Buenos Aires SaaS founder
U.S. LLC billing Stripe to U.S. and Latin American customers; opex from Argentina.
What you do: Form 5472 required. guided wizard at /filer.
Hola β fundadores argentinos
GuΓa de cumplimiento Form 5472 para tu LLC en EE. UU.
Form 5472 compliance for Argentine founders of U.S. LLCs
Argentina is one of the strongest LatAm tech-founder cohorts. Peso volatility and capital controls make U.S. LLCs especially valuable. Here's the Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 playbook.
You file. We never touch your IRS submission. Read in your language β
Why founders in Argentina form U.S. LLCs
- USD banking access β a critical hedge against peso volatility.
- Stripe access for SaaS billing.
- Cleaner global B2B contracting under U.S. law.
- Argentina capital controls (cepo) make a U.S. LLC's offshore USD account particularly valuable.
U.S.-Argentina tax treaty essentials
There is NO U.S.-Argentina income tax treaty as of 2026. Standard U.S. statutory withholding rates apply on U.S.-source FDAP income (typically 30%). Plan distribution structure with this in mind.
| Payment type | Withholding | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Dividends to Argentine resident | 30% | No treaty reduction. |
| Interest to Argentine-resident lender | 30% | No treaty reduction. |
| Royalties | 30% | No treaty reduction. |
| Fees for services (non-ETBUS) | 0% | Foreign-source services entirely outside the U.S. are not U.S.-taxed. |
Withholding-rate planning is separate from Form 5472. Form 5472 is an information return on the LLC; withholding is on payments from U.S. payors. Both can apply.
Your FTIN: CUIT or CUIL
11-digit number (XX-XXXXXXXX-X). CUIT for entities/self-employed, CUIL for employees.
For Form 5472 line 1c, CUIT is the cleaner FTIN. Most Argentine founders have one through AFIP/ARCA.
Banking realities for Argentina founders
Argentine founders generally get Mercury or Wise approval. Mercury is selective in 2025-26 but feasible with revenue evidence and a U.S. address.
- MercurySelective
Approves Argentine founders with clear ICP and revenue evidence. Requires U.S. address.
- Wise BusinessGenerally approves
Strong fallback. EMI, not a bank β but particularly useful as an Argentine peso hedge.
- RelaySelective
Possible with traction. $3M FDIC sweep attractive for holding USD balances.
- BrexGenerally declines
Requires prior U.S. funding.
We do not have a paid partnership with any U.S. business banking provider listed here; status reflects approval patterns reported by founders we've interacted with, current as of May 2026. Verify before relying.
Common scenarios
Argentine freelance dev / agency
Billing U.S. enterprise clients through a U.S. LLC for cleaner contracting and USD payment.
What you do: Form 5472 required. Watch ECI threshold.
Argentine cross-border ecommerce
Selling to U.S. customers via Shopify / Amazon from a U.S. LLC.
What you do: Form 5472 + state sales tax nexus.
Common pitfalls
- No treaty = 30% statutory withholding on U.S.-source FDAP.
- Argentine FX controls β moving USD between accounts can trigger ARCA/BCRA scrutiny. Consult an Argentine contador.
- ARCA / AFIP also taxes worldwide income of Argentine residents β your U.S. LLC profits may be taxable in Argentina.
- 2026 U.S. remittance excise tax: the 1% rule is limited to cash-funded consumer transfers, not ordinary LLC bank-account wires. See the linked remittance excise tax guide for the statutory scope.
2026 U.S. remittance excise tax:The enacted 1% tax is limited to certain cash-, money-order-, and cashier's-check-funded consumer transfers. It does not apply merely because an LLC sends an ordinary bank-account-funded wire abroad. Read the scope and exceptions before choosing a transfer method.
What this page is NOT
- Argentine taxes (Ganancias, IVA, Bienes Personales) and ARCA/AFIP compliance.
- BCRA cross-border FX rules.
- Personalized analysis of your specific structure.
Ready to file from Argentina?
The Form 5472 wizard takes about 15 minutes. You sign and submit yourself.