How to Form a US LLC as a Non-Resident in 2026: Steps, Costs and Timeline

Short answer: A non-resident forms a US LLC in five steps: choose a state, hire a registered agent, file the articles, get an EIN, and open a bank account. A foreign-owned single-member LLC also files Form 5472 every year. The lowest year-one price we could verify for a bundle that names that filing is Firstbase at $1,297 before state fees, and doola's one-plan option costs $2,999 a year.

Our analysis: Every price here is in US dollars. Vendor prices come from each vendor's own pricing page, and the state and IRS figures come from their official sites, all read on 12 October 2026. State filing fees sit outside every total, except Stripe Atlas's $500, which already covers Delaware's filing fee. We rank on three things each page states: the year-one price of what a non-resident needs, what the plan includes, and whether the page says anything about foreign owners.

Dupple data: Ahrefs US keyword data pulled on 12 October 2026 shows 80 searches a month for "llc for non residents" and 40 for "us llc for non residents". That is the question this guide answers, in the order a founder abroad has to act on it.

Step 1: Pick the state

Choose the state on purpose, because yearly charges matter more than the filing fee. Firstbase offers its Start package in Delaware or Wyoming, so compare those two first. Delaware's LLC tax is $400 a year, due on or before June 1 for the prior year, and LLCs there file no annual report. A late payment adds a $200 penalty plus 1.5% interest a month. One Delaware page still says $300, so confirm the amount on the state's site before you budget.

Step 2: Hire a registered agent

Every LLC in Delaware needs a registered agent with a street address in the state, and Stripe Atlas's page says the agent is mandatory for every Delaware business. The agent renews every year, which makes it the cost readers miss. ZenBusiness charges $199 a year. Firstbase's Agent service costs $299 a year per state and includes the annual report and franchise tax filings. Bizee packages include one free agent year and show no renewal price. The doola Starter plan bundles an agent with formation for $297 a year, and that bundle renews annually as well.

Step 3: File the articles of organization

The articles create the LLC, and the state takes its filing fee directly. Vendors price their service on top of that fee, usually written as "+ state fee". Firstbase's Start package says it charges zero filing fees for the required documents and asks you to pay only the state fee. doola says in its FAQ that it files an LLC in one to two business days. Use the same legal name and the same address on every form, because the EIN and bank paperwork repeat them.

Step 4: Get an EIN without an SSN

The IRS says its online EIN tool gives a number "in minutes for free", and that you never have to pay a fee for an EIN. The catch is eligibility. The online tool asks for the responsible party's Social Security number or individual taxpayer ID number. The IRS page also says that if your principal place of business is outside the United States, you apply by phone, fax or mail. The page gives no processing time for those routes.

That gap is why vendors sell the EIN. The doola Starter plan and Stripe Atlas include it, Firstbase's Start includes an expedited EIN setup, and ZenBusiness sells it for $99 one-time. Without an SSN or ITIN, the free route is the phone, fax or mail application, and the IRS page gives no timing for it.

Step 5: Set up the operating agreement and the bank account

The operating agreement is the internal rulebook of the LLC. ZenBusiness sells a template for $99 one-time. Banks ask for identity documents before they open an account. doola's FAQ says a business bank account needs a passport or US government ID from each founder or majority owner, and it names Mercury in that answer. Mercury's pricing page lists a free plan, and Relay lists a free starter plan too. Neither pricing page says what a non-resident must provide to open an account.

Stripe Atlas helps you open a business bank account, and Firstbase's Start includes one through its banking partners. Atlas's checking is provided by Fifth Third Bank, N.A. Our business bank accounts guide compares the account options, and our Relay review covers one of the fintech choices. Once the account is open, free accounting software covers the bookkeeping side.

What the year-one bill looks like

Year one is the vendor price plus the state fee, and Stripe Atlas is the one exception. The table lists each plan with the items its page names, and the last column names what the page leaves out. We give no credit for anything a page does not say.

Firstbase's bundle is three purchases, not one: Start at $99, Agent at $299, and the package for non-US-owned single-member LLCs at $899. Firstbase's Tax Filing package at $1,799 also names Form 5472, but it is built for C-Corps and multi-member LLCs, so the $899 package is the one that fits this founder. doola's Tax and Compliance plan adds federal and state tax filing for $1,999 a year, yet its page does not say whether Form 5472 is included. Before you pay any plan you think covers the foreign-owner return, ask the vendor in writing.

Which provider fits which non-resident

We rank by buyer rather than naming one winner, because the plans cover different items. The order in each bullet follows the three criteria above.

• One plan for everything: doola Business-in-a-Box at $2,999 a year. Its page is the only one here that lists formation, EIN, registered agent, bookkeeping and tax filings in one plan. Ask doola in writing whether Form 5472 is included, because the page does not say.
• Form 5472 at the lowest price: Firstbase at $1,297 in year one. Its package is the only one on this list that names the foreign-owner return for a single-member LLC in its price. Bookkeeping is sold separately, at $599 a month on Firstbase's page, so add that quote before you compare the total with doola.
• Formation, EIN and agent for the least money: doola Starter at $297 a year, with a US business address included. ZenBusiness comes to $298 in year one before state fees: formation starts at $0, the agent costs $199 and the EIN $99. Neither page names a foreign-owner return, so this option leaves Form 5472 to you.
• Stripe's bundle: Stripe Atlas costs $500 in year one, which covers the first year of agent service and an EIN, then $100 a year with automatic renewal. Its page does not say whether non-residents qualify or whether a foreign-owner return is covered, so ask before you buy.
• Lowest headline price: Bizee Basic, where the only charge listed is the state fee, with one free year of agent service. The page mentions neither an EIN nor Form 5472 and shows no agent renewal price. The first-year cost is only the state fee until you buy an EIN and the foreign-owner return from somewhere else.

What comes back every year

Renewals decide the long-run bill, so budget them before you sign:

• doola Starter: renews at its year-one price, billed annually.
• Firstbase: the agent at $299 a year per state, plus $899 a year for the non-US package.
• ZenBusiness: the agent, plus optional Worry-Free Compliance at the same yearly price as the agent. Its annual report costs $100 each time.
• Stripe Atlas: $100 a year after year one, renewing automatically.
• Delaware: the LLC tax of $400 a year, due June 1.
• Bizee: no renewal price on its page.

A missed filing is the costliest mistake in this guide. The IRS penalty for a missing Form 5472 is $25,000 per form, and a second $25,000 applies if the failure continues more than 90 days after an IRS notice.

Timeline: the order and the waits

Do the steps in this order: state and agent, then the articles, then the EIN, then the bank, then the annual filings. doola files an LLC in one to two business days, according to its FAQ. The IRS online tool issues an EIN in minutes, but only when the responsible party has an SSN or ITIN. The IRS page gives no processing time for the phone, fax or mail route, so treat that step as the one you cannot schedule precisely.

Once the company runs, the calendar repeats. Delaware's LLC tax is due June 1 for the year before. Form 5472 goes with the pro forma Form 1120 by that return's due date, extensions included, and the IRS says these filers mail the form because it cannot be filed electronically. The IRS instructions describe reportable transactions with related parties in one place and the pro forma return in another, so a tax adviser should confirm whether a year with no transactions still needs the filing.

FAQ

Can a non-resident form a US LLC?

Yes. Vendors sell the process to founders abroad. Firstbase lists a package for non-US-owned single-member LLCs, and Stripe Atlas says startups from more than 175 countries use its service. Neither page sets a residency test, so check the state filing and the bank's document list before you commit money.

How much does a non-resident pay in year one?

The lowest verified bundle that names the foreign-owner return is Firstbase at $1,297: Start at $99, Agent at $299 and the non-US package at $899, plus the state fee. doola's Starter costs $297 a year without tax filings. ZenBusiness comes to $298 for formation, agent and EIN, before the state fee.

Does a non-resident need an SSN to get an EIN?

For the IRS online tool, yes. The responsible party needs a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer ID number. If the principal place of business is outside the US, the IRS says to apply by phone, fax or mail. ZenBusiness sells the EIN for $99, and doola's Starter includes it.

What is Form 5472, and what happens if I miss it?

It is the IRS information return for a foreign-owned LLC that the IRS treats as a reporting corporation, and it is filed with a pro forma Form 1120. The penalty for failing to file is $25,000 per form, with a second $25,000 if the failure goes on more than 90 days after an IRS notice. On this list, only Firstbase names the filing in a single-member price.

Is doola worth it for a non-resident?

Only if you want one plan that covers formation, EIN, registered agent, bookkeeping and tax filings. Business-in-a-Box costs $2,999 a year, the highest year-one price in the table, and its page does not say whether Form 5472 is included. A founder who needs only the foreign-owner return pays less with the Firstbase package.

Which state should a non-resident choose?

Compare the yearly charges first, because the filing fee is paid once. Delaware's LLC tax is $400 a year, due June 1, and LLCs there file no annual report. Firstbase forms companies in Delaware or Wyoming. Price the first year and the renewals together before you pick.

How we checked and disclosure

How we checked: We read each vendor's pricing page on 12 October 2026, plus the IRS and Delaware pages listed below. Each figure in the table is a vendor's stated price or a sum of stated prices. Where a page is silent, the table says so.

Affiliate disclosure: Some vendor links on this page are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission if you sign up through them.

This page is general information, not personalized financial advice. Confirm current pricing and terms directly with each vendor before you subscribe.

Sources: doola pricing, Stripe Atlas, Firstbase pricing, ZenBusiness pricing, Bizee pricing, Mercury pricing, Relay pricing, IRS online EIN, IRS Form 5472 instructions, and Delaware LLC tax.

Cite this: Finpresso, "How to Form a US LLC as a Non-Resident in 2026", prices checked 12 October 2026.

Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.