Important: these are illustrations, not testimonials
- All six scenarios are fictional and anonymized; there are no client names, quotations or outcomes.
- They explain questions and workstreams, not a formula that applies to every file.
- References to a country, city, amount or business model are invented solely to make the example understandable.
- No scenario promises a filing period, approval, exemption, tax result or completed transaction.
- Your engagement would be based on your records, current official requirements and a written scope.
What the examples help you compare
| Illustration | Main decision | Connected workstreams |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign buyer | Personal title or SRL | Title diligence, tax, succession and closing |
| Founder abroad | Remote authority and company route | Apostille, power, formation, RNC and bank KYC |
| Tourism developer | Trust and project controls | Fiduciary documents, permits, sales and CONFOTUR evidence |
| Expired company | Renewal or broader catch-up | Minutes, amendments, tax status and bank update |
| Vacation rental | Ownership and operating model | Condo rules, contract, tax and guest operations |
| Exporter | Ordinary company or free-zone route | CNZFE, site, customs, payroll and e-CF |
Illustration 1: a Canadian retiree considering a coastal condominium
Fictional facts. A Canadian couple wants a Dominican apartment for part-time use and seasonal rental. The seller proposes a quick reservation payment and suggests that an SRL automatically eliminates liability and succession concerns.
The legal question. The first decision is not “Which company do we file?” It is whether personal title, a Dominican SRL or another ownership structure fits the couple's use, financing, tax residence, family plan and intended exit. A company can separate activities and governance, but it adds its own registry, tax, accounting, banking and beneficial-owner obligations.
Illustrative workstream. Proxario would verify the Certificate of Title, certificación de estado jurídico, seller authority, cadastral status, condominium rules and any rental restriction before treating the reservation as irreversible. The ownership analysis would be coordinated with a succession review under Dominican conflict-of-laws rules; it would not assume that a foreign will or a company automatically solves every reserved-share issue. The promise of sale would allocate deposit protection, diligence conditions, closing evidence and the consequences of a title or condominium problem.
Possible output. A written structure comparison, diligence report and closing checklist. The ultimate selection and tax treatment would depend on verified facts and professional advice in each relevant jurisdiction.
Illustration 2: a Dominican in New York opening a company remotely
Fictional facts. A Dominican entrepreneur living in New York plans a services company in Santo Domingo. She will not travel for the first filings and wants a relative to “sign everything,” but has not defined the relative's authority or the company's banking controls.
The legal question. Remote formation requires more than emailing a passport. The entity, ownership, manager powers, business purpose and beneficial owners must be settled; a poder, or power of attorney, should authorize the necessary acts without becoming an unlimited substitute for governance.
Illustrative workstream. Proxario would draft a limited power for specified formation, registry and tax steps, then provide execution instructions for notarization and apostille in the place of signature. Separately, the estatutos sociales would define who manages the SRL, which decisions remain with partners and how bank authority is approved. The sequence would coordinate the trade name where relevant, Registro Mercantil, RNC and post-formation actions. Bank account approval would remain the bank's separate KYC decision, supported by ownership, source-of-funds and business records.
Possible output. An authenticated authority package, registered company documents and a bank-readiness file. Neither bank approval nor a processing date would be guaranteed.
Illustration 3: a developer selling units through a real-estate trust
Fictional facts. A developer markets pre-construction units in a tourism area and says buyer payments are “protected by a fideicomiso.” The brochure also uses the word CONFOTUR, but purchasers have not seen the trust agreement or classification resolution.
The legal question. A fideicomiso is a statutory trust structure with a separate patrimony under Law 189-11; it is not a universal guarantee. The parties must connect the seller, land, phase, unit, payment account, fiduciary controls and delivery obligations to the actual governing documents. Likewise, a marketing label cannot prove a tax exemption.
Illustrative workstream. Proxario would examine the title or land-use right, fiduciary and developer identities, trust agreement, project budget controls, permits, construction milestones, unit description and exit rights. If CONFOTUR treatment is claimed, the complete resolution, amendments, project, parcel, phase, beneficiary and transaction chronology would be compared with current law and DGII practice. The promise of sale would address payment release, delays, specifications, assignment, default, termination and the evidence required before closing.
Possible output. A risk matrix and negotiated contract. It would not convert construction risk into a promise of completion or make every advertised incentive applicable.
Illustration 4: an SRL with an expired Registro Mercantil
Fictional facts. A family SRL needs a current corporate package for bank KYC. Its Registro Mercantil expired, one manager resigned, an owner transferred quotas informally, and annual minutes were not organized.
The legal question. A renewal extends the registry's validity; it does not silently cure every unrecorded corporate act. The file must distinguish what can be renewed from what requires minutes, an amendment, evidence of a quota transfer, tax updates or correction of corporate books.
Illustrative workstream. Proxario would compare the latest certificate with the bylaws, owner records, available minutes, RNC data and bank request. The resignation and ownership change would be tested against the approval and documentation rules for that SRL. The sequence might require reconstructing support, registering amendments, renewing the certificate and then updating the tax or banking record. Official tariffs and requirements would be confirmed with the competent Chamber before filing.
Possible output. A gap list, approved corporate acts and a current registry package if the authority accepts the filings. The example does not imply that expiry automatically dissolved the company or that every irregular file follows the same sequence.
Illustration 5: an owner launching a short-term rental
Fictional facts. A foreign owner buys a condominium intending to list it for short stays. The unit is held personally, an online manager will collect guest payments, and the owner assumes the platform handles every Dominican legal and tax obligation.
The legal question. The operating model must fit the title, condominium rules, management contract, services offered, payer flows and the owner's tax profile. A platform's terms do not override a condominium prohibition, municipal or tourism requirement, invoicing duty or Dominican-source income rule.
Illustrative workstream. Proxario would read the condominium declaration and assembly decisions, map who contracts with guests and receives funds, and identify the owner's and manager's responsibilities. The review would separate passive leasing from a service-heavy hospitality operation, confirm current DGII registration, invoicing and withholding treatment, and address deposits, cancellations, damage, privacy, staff and emergency authority in the management agreement. Entity ownership would be considered only after comparing its ongoing obligations with the actual risk.
Possible output. An operating checklist and revised management contract, subject to the building's rules and current authority requirements.
Illustration 6: a manufacturer evaluating the free-zone regime
Fictional facts. A European manufacturer plans to assemble components in the Dominican Republic for export. It has compared warehouse rent but has not chosen between an existing park, another free-zone structure or an ordinary company.
The legal question. Law 8-90 incentives follow an authorized operation and its conditions; company formation alone does not grant free-zone status. The business plan, exports, site, equipment, employment, customs flows and any local sales must fit the route presented to the Consejo Nacional de Zonas Francas de Exportación, or CNZFE.
Illustrative workstream. Proxario would coordinate entity and investment structure with the CNZFE application, site rights, environmental or construction approvals, customs model, employment registrations and operational contracts. The project would also plan RNC, TSS and electronic invoicing obligations that apply to the selected model. Any incentive or local-sale treatment would be stated only after matching the current statute, authorization and transaction.
Possible output. A phased market-entry map and filing package. Authorization remains the agency's decision, and neither incentive coverage nor launch timing is guaranteed.
How a real engagement differs from an illustration
- Define the objective. We identify what you want to own, file, operate, finance, sell or correct.
- Collect the controlling records. Certificates, contracts, corporate books, official notices and evidence replace assumptions.
- Map dependencies. We show which decisions belong to the client, counterparty, bank, Chamber, DGII, Registro de Títulos or another authority.
- Agree the scope. The written engagement separates legal work from official and third-party costs and identifies exclusions.
- Execute and report. We coordinate approved steps without promising another party's decision or timing.
Documents that usually make the first review useful
- A one-page description of the objective, parties, ownership, country of residence and intended date.
- The latest company, tax, title or immigration certificates relevant to the question.
- Draft agreements, reservations, powers of attorney, official notices and correspondence already received.
- For foreign documents, a readable copy first; Proxario then identifies whether notarization, apostille or consular legalization and Spanish translation are needed.
Fees and costs
These examples contain no price because scope depends on the file. Proxario provides a written professional-fee proposal after the initial review. Government taxes and charges, registry and Chamber tariffs, fiduciary, notarial, translation, apostille, courier, survey, accounting and other third-party costs are identified separately when relevant.
Frequently asked questions
Are these descriptions based on real Proxario clients?+
No. Every scenario is fictional, anonymized and assembled only to explain a possible workstream. No result, person, company or fact pattern represents a client matter.
Will Proxario follow the same steps in my matter?+
Not necessarily. The documents, parties, authority, filing date and risks determine the sequence. The examples show decision points, not a standard result.
Do the examples promise approval, tax treatment or timing?+
No. Authorities and counterparties control their decisions, and legal or tax treatment depends on the verified facts and law in force.
Can a fictional example be used as a fee quote?+
No. Proxario quotes the defined scope after reviewing the matter. Professional fees are separated from taxes, official charges and third-party expenses.
What should I send for an initial comparison?+
Send a short objective, the relevant certificates or draft contract, the parties and their countries, the target date and any official notice already received.
Related services and resources
- Working with Proxario from abroad
- Property ownership structures
- Lapsed-company catch-up
- Legal tools and calculators
- Dominican legal glossary