Most formation services optimize for speed and upsells. They don't know that the way you classify your LLC, file Form SS-4, or open your Wise account decides whether you'll pass Mercury KYC, owe US tax, or get hit with a $25,000 Form 5472 penalty in year one.
This is the playbook we walk our private clients through — five modules covering formation, EIN, US phone, Stripe Atlas, and Wise, all structured for foreign-owner tax compliance from day one.
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Five action-oriented modules. Each one synthesizes the long-form articles on the site into the exact decisions and clicks you need to make, in order, with the tax angle baked in.
Why Wyoming wins over Delaware/New Mexico for solo foreign owners — and the one situation where Delaware is actually correct. Decision tree on sole-member vs partnership, plus registered agent shortcuts.
The Form SS-4 fax method that consistently works for non-residents. Field-by-field walkthrough with example values, common rejection reasons, and what to do if the IRS doesn't respond in 4 weeks.
Mercury and Stripe both reject most VoIP numbers. The shortlist of carriers that work (Ultra Mobile PayGo, Tello), how to keep the line cheap long-term, and why Google Voice usually fails verification.
When the $500 Atlas fee is worth it (hint: not most cases), how to use the Mercury partnership invite to save ~$150, and the DIY Stripe walkthrough using your fresh EIN and Wyoming LLC.
Set up USD/EUR/GBP receiving details so international clients pay you in their currency at near-mid-market rates. Plus: how Wise activity flows into your Form 5472 reportable transactions.
doola, Firstbase, and Stripe Atlas are formation services. They file the paperwork and hand you a folder. They don't know what a Form 5472 is, whether your state matters for ECI risk, or how your Wise transactions get reported. They are not built for foreign-owner US tax compliance.
We are. ForeignLLCTax.com is the specialist tax product for foreign-owned US LLCs. This guide is upstream of our $49 filing wizard — same expertise, applied one step earlier, so your LLC is born compliant.
The order of operations to stand up a US LLC from abroad, with tax compliance built in from day one.
Form the LLC
Choose a state and file formation with a registered agent.
Get an EIN
Apply on Form SS-4; foreign owners can generally apply without a US TIN.
Open banking & payments
Set up a US business bank account and payment processor under the LLC.
Set up ongoing compliance
Calendar Form 5472/1065, state reports, and recordkeeping from the start.
Jump straight to a module below.
Pick the right state and structure for foreign-owner tax outcomes — not just the cheapest registered agent.
The Form SS-4 fax method that works for non-residents, with the exact field-by-field walkthrough.
A real US number that passes Stripe/Mercury KYC — Ultra Mobile vs Tello vs Google Voice, what works in 2026.
When Atlas is worth the $500 vs. doing it yourself, and how to use the Mercury partnership invite.
Get USD/EUR/GBP receiving details so clients can pay you cheaply — and how Wise interacts with Form 5472.