Istanbul SaaS founder
U.S. LLC billing Stripe; opex from Turkey.
What you do: Form 5472 required. guided wizard.
Merhaba — Türk kurucular
ABD LLC'niz için Form 5472 uyumluluğu
Form 5472 compliance for Turkish founders of U.S. LLCs
Turkish SaaS, gaming, and ecommerce founders are a strong cohort on U.S. LLC platforms. Here's the Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 playbook — including U.S.-Turkey treaty essentials and OBBBA considerations.
You file. We never touch your IRS submission. Read in your language →
Why founders in Turkey form U.S. LLCs
- Stripe and U.S. payment-processor access — particularly important for Turkish gaming / app studios.
- USD bank account as a lira hedge.
- Cleaner global B2B contracting.
- App Store / Google Play developer payouts to a U.S. entity.
U.S.-Turkey tax treaty essentials
The U.S.-Turkey Income Tax Convention (1996) reduces certain withholding rates and provides residency rules. It does NOT eliminate Form 5472.
| Payment type | Withholding | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Dividends to Turkish resident | 15-20% | Article 10 — 15% if recipient owns ≥10%, 20% otherwise. |
| Interest to Turkish-resident lender | 10-15% | Article 11 — 10% for certain bank loans, 15% otherwise. |
| Royalties | 5-10% | Article 12 — 5% for industrial/scientific equipment, 10% for general royalties. |
| Permanent establishment threshold | — | Article 5 — important for ECI determinations. |
Read the full treaty on IRS.gov: Turkey tax treaty documents.
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: VKN (Vergi Kimlik Numarası)
10-digit Turkish tax ID number.
For Form 5472 line 1c, VKN is the FTIN. Most Turkish founders already have one (11-digit T.C. ID also commonly used).
Banking realities for Turkey founders
Turkish founders generally get Mercury or Wise approval. Mercury is more selective in 2025-26 but feasible for SaaS/gaming founders with revenue evidence.
- MercurySelective
Approves Turkish SaaS/gaming founders with clear ICP and revenue evidence. Requires U.S. address.
- Wise BusinessGenerally approves
Reliable fallback for Turkish founders. EMI, not a bank.
- RelaySelective
Approves with traction.
- BrexGenerally declines
Generally 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
Turkish gaming / app studio
App Store / Google Play revenue through U.S. LLC.
What you do: Form 5472 + W-8BEN for treaty royalty rate.
Turkish ecommerce on Amazon / Shopify
Selling to U.S. customers from U.S. LLC.
What you do: Form 5472 + state sales tax nexus.
Common pitfalls
- Lira volatility — keep clean LLC bookkeeping with FX gain/loss tracking.
- Turkish KDV (VAT) and gelir vergisi (income tax) are separate obligations.
- Treaty W-8BEN required for reduced withholding.
- 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
- Turkish taxes (gelir vergisi, KDV) and TCMB compliance.
- Personalized analysis of your specific situation.
Ready to file from Turkey?
The Form 5472 wizard takes about 15 minutes. You sign and submit yourself.