Short answer: You send it from the LLC’s US account to an account in your name abroad. The usual routes are an international wire, a local transfer through a multi-currency provider, or a payout service. Compare three costs: the sending fee, fees taken on the way, and the exchange rate. Record each transfer as money taken out by the owner, because Form 5472 reports it.
This guide is for the only owner of a US LLC who lives outside the US and wants to pay themselves. You will know the three usual routes, what each one can cost, and what to write down every time. How that money is taxed where you live is a separate question, covered in our guide on how to pay yourself.
At a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can I send it to my personal account? | Yes. It goes from the LLC’s account to an account in your own name. |
| Which routes exist? | International wire, local transfer through a multi-currency provider, or a payout service. |
| What do I compare? | The sending fee, fees taken on the way, and the exchange rate. |
| Is there a US tax on the transfer? | The 1% remittance tax covers cash and similar paper, not a transfer from a bank account. |
| What do I record? | Date, amount in USD, the account it went to, and that it was money taken out by you. |
How the money moves
- The LLC's US accountThe money starts in the company's own account, never a personal one.
- The route you chooseAn international wire, a local transfer through a multi-currency provider, or a payout service.
- The exchangeIf your account abroad is not in USD, the dollars are converted. The rate is where most cost hides.
- Your account abroadAn account in your own name. Your bank there may charge a receiving fee.
- Your recordsEach transfer is noted as money taken out by the owner, ready for Form 5472.
The three routes
International wire. Your US business account sends a SWIFT wire to your bank abroad. You choose to send US dollars or have them converted first. Banks between the two may take a fee on the way. Your own bank may charge to receive it. For example, Mercury’s pricing page lists international wires in US dollars as free, and a 1% fee to send in another currency (checked November 2026).
Local transfer through a multi-currency provider. Some providers pay into accounts abroad through local bank networks instead of SWIFT. Relay uses a local network for euros, pounds, Canadian dollars and Australian dollars (checked November 2026). Relay says its local network lowers cost and settlement time compared with a SWIFT wire. Compare the rate with the mid-market rate shown on public currency sites.
Payout service. Some services hold a balance and pay out to a local bank. Payoneer’s pricing page lists 1.2% to 4% for a withdrawal to a bank account, with a minimum fee in some countries (checked November 2026).
Prices on provider pages change often. Read the page on the day you choose, and test with a small amount first.
The US remittance tax
Since January 1, 2026, a 1% US excise tax applies to some money transfers abroad (IRS Publication 510). IRS Notice 2025-55 says it applies “only” when the sender gives the provider “cash, a money order, a cashier’s check, or any other similar physical instrument”. A transfer from the LLC’s bank account is not paid that way. The rules are still proposed, so check the IRS page if this changes.
Steps
- Pick one route and one account in your name. Use the same account abroad each time, so your records stay simple.
- Check the three costs. Look at the sending fee, the fees on the way and the rate. Send a small test amount first.
- Give a plain, true reason. Banks often ask the purpose of an international transfer. “Owner distribution” or “transfer to owner” says what it is.
- Keep the confirmation. Save the sending bank’s record and the statement line from your account abroad.
- Record it the same day. Note the date, the amount in USD, the rate if converted, and that it was money taken out by you.
Why the record matters
For a single-member LLC owned by someone outside the US, money taken out is reported on Form 5472. The IRS instructions list amounts paid “in connection with” the company, “including contributions to, and distributions from, the entity”. Payments from clients are business income. Money you take out is not, so keep the two apart. Our guide on owner contribution or loan covers the money going the other way.
What it costs
Transfer fees are the provider’s, not ours. We do not move money or open accounts. If you want the books kept for you, our Accounting plan is $1,499 per year and tracks money between you and the company separately. The federal filing that reports it, Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120, is $399 per filing for a single-member LLC. Both are included in Full Compliance. All prices as of November 2026, on our pricing page.
Next step
See what our Accounting plan covers, or write to us if your setup is unusual.
Sources checked November 2026
- IRS: Instructions for Form 5472 (revised December 2024)
- IRS: Notice 2025-55, remittance transfer tax
- IRS: Publication 510, Excise Taxes (What’s New)
- Mercury: Pricing
- Relay: Sending international wires
- Payoneer: Pricing
Our prices come from our own pricing page, read in November 2026.
