Questions founders ask, answered in one place
Formation, tax filing, accounting, dissolution and how we work together. Can't find yours? Ask us and a person will reply.
Company formation
Forming a US LLC from abroad: requirements, timing, states and what the plans include.
Explore formationCan I form an LLC from outside the US?
Yes. Our service is built for non-US founders. Your residence, business activity and ownership still matter for service eligibility and later banking applications.
Do I need an SSN or ITIN?
Not for our LLC formation and EIN application service. Personal tax filings and banking providers may have additional requirements.
What is included in the annual price?
Essentials includes formation, EIN application, an Operating Agreement, registered agent service, a business address and digital mailroom. Setup happens once; the subscription supports ongoing services. State fees are additional. Federal tax filing and bookkeeping are excluded from Essentials.
How long does the process take?
State registration and EIN issuance are separate stages, each with its own processing time. Timing also depends on receiving complete information from you. Banking applications follow formation and have a separate review process.
Wyoming or Delaware: which state should I choose?
Wyoming costs less to maintain each year and does not list members on the public record. Delaware is the state investors know best and charges a higher flat annual tax. The state-fee table on this page shows the current figures with their source. If you plan to raise venture capital, Delaware is usually the reason to pay more; otherwise most solo founders start in Wyoming.
Will my LLC have tax or reporting obligations?
It may. Requirements depend on ownership, tax classification and business activity, including activity outside the US. Tax filing is available separately or with Full Compliance. Formation alone does not remove your filing obligations.
Does formation include a bank account?
No. We provide formation documents and apply for the EIN. Your chosen bank or payment provider decides eligibility and approval, and may request additional documents and address evidence.
What do I need to do every year to keep the LLC in good standing?
Keep a registered agent, file the state's annual report or pay its annual tax, and file the federal return your ownership and classification require. A foreign-owned single-member LLC files Form 5472 with a pro-forma Form 1120 for any year with reportable transactions, even with no revenue. Full Compliance covers the state compliance filing and the federal filing; Essentials covers the registered agent only.
LLC or C-Corp: which fits a non-resident founder?
Most solo founders choose an LLC: simpler upkeep, a lighter federal filing and pass-through treatment. A C-Corp makes sense when you plan to raise venture capital or issue stock options, because investors expect it, and it comes with a corporate return and franchise tax. Entity choice depends on your ownership, funding and business plans; ask us before you decide.
What happens if the state rejects the filing?
Every filing is reviewed before we submit it. If a state rejects a formation filing because of an error in a document we prepared, we correct and resubmit it at no charge for our work. Refund terms are set out in the Terms of Service.
Does my LLC have to file if it earned nothing?
Possibly. A foreign-owned single-member LLC files Form 5472 for any year with reportable transactions, including money you put in or took out. No revenue does not by itself remove the requirement.
How is the filing submitted, and what do I receive?
We prepare the forms and submit them to the IRS. You receive copies of everything filed and a record of the submission. The IRS processes returns on its own schedule and does not issue an acceptance letter for Form 5472.
Is the price per year or per filing?
Per filing. A single-member LLC return is $399; a C-Corp or multi-member LLC return is $899. Full Compliance subscribers have federal filing included in their plan.
What if I already missed the deadline?
Tell us before you do anything else. We can still prepare the filing and, where relevant, help you request penalty relief. Contact us with the tax year and your situation.
Do you file state returns too?
One Wyoming or Delaware state return is included with the C-Corp and multi-member LLC filing when the state requires one. Other state work is quoted separately.
Do I need bookkeeping first?
You need a clear record of the year’s transactions. Bank statements are often enough for a low-activity LLC. Our accounting service can prepare reconciled books if you would rather not do it yourself.
What counts as a reportable transaction with the owner?
Money or property moving between you and the company: capital you put in, expenses you paid for it, amounts it paid you, loans in either direction and their repayment. Form 5472 reports these by category, which is why we ask for them separately from revenue.
Can you prepare returns for earlier years I never filed?
Yes. Tell us which tax years are open. We prepare each year from the records you have, note the late filing where the form requires it and, where it applies, prepare a penalty-relief request with the filing.
Accounting
Bookkeeping in Xero, monthly statements and how the books feed your filing.
Explore accountingWhich software do you use?
Xero. The account is created in your name, so you keep it and its history if you ever leave. We can migrate an existing QuickBooks or spreadsheet history into it during setup.
How often are my books updated?
Monthly. Each month we reconcile the transactions and prepare your profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow. Bank feeds bring in transactions between closes where your bank supports them.
What if my bank does not connect to Xero?
You upload a statement each month and we reconcile from that. Many non-US banks and payment providers have no feed, so this is a normal part of the routine.
How does this relate to Full Compliance?
Full Compliance is $1,999 per year plus state fees for an individually owned single-member LLC and includes this same bookkeeping alongside federal filing, state compliance filing and registered agent service. If your company is eligible, it is the more complete plan for the same price.
Does this include my tax filing?
No. Standalone accounting is bookkeeping only. Federal filing is a separate per-filing service, or included in Full Compliance. Your year-end figures are handed over either way.
Can I cancel?
The subscription is annual and renews unless you cancel. Your Xero account and its data stay yours. Refund terms are set out in the Terms of Service.
Which accounts can you connect?
Any bank, card or payment provider with a Xero bank feed connects directly; Stripe and PayPal usually do. Accounts without a feed work from a monthly statement upload.
Do you show me how to use Xero?
Yes. During setup we walk you through the dashboard and how to find each statement, and you can ask your bookkeeper questions by email whenever something is unclear.
What happens at year end?
The twelve closed months become the year-end figures. If we prepare your federal filing, they are handed straight into it; if someone else does, you export the statements from Xero and send them on.
Dissolution
Closing a US company cleanly: the state filing, the final return and what stays with you.
Explore dissolutionWhat is actually closed when you dissolve my company?
The state ends the entity’s registration once it accepts the articles of dissolution, and the IRS receives the final return. Bank accounts, contracts and subscriptions are separate and close on their providers’ terms.
Does the EIN get cancelled?
The IRS does not cancel or reuse an EIN. After the final return is filed, you can write to the IRS to close the business account tied to that EIN. We prepare that letter with your final filing on request.
What if I just stop using the company?
An entity that is still registered keeps its state obligations, including annual reports or franchise tax, and may still owe a federal filing. Dissolving formally is what ends those going forward.
Do I have to file a tax return for the final year?
Usually yes. A foreign-owned single-member LLC files a final Form 5472 with a pro-forma Form 1120 for the last year it existed. We prepare it as part of the dissolution.
How long does it take?
It depends on the state’s processing time, whether prior returns are current and how quickly accounts can be closed. We show you the order and tell you what is waiting on whom at each stage.
Can I open another US company later?
Yes. A completed dissolution does not prevent a new formation. Keeping copies of the dissolution filing and the final return is useful if a provider asks about the earlier company.
What should I include?
Whether you already have a US company, the state and entity type if so, where you live, and what you are trying to get done. A deadline, if you have one, helps us prioritise.
Can you help with an urgent deadline?
Tell us the date in your message. We look at deadline cases first and tell you what is possible before any work starts.
Which languages do you support?
English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. Write in whichever you prefer.
I’m already a customer. Where do I go?
Log in to your dashboard and message us from there. We can see your company and its filings, so the answer comes faster.
I’m not sure which service I need. Can you still help?
Yes, that is a normal way to start. Describe your business and what you are trying to get done and we will say which service fits, or whether none does. The first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
What are your hours?
Email and dashboard messages can be sent at any time and are answered by a person during US Eastern business hours, Monday to Friday. The phone is answered in those hours too.
How do I book a call?
Send a message first with what you want to talk through and the time zone you are in. We reply with times that work on both sides.
How do you use what I send you?
To answer your question and, where it fits, to tell you about a service. The Privacy Policy sets out what we keep, for how long and who can see it.
Who is behind Nonresident Tax?
Hareword LLC, dba Nonresident Tax operates the service. It was founded and is run by Serkan Haslak, who also writes the guides published here.
Are you accountants or lawyers?
We prepare and submit filings and keep books as a service provider. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. Where a question needs a licensed professional in your country, we say so.
Where are you based?
Hareword LLC, dba Nonresident Tax is a US company with its mailing address in Delaware. The team works remotely and supports founders across time zones.
Which companies do you work with?
US LLCs and C-Corps registered in Wyoming or Delaware, owned by people who live outside the US. We do not form companies elsewhere or advise on other countries’ rules.
Still have a question?
Tell us about your company and what you need. We answer in English, Spanish, Portuguese or French.