Accredited Investor Qualifications
Based on restrictions from the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) rule 506c, only accredited investors can invest with Gatsby Investment.
You can apply for verification through our website, using a third-party service; “Verify Investor.” This is a secure process we provide as a complimentary service to all Gatsby investors.
How to Determine If You Are an Accredited Investor
To qualify as an accredited investor, you must meet one of the following five requirements.
- Individuals who have earned $200,000 or more in gross income, each year, for the past two years and expect to continue to do so.–or–
- Individuals whose gross income, when combined with a spouse's income, totals $300,000 or more, each year, for the past two years.–or–
- Individuals who maintain a net worth of $1 million or more, excluding the value of his or her primary residence.–or–
- An entity with at least $5 million in assets, or a business in which all equity owners are accredited investors.–or–
- Individuals holding General Securities Representative (Series 7), Private Securities Offerings Representative (Series 82), or Licensed Investment Adviser Representative (Series 65) registration in good standing.
How Do I Prove That I Am an Accredited Investor?
Before you start the application, please make sure you have proof of income and/or assets available.
Investing as individuals and retirement accounts
- Proof of income for the past 2 years should be supported by official tax records such as US tax returns, W-2, K-1, 1099, or other government documents.–or–
- Documentation of assets proving you have a net worth of at least $1,000,000, excluding your primary residence. Documentation could include a property deed, bank statements, letter from a financial institution, or vehicle title that shows ownership, etc. Investors also need to provide third-party liability evidence by submitting a copy of their credit report (no older than 90 days). You can order one free credit report from any of the credit reporting bureaus from annualcreditreport.com.–or–
- A verification letter* dated within the last 90 days from a third-party licensed attorney, a CPA, an SEC-registered investment advisor, or a registered broker-dealer certifying that you are accredited.
Investing as an entity or trust
- An entity or trust with total assets in excess of $5,000,000 would typically provide a bank statement, a formal valuation from a valuation professional, or perhaps an appraisal of real estate held by the entity.–or–
- If the entity or trust does not meet the minimum assets test, it might also be able to qualify as an accredited investor if all of its equity owners are accredited investors. In that case, each entity owner needs to provide one of the following:
- Proof of income for the past 2 years supported by official tax records such as US tax returns, W-2, K-1, 1099, or other government documents.
- Documentation of assets proving you have a net worth of at least $1,000,000, excluding your primary residence (documentation could include a property deed, bank statements, letter from a financial institution, or vehicle title that shows ownership, etc.)
- A verification letter* dated within the last 90 days from a third-party licensed attorney, a CPA, an SEC-registered investment advisor, or a registered broker-dealer certifying that you are accredited.
License holders
- For Series 7 and Series 82, the reviewing attorney needs to ensure that the investor is currently working for a FINRA-member or SRO firm or is within 2 years since they were either terminated or left a firm and has not yet found employment with a FINRA-member). For Series 65, the investor may qualify as long as they are registered with a State to be in good standing. For this verification method, you simply need to enter your name as it appears on your license, your individual CRD#, and for Series 7 and 82 only, the name of the firm you are licensed through.
* If you are planning to apply using a verification letter, click below to download our accredited investor verification letter.
Accredited Verification Validation
An accredited investor verification is valid for up to 90 days. You must make your first investment and complete the wire transfer within this timeframe, to avoid having to apply again. Once you have made your first investment, your verification remains valid with Gatsby Investment.
Therefore, we recommend that you start the application once you are ready to invest.
Need assistance with an ongoing accredited investor application? Please reach out to Verify Investor directly. You can best reach them via the email address below.
International Investor Qualifications
International investors are welcome at Gatsby Investment. After thorough research of rules, regulations, and tax structures between the United States and over 200 countries, we are pleased to offer a way for non-US citizens to invest in real estate with us.
How to Invest with Gatsby as a Non-US Citizen
To invest in American real estate with Gatsby Investment, non-US citizens simply need to follow this four-step process:
- Create an account.Sign up on the Gatsby website, using your full legal name. Please note that only the account holder can invest using this account.
- Open a US entity (C corporation).To invest as a non-US citizen, you need to open a US entity, have a tax identification number (TIN), and an American bank account. Gatsby can only accept entities in the form of a C corporation. You will need to work with a US-licensed attorney or CPA to set up your C corporation. Please note that this is not a service Gatsby provides. However, many of our international clients have worked with Prime Corporate Services to open the C corporations and receive their TINs. Learn more about working with Prime Corporate Services to invest with Gatsby.
- Get verified as an accredited investor.After your C corporation is created, you can apply for accredited investor verification through our website, using the third-party service, Verify Investor. This is a secure process we provide as a complimentary service to all Gatsby investors. Please see the list of accredited investor qualifications below. Investors need to meet the qualifications in order to invest with Gatsby. If you do not meet the qualifications, you will not be able to invest.
- Invest!With your new entity, you can start investing in Gatsby’s real estate projects!
NOTE: If you live outside the United States, it is your responsibility to fully observe the laws of any relevant territory or jurisdiction outside the United States in connection with any purchase of membership interests, including obtaining required governmental or other consents or observing any other required legal or other formalities. Unless otherwise expressly indicated by us, we have not registered or qualified the offering of shares in any jurisdiction outside the United States.
How to Determine If You Are an Accredited Investor
In order to invest with Gatsby Investment, you need to be verified as an accredited investor. To qualify as an accredited investor, you must meet at least one of the following four requirements:
- Individuals who have earned $200,000 or more (when converted to US Dollars) in gross income, each year, for the past two years and expect to continue to do so.–or–
- Individuals whose gross income, when combined with a spouse's income, totals $300,000 or more (when converted to US Dollars), each year, for the past two years.–or–
- Individuals who maintain a net worth of $1 million or more (when converted to US Dollars), excluding the value of his or her primary residence.–or–
- An entity with at least $5 million in assets (when converted to US Dollars), OR a business in which all equity owners are accredited investors.
Proof of Income or Assets
We use a third-party service, Verify Investor, to verify your accredited investor status.
Each entity owner needs to provide one of the following:
- Proof of gross income of $200,000 (when converted to US dollars) or more, each year, for the past 2 years, with a W-2, Schedule K-1, or 1099, or an equivalent document used in your country.–or–
- Proof of gross income of $300,000 (when converted to US dollars) or more, each year, for the past 2 years, when combined with your spouse, with a W-2, Schedule K-1, or 1099, or an equivalent document used in your country.–or–
- Documentation of assets proving you have a net worth of at least $1,000,000 (when converted to US dollars), excluding your primary residence. This could include a bank statement, letter from a financial institution, property deed, or vehicle title that shows ownership along with a professional valuation, etc. For the net worth assessment, you will also need to submit a current copy of your credit report (no older than 90 days) or an equivalent document used in your country.–or–
- A third-party professional letter from a licensed attorney, CPA, registered broker/dealer, or SEC-registered investment advisor to certify that you (or your entity) meet the accredited investor qualifications. For the $1M net worth assessment, you will also need to submit a current copy of your credit report (no older than 90 days) or an equivalent document used in your country.–or–
- Proof of entity assets exceeding $5,000,000 (when converted to US dollars), with a formal valuation from a valuation professional or accountant.
NOTE: Your income should be supported by your country's equivalent of US official tax records such as tax returns, W-2, K-1, 1099, or other government documents, if possible. If that type of official documentation is not available, you may be able to provide evidence through earnings statements, pay stubs, a letter from your employer certifying your income, or bank statements that show that you receive that income. Additionally, if the evidence is not in English, you must provide Verify Investor with a translation of the relevant portions of the evidence. This translation can be informal and written on the margins of the document.