How do I handle beneficial ownership for joint ventures and complex entity structures?

Last updated: January 9, 2026

Context

When setting up a Meow account for entities with complex ownership structures like joint ventures, LLCs owned by other entities, or nested corporate structures, there can often be questions about how to properly handle beneficial ownership requirements during the application process.

Answer

For beneficial ownership purposes, Meow requires you to identify individuals who ultimately control or own 25% or more of the entity, regardless of how many corporate layers exist between them and your company.

Key principles:

  • Even if your entity is owned by another LLC, trust, or corporate structure, you must list the individual people who ultimately control the entity

  • Look through all corporate layers to identify the natural persons with ultimate control

  • If no individual owns 25% or more, identify the person with ultimate control or authority to operate the entity

Steps to handle complex ownership structures:

  1. During the onboarding process, you can invite beneficial owners directly through the application flow

  2. Once identified, beneficial owners can be added to your application and will receive email invites to complete their identity verification

  3. Each beneficial owner must complete their own identity verification process independently through Plaid. Manual document submission is not available for security reasons, so ensure beneficial owners have access to complete Plaid verification before inviting them.

For joint ventures specifically:

If your entity is a joint venture between two companies, identify the individuals who ultimately own or control those parent companies. The Meow team can assist you in determining the correct approach for your specific structure.

Adding beneficial owners:

You can add beneficial owners through the onboarding flow by clicking "Add an additional owner" and entering their information. They will receive email invitations to complete their identity verification.

Image of a form displaying steps to complete a verification process showing beneficial owners section with options to add and verify identities

If you need assistance determining the correct beneficial ownership structure for your entity, contact the Meow support team who can help guide you through the process for your specific situation.