Tax Guides
Every guide on the site, grouped by topic. Each one is written for foreign-owned U.S. LLC owners and cites the underlying IRS source.
95 guides · Flat A–Z index
Getting Started
Form a US LLC, get banking set up, and stay compliant from day one.
Complete LLC Setup Guide
Premium bundled playbook — Wyoming formation, EIN, US phone, Stripe Atlas, and Wise — built for foreign-owner tax compliance from day one.
Start Your Business
Step-by-step path from idea to a US LLC ready to take payments.
Why Set Up a US LLC
The four real reasons to incorporate — legal isolation, payment compliance, brand trust, and the founder mindset shift.
Register a US Company
Pick a state, file articles, get an EIN, and open a bank account.
Best States for a Foreign-Owned LLC
Wyoming, Delaware, New Mexico — what each state actually costs and demands.
DIY vs CPA
When to file yourself vs hire a CPA, and what each path actually costs.
Research & Regulatory Insights
Policy and regulatory analysis affecting foreign-owned LLC owners — research reports from the ForeignLLCTax team.
China's Overseas Investment Rules (Decree No. 837)
Deep read of China's State Council Decree No. 837 (effective July 1, 2026): for the first time covering resident individuals — indie-developer payments, incorporating abroad (ODI / Circular 37), the U.S.-stock broker crackdown, and the property/insurance no-go zone.
Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures (SDOP & SFOP)
Practitioner's guide to fixing years of unreported foreign income and accounts non-willfully: SDOP vs SFOP eligibility, Forms 14654/14653, the 5% offshore penalty math, DIIRSP vs Delinquent FBAR vs VDP, and 2023-2026 FBAR case law.
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) for Foreign Founders
What the alternative minimum tax is and when it reaches 1040-NR filers: the §§55-59 parallel system, 2025 vs 2026 OBBBA numbers, why 5472-only LLC owners can usually ignore it, the AMT foreign-tax-credit trap, and the ISO/SALT triggers.
K-1 for Foreign Partners (K-3, 8805 & 1042-S)
How a foreign partner reads the partnership stack: K-1 allocations, K-3 Part X character columns, and 8805/1042-S withholding credits — the §1446(a) chain, reconciling without double counting, 1040-NR/1120-F filing triggers, and the W-8 and state K-1 traps.
Foreign Corp (1120-F) vs Foreign-Owned LLC (5472)
Which US tax regime applies — the foreign-corporation Form 1120-F path vs the foreign-owned disregarded-LLC Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 path, how they can coexist, branch profits tax, protective filing, and conversion trade-offs.
Form 706-NA — Estate Tax for Nonresident Aliens
The ~$60k US-situs filing trigger vs the multimillion-dollar citizen exclusion, what counts as US-situs, the LLC/partnership situs controversy, treaty relief (Canada/France/Germany/UK), Form 706-NA mechanics, and pre-death planning (foreign blocker corp).
FIRPTA Withholding (Forms 8288 / 8288-B) for Foreign Sellers
How §1445 buyer-withholding of 15% of the amount realized meets the §897 gain tax when a foreign person — often through a disregarded single-member LLC — sells US real estate: the disregarded-entity look-through, the $300k/$1M residence-rate ladder, Forms 8288/8288-A and the 20-day clock, the Form 8288-B reduced-withholding certificate, and the installment-sale + early-refund crossovers.
Creator Income Through a Foreign-Owned US LLC (AdSense, YouTube)
How a remote nonresident creator's AdSense, YouTube, sponsorship, and affiliate revenue is sourced (royalty vs services), when it becomes ECI, how the 24% vs 30% withholding flows through a disregarded LLC, and treaty royalty rates by country.
Core IRS Forms
The forms a foreign-owned LLC owner most often files.
How to Submit Form 5472
Full mailing/fax procedure for the 5472 + pro forma 1120 package.
Mail Form 5472 to the IRS — DHL Express Walkthrough
24-video walkthrough: Ogden PIN Unit address, USPS vs PDS, signature rules, and a step-by-step DHL Express demo from outside the U.S.
Form 5472 Nuances
Edge cases: zero-activity LLCs, multiple owners, related-party loans.
Form 5472 Common Mistakes
The errors that trigger the $25,000 penalty and how to avoid them.
Form 5472 Amendment
Correcting a 5472 you already filed without triggering audit risk.
Record Keeping for Form 5472
What records the IRS expects you to keep, for how long.
Form 1065 — Partnership Return
US partnership return for multi-member foreign-owned LLCs.
Form 1040-NR
US tax return for non-resident individuals with US-source income.
Form 1042-S
Reporting US-source income paid to foreign persons.
Form 1120-F
Foreign corporation US tax return.
Form 1120 — C Corporation
When a foreign-owned LLC elects C-corp tax treatment.
Protective Filing of Form 1120-F
Why and when to file 1120-F protectively even with no tax due.
Federal Supporting Statements
Attaching statements to disclose positions and avoid penalties.
Form 8832 — Advanced Entity Classification
Late-election relief, the 60-month revocation limit, foreign-owner C-corp elections for treaty access, the no-S-corp trap, effective-date rules, and state non-conformity.
Foreign Tax Credit — Form 1116
Separate §904(d) baskets, source rules, the high-tax kickout, carryback/carryover, the $300/$600 de minimis exemption, FTC vs deduction, and AMT FTC.
Installment Sales (Form 6252) for Foreign Sellers
IRC §453 installment method for foreign sellers of US real estate, businesses, and partnership interests — Form 6252, FIRPTA withholding (8288-B), recapture, related-party and §453A rules, imputed interest, and California sourcing.
1040-NR Deep Dives
When and how to file a personal US return as a non-resident.
When You Need a 1040-NR
Triggers that pull a non-resident into US personal-tax filing.
Investment vs Business LLC
How the IRS distinguishes investment from active business — it matters.
1040-NR + 5472 Combined
Filing both in the same year without double-reporting.
ITIN + 1040-NR Connection
Why most 1040-NR filers also need an ITIN.
Compliance & Risk
Stay-out-of-trouble topics that compound over time.
USTB Risk
When passive income becomes a US trade or business — the costliest mistake.
FBAR
Foreign bank account reporting — who must file and when.
BOI Report
Beneficial Ownership Information reporting under the Corporate Transparency Act.
Transfer Pricing
Pricing transactions between your LLC and your foreign company.
Section 1446 Withholding
Partnership withholding on income allocated to foreign partners.
W-8BEN Brokerage Trap
How a wrong W-8BEN gets your brokerage to over-withhold.
Filing Season Playbook
Calendar, deadlines, and order-of-operations for tax season.
Monthly Compliance Routine
A 30-minute monthly checklist that prevents year-end fires.
Foreign LLC Bookkeeping
Keeping books that satisfy the IRS without drowning in spreadsheets.
LLC Privacy
What's public, what's not, and how to legally minimize disclosure.
Multiple LLCs
Stacking LLCs for liability isolation without tax complications.
LLC Dissolution
Closing a US LLC cleanly — final returns, accounts, and BOI.
IRS Penalties & Enforcement
The 5472 $25k penalty and escalation, FBAR (post-Bittner), Form 8938, reasonable cause + First-Time Abatement, statute of limitations, and 2023-2026 enforcement.
Fixing Late or Missed FBARs
DFSP vs Streamlined for past-due FBARs, BSA E-Filing backfile mechanics, the 6-year statute, entity/signature/spouse filer mapping, and post-Bittner non-willful penalties.
CP2000 Notice Response
What a CP2000 is, the 30/60-day response, foreign-owner triggers (1099-K/1042-S/wrong-TIN), response paths + letters, escalation to a Notice of Deficiency, statutes, and penalty defenses.
State Compliance
State-level reports and franchise taxes.
Delaware Franchise Tax
Annual franchise tax for Delaware LLCs — flat rate, big penalties for late.
Wyoming Annual Report
Wyoming's $60 annual report — easy, but missing it kills your LLC.
State Sales Tax Nexus
Economic nexus thresholds after Wayfair, marketplace facilitator laws (Amazon/Etsy/Shopify), SaaS & digital taxability, when to register, and penalties.
Country-Specific Tax — LLC Owner Side
How your home country taxes the income from your US LLC.
China — LLC Owner Tax
Chinese individual income tax on US LLC profits, treaty rules, FX controls.
India — LLC Owner Tax
Indian residency rules, FEMA reporting, and double-tax treaty.
UK — LLC Owner Tax
HMRC's view of US LLCs (transparent vs opaque) and how to file.
Canada — LLC Owner Tax
CRA double-taxes LLC income — the workaround that matters.
Germany — LLC Owner Tax
German residency, treaty exemption, and progressive-rate calculation.
Australia — LLC Owner Tax
ATO treatment of LLCs, FX timing, and Pay-As-You-Go installments.
Japan — LLC Owner Tax
NTA classification of US LLCs and the bluetax-return path.
South Korea — LLC Owner Tax
NTS rules for LLC income and the global income reconciliation.
Mexico — LLC Owner Tax
SAT residency rules, RFC registration, and treaty position.
Brazil — LLC Owner Tax
Receita Federal CARF rulings on LLC pass-through income.
Sending Money Home — by Country
How to transfer profits from a US LLC to your home country bank.
Transfer to China
Wires to China, FX settlement, and SAFE reporting thresholds.
Transfer to India
RBI LRS, FEMA, and which routes minimize friction.
Transfer to UK
GBP settlement, multi-currency accounts, and HMRC reporting.
Transfer to Canada
USD/CAD wires, Canadian bank reporting, and timing for FX.
Transfer to Germany
SEPA vs SWIFT, AML thresholds, and Bundesbank reporting.
Transfer to Japan
Yen settlement, MoF reporting, and using Wise/SBI.
Transfer to South Korea
Won settlement, FX declaration, and BoK reporting limits.
Transfer to Mexico
USD-account workaround, SAT visibility, and remittance routes.
Transfer to Brazil
BCB SISBACEN registration and FX-tax (IOF) implications.
Transfer to Australia
AUSTRAC reporting and AUD-conversion timing.
Transfer to Singapore
SGD settlement, MAS reporting, and IRAS treatment.
Transfer to Hong Kong
HKD/USD multi-currency accounts and IRD reporting.
Transfer to Taiwan
TWD settlement, central bank reporting, and personal income tax.
Transfer to Thailand
THB settlement, BOT reporting, and remittance-basis taxation.
Transfer to Vietnam
VND settlement, SBV reporting, and personal income tax.
Transfer to Philippines
PHP settlement, BSP reporting, and BIR remittance treatment.
Transfer to Indonesia
IDR settlement, BI reporting, and PPh personal income tax.
Transfer to France
EUR settlement, French AMF reporting, and résident fiscal treatment.
Transfer to UAE
AED/USD multi-currency accounts and the no-personal-tax advantage.
Transfer to Nigeria
NGN settlement, CBN approval, and remittance thresholds.
Visa & Immigration Tax
How visa status interacts with US tax obligations.
Banking & Operations
The day-to-day infrastructure that supports a US LLC from abroad.
US Bank Account
Open a US business bank account as a non-resident.
Mercury Bank
Approval criteria, document checklist, and what gets accounts rejected.
Mercury → Column Migration
Mercury is moving foreign-owned LLC accounts from Choice Financial Group to Column N.A. — the full re-verification walkthrough, with screenshots and the steps that trip up non-residents.
US Phone Number
Why every US LLC needs one and the cheapest reliable options.
Stripe Setup
Stripe account approval as a foreign-owned LLC.
Stripe Account Tips
Avoiding holds, reserves, and account closures.
Stripe Atlas for Chinese Founders
Step-by-step English walkthrough for founders in mainland China — Atlas application, EIN, Mercury, Stripe activation, and Form 5472.
Cross-Border Payments
Wise, Revolut, Mercury, and traditional wires compared.
Company → Personal Withdrawals
Distributions, owner draws, and how to document them.
Reference
Look-up resources you'll need more than once.