing [strategic](/source/Business_strategy) and [operational](/source/Operations_management) improvements to the business. ### Company incorporation Main article: [Incorporation (business)](/source/Incorporation_(business)) See also: [Company formation](/source/Company_formation) Company incorporation is the process of forming a company [corporation](/source/Corporation) officially in the country of residence. It is also possible non-residents to set up a company: see [offshore company](/source/Offshore_company). However, laws vary in all countries. International corporate service [consultants](/source/Consultants) specialise in dealing with incorporation in the country in question. Once application is successful, the company will receive a [certificate of incorporation](/source/Certificate_of_incorporation). Which provides valid existence of the company under the registered name given.[3] ### Registered agent Main article: [Registered agent](/source/Registered_agent) See also: [Company formation](/source/Company_formation) A **registered [agent](/source/Agent_(law))**, also known as a **resident agent**[4] or **statutory agent**,[5] is a business or individual designated to receive [service of process](/source/Service_of_process) (SOP) when a [business entity](/source/Business_entity) is a party in a [legal action](/source/Legal_action) such as a lawsuit or summons.[6] Some examples of related services include: - Compliance services - [Business licensing](/source/Business_licensing) - [DBA](/source/Doing_business_as) Doing Business As filings. - Preparation and filing of reports that must be filed from time to time (Annual, Biennial, etc.) ### Finance and banking Further information: [Financial adviser](/source/Financial_adviser) and [Financial services](/source/Financial_services) See also: [Corporate finance](/source/Corporate_finance) Corporate services such as finance and banking were first introduced to remove pressure from the client's organisation when dealing with complex banking and finance issues. Specialist information and tips are provided by the consultancy to manage finances appropriately, and some can set up a corporate bank account for clients.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Some examples of tailored services include: - Corporate [bank accounts](/source/Bank_account) - [Offshore bank](/source/Offshore_bank) accounts - Multi-currency accounts - [Brokerage](/source/Brokerage) accounts - [Private banking](/source/Private_banking) - Corporate [loan](/source/Loan) applications ### Accounting and tax services [Accounting](/source/Accounting) and [tax services](/source/Tax_services) are useful for companies wanting to [outsource](/source/Outsource) their basic work. The services involve preparing and submitting obligatory documents required by authorities associated with business practice. Some basic services include: - [Payroll](/source/Payroll) - Maintaining [cash flow](/source/Cash_flow) books - Tax registration - [Tax returns](/source/Tax_returns) - [Corporation tax](/source/Corporation_tax) - [Tax avoidance](/source/Tax_avoidance) (international) ### Investment and stock exchange Main article: [Stock exchange](/source/Stock_exchange) Market research for investment along with risk evaluation is another corporate service designed to help clients make financial decisions. [Intellectual property](/source/Intellectual_property) protection is seen as an investment, this is a service some consultancies may also advise on. Similarly, [stock exchange](/source/Stock_exchange) services can bring about specialist reports on past, current and forecasted [stock exchange](/source/Stock_exchange) trends, with a personalised analysis. ### Offshore bundled services Where local Corporate Service Providers (CSPs) offer bundled basic services to support [tax residency](/source/Tax_residency) tests such as "central management and control" type tests (typical in UK law) of a [brass plate company](/source/Brass_plate_company), [shell company](/source/Shell_corporation) or other [special-purpose vehicle](/source/Special-purpose_vehicle) that has been set up in the jurisdiction. Usually located in either [offshore financial centres](/source/Offshore_financial_centres) or in [onshore financial centres](/source/Financial_centre). Typical services include: - Maintain books and records - Compiling annual accounts - Conducting annual audits - Filing tax returns - Providing local Directors - Providing [registered office](/source/Registered_office) address - Providing meeting rooms for Board meetings ## Legal aspects Main article: [Legal risk](/source/Legal_risk) Further information: [Corporate law](/source/Corporate_law) In ordinary circumstances, corporate service providers may not, or alternatively will not, act as a [trustee](/source/Trustee) for the clients which they provide services to. This is to maintain the integrity of the client organization and its ability to [represent](/source/Legal_capacity) itself in [legal processes](/source/Legal_process). It also avoids excessive risk on behalf of the purveyor of corporate services. This practice seeks to ensure that the [corporate personhood](/source/Corporate_personhood) of the client is secured. Exceptions to this may be in [litigations](/source/Litigations) or corporate [bankruptcy](/source/Bankruptcy) filings where the enterprise entity of the client is considered legally incapacitated and is therefor incapable of representing itself in a court process. In these rare cases the corporate service provider may decide to act as a trustee for the client. ## See also - [Big Four accounting firms](/source/Big_Four_accounting_firms) - [Big Three (management consultancies)](/source/Big_Three_(management_consultancies)) - [Consulting firm](/source/Consulting_firm) - [Financial adviser](/source/Financial_adviser) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** De Brentani, Ulrike (1991). ["Success Factors in Developing New Business Services"](https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/03090569110138202/full/html). *European Journal of Marketing*. **25** (2). Emerald Insight: 33–59. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1108/03090569110138202](https://doi.org/10.1108%2F03090569110138202). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Public Audit Forum: Publications"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080102151250/http://www.public-audit-forum.gov.uk/publicat.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.public-audit-forum.gov.uk/publicat.htm) on 2008-01-02. Retrieved 2008-01-29. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Cima F1 Dumps"](https://www.exams4sure.net/cima/f1-exam-questions-dumps.html). Retrieved 19 Jan 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** *E.g.*, [Nevada Revised Statutes](/source/Nevada_Revised_Statutes) [§ 14.020](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-014.html#NRS014Sec020). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** *E.g.*, [Ohio Revised Code](/source/Ohio_Revised_Code) [§ 1701.07](http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/1701.07). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Colley_6-0)** Colley, John L. (2003). [*Corporate Governance*](https://books.google.com/books?id=WnK2o1GvEt0C&dq=%22registered+agent%22&pg=PA35). McGraw–Hill Professional. p. 35. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-07-140346-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-07-140346-9). v t e Aspects of corporations Abuse Appointeeship Citizenship Communication Crime Despotism Entertainment Ethics Corporate haven Identity Interlocks Liability Machiavellianism Narcissism Nationalism Opportunity Pathos Power Promoter Propaganda Psychopathy Raid Recovery Resolution Scandals Security Services Social entrepreneurship Social media Social responsibility Sourcing Statism Sustainability Synergy Tax Taxonomy Title Trainer Transparency Travel Trust Veil Video See also templates Aspects of jobs Aspects of occupations Aspects of organizations Aspects of workplaces Corporate titles [Portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals): - [Companies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Companies) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Corporate services](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_services) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_services?action=history)). 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