Since Michigan doesn’t have a “Statutory Trust” registration, the best way to operate your Wyoming Statutory Trust (WST) in Michigan is to form a Michigan LLC that is 100% owned by the Trust.
This gives you a Michigan “face” for banking and contracts while keeping the legal protections of the Wyoming Trust at the top.
Step 1: Name Your Michigan LLC
The name must be unique in Michigan and include an ending like “L.L.C.” or “Limited Liability Company.”
- Tip: You don’t have to name the LLC after the Trust. It can be “Main Street Holdings, LLC.”
- Check Availability: Use the Michigan LARA Name Search.
Step 2: Choose a Resident Agent
Michigan requires a Resident Agent (called a Registered Agent in other states) with a physical Michigan address to accept legal papers.
- You can be your own agent if you live in Michigan.
- Otherwise, you can hire a professional service (usually $50–$150/year).
Step 3: File “Articles of Organization” (Form 700)
This is the official document that creates the LLC. You file this with LARA (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs).
- The “Member” Section: Michigan does not ask for the names of the owners (members) on the public Articles of Organization. This is great for privacy.
- Organizer: You (or your attorney) will sign as the “Organizer.”
- Filing Fee: $50 (standard) or higher for expedited processing.
- Where to file: Use the LARA Online Filing System.
Step 4: Draft the Operating Agreement (Crucial Step)
This is a private document; you do not file it with the state. This is where you officially link the Trust to the LLC.
- Ownership: State clearly that “The [Name of your Wyoming Statutory Trust] is the sole 100% member of this LLC.”
- Management: Decide if the LLC will be Member-Managed (the Trust makes decisions via its Trustee) or Manager-Managed (you appoint a specific person, who could be you, to run it).
- Signing: The Trustee of your Wyoming Trust will sign the agreement on behalf of the Trust.
Step 5: Get an EIN (Tax ID)
Even if the Trust has an EIN, the Michigan LLC usually needs its own for banking.
- When applying on the IRS website, you will list the Wyoming Statutory Trust as the “Responsible Party” or “Owner.”
- Most “Single-Member LLCs” owned by a trust are treated as “disregarded entities” for federal taxes, meaning the income flows through to the Trust’s tax return.
Step 6: Open a Bank Account
Take your Articles of Organization, your EIN, and a Certificate of Trust (a summary of your Wyoming Trust) to the bank.
- Note: Since Michigan banks may be unfamiliar with Wyoming Statutory Trusts, having the Michigan LLC paperwork makes this process much smoother.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Do not try to register the Trust itself as a “Foreign LLC” in Michigan. LARA will likely reject it because a Trust is not an LLC. Always use a fresh Michigan LLC as the “operating shell.”
Would you like me to draft a template for the “Ownership” clause you would put in your Operating Agreement to link it to your Wyoming Trust?