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Start a US Company from Pakistan

You can form a US LLC from Pakistan online, without an SSN, a visa or a trip. Stripe and PayPal don't list Pakistan, so here is what each provider publishes for a US company, what SBP and FBR rules say, and the cost.

Start my US LLC from PakistanTalk to an expert
Your US LLC
Your company nameOwner in Pakistan
  • StripeRegistered in the US
  • PayPalOrganized in the US
  • PayoneerCompany documents
  • Wise BusinessPhoto ID for owners
  • MercuryProhibited-countries list

US LLC registration from Pakistan: documents and steps

The same for every founder abroad; the detail is in formation for non-residents and EIN without an SSN.

What you'll be asked for

We ask for documents in your panel, per order. Never send passport numbers or ID scans by email. The full document checklist

To form the company
Your answers: company type, state, name and what the company does.
For the EIN
Your name as on your passport and your address in Pakistan. Line 7b says “Foreign”.
For a US business address
The formation document, the IRS EIN letter and a photo ID. Your passport works.
For a virtual mailbox
A signed USPS Form 1583 and two IDs. A foreign passport is accepted as the photo ID.

  1. Choose a structure and a state

    Then answer the onboarding questions online. LLC vs C-Corp

  2. We file with the state

    Your registered agent is on the filing. The state sets the processing time.

  3. The EIN goes to the IRS

    Form SS-4 by fax (generally 4 business days) or mail (about 4 weeks). EIN support

  4. Apply to the providers you chose

    With the company's documents and your passport. Each provider decides. What each publishes

US sanctions law (OFAC) limits who a US business can serve, so ask us before you pay if you're unsure. Sources: OFAC sanctions programs

Stripe, PayPal and Payoneer in Pakistan: what each publishes

Two cases: a business registered in Pakistan, and a US company whose owner lives there. Each cell quotes the provider's own page.

Stripe

Card paymentsStripe requirements
Business registered in PakistanNot listed

Stripe's global availability page lists the countries and regions where a business can open an account. Pakistan isn't on it.

US company, owner lives in PakistanUS account rules

For a US account Stripe says: “Registered businesses must be registered in the US, even if you operate in another country.” From a representative with no SSN or ITIN it expects “your local non-US tax ID and respective documentation”.

PayPal

Checkout and walletPayPal requirements
Business registered in PakistanNot listed

PayPal's worldwide page lists the countries and regions where it offers accounts. Pakistan isn't on it.

US company, owner lives in PakistanUS account rules

PayPal's US user agreement says a business “must be organized in, operating in, or a resident of, the United States or one of its territories”. It doesn't say where the owners must live, and PayPal can ask for more before it confirms an account.

Payoneer

Receiving accountsPayoneer requirements
Business registered in PakistanPublishes a guide

Payoneer publishes a guide to opening an account from Pakistan. It names three account types (Individual, Sole proprietor, Company) and says you can withdraw to a local Pakistani bank account.

US company, owner lives in PakistanCompany documents

For a registered company Payoneer's help centre lists a certificate of registration or incorporation, an “IRS document including EIN” and proof of the company's address. It doesn't say how the owner's country changes this.

Wise Business

Multi-currency accountWise Business requirements
Business registered in PakistanNot stated

Pakistan isn't on Wise's list of countries where it can't offer its service. For businesses Wise only says: “When you add your details, we’ll let you know if we support businesses in your country.”

US company, owner lives in PakistanPhoto ID for owners

To verify a US business Wise asks for the company's details and its owners: “For the non-US beneficial owners we’ll request a copy of a photo ID.” It has separate rules for the address where you really work.

Mercury

US business accountMercury requirements
Business registered in PakistanUS companies only

Mercury says “your company must be formed and registered in the United States or a U.S. territory”, so a business registered in Pakistan can't apply.

US company, owner lives in PakistanResidence rule

Pakistan is on Mercury's prohibited-countries list. Mercury says it can't open accounts for founders who live in a listed country, and that this is based on “your country of residence, not your citizenship or nationality”.

No provider promises an account, and neither can we; read the provider's page before you apply. As a Payoneer Affiliate Partner we can guide a Payoneer application; Payoneer decides. See why banks say no. Sources, checked Oct 2026: Stripe: global availability · Stripe: US account requirements · Stripe: representative tax ID · PayPal: countries and regions · PayPal: US user agreement · Payoneer: account in Pakistan · Payoneer: verification documents · Wise: where can I use Wise? · Wise: can my business use Wise? · Wise: verify a US business · Mercury: eligibility · Mercury: prohibited countries

State Bank of Pakistan rules on moving money

Forming a US company is a US filing. Sending money out to fund it, and bringing earnings home, fall under SBP's Foreign Exchange Manual.

Resident individualsCategory D
Shares of listed companies abroadUSD 25,000 a year
Share option plan, foreign employerUSD 50,000 a year
Sweat equity, no paymentUp to 20% of shares

Investing abroad: three cases for individuals

Chapter 20, para 13 lists five investment routes; category D covers resident individuals. Funds must be “legitimate and tax paid” and you “on the active tax payer list”. Anything else: ask your bank or SBP's Exchange Policy Department first.

Exporter's foreign currency accountESFCA
OpenedWith your PKR account
Convert to PKRAt any time
Cash withdrawal in PakistanNot allowed
You may keep in itUSD 5,000 a month or 50% of export proceeds, whichever is higher

Freelancers: a foreign currency account

Under Chapter 12, para 12, a resident individual paid from abroad for digital or online services is a freelancer. Banks open the account in person or online under SBP's framework.

Reporting, and money coming back

Within one month of investing: evidence of the investment and a return on Form V-100, through your bank; entities also send the investee's audited accounts each year. Dividends and sale proceeds return through banking channels, are converted to PKR with a Proceeds Realization Certificate, and can't be credited to a foreign currency account.

Chapter 20, para 13 (FE Circular No. 01 of 11 July 2024) and Chapter 12, para 12 (EPD Circular Letter No. 17 of 23 October 2023). Not advice; your bank and SBP decide how they apply. Sources, checked Oct 2026: SBP Foreign Exchange Manual · Chapter 20 · Chapter 12 · SBP freelancer framework

US LLC from Pakistan: price and state fees

Three parts: the state's filing fee, its yearly fee and our package. State fees are in US dollars and the same wherever you live.

$100Articles of Organization. Once, when we file
Annual report license taxFirst day of your formation anniversary month, every year. More if Wyoming assets are large$60 min.

Wyoming LLC

Wyoming LLC
$110Certificate of Formation. Once, when we file
Annual LLC taxJune 1, every year. No annual report$400

Delaware LLC

Delaware LLC
$0The IRS charges nothing for an EIN. Our EIN help is optional preparation support
Formation packageRenews yearly. Your registered agent is part of itSee pricing

EIN and our package

Plans and pricing

Checkout lists each line before you pay. For a first-year total, try the cost calculator. Sources, checked Sept 2026: WY fee schedule · WY business FAQ · DE fee schedule · DE LLC tax

Tax in Pakistan: residency and foreign income

A US company doesn't move your tax home. If you live in Pakistan, the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 still applies. These are the provisions to raise with a tax adviser.

Sections 82, 11, 103

Residents are taxed worldwide

183 days or more in Pakistan in a tax year (1 July to 30 June) makes you resident; a citizen not resident elsewhere can be too. Residents are taxed on foreign income, with a credit for foreign tax paid.

Section 154A

Exported services: a flat rate

0.25% of proceeds for PSEB-registered IT exporters (tax years 2024 to 2029), 1% otherwise, deducted by your bank. Final if you file and meet the conditions; no foreign tax credit. Whether your own LLC's payouts count is for your adviser.

Sections 83 and 109A

A company's residence

A company is resident if “the control and management of the affairs of the company is situated wholly in Pakistan at any time in the year”. Section 109A can add a controlled foreign company's income to its owners'.

Sections 116 and 116A

Declaring foreign assets

Foreign income of USD 10,000 or more, or foreign assets of USD 100,000 or more, means a foreign income and assets statement. Your wealth statement covers foreign assets too.

The US side

A single-member LLC with a foreign owner is disregarded by default but still files Form 5472 with a pro forma 1120 every year; US income tax turns on whether it has a US trade or business. Pakistan and the US have a tax treaty. We don't prepare returns or give tax advice.

The Ordinance as published by the FBR, amended up to 30 June 2026. A summary, not tax advice. Sources, checked Oct 2026: Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 · Federal Board of Revenue · IRS: Pakistan tax treaty documents · IRS: Form 5472

US LLC from Pakistan FAQs

Steps, price, Stripe and PayPal, banks, State Bank rules and tax, in the words people search for.

You choose a state, answer the onboarding questions online and we file the formation document with the state. You don't need an SSN, a US visa or a trip to the US, and the state doesn't ask for an ID. After the state approves the company, the EIN application goes to the IRS on Form SS-4 by fax or mail.

The price has three parts: the state's filing fee, the state's yearly fee and the formation package. Wyoming charges $100 to form an LLC and then $60 minimum annual report license tax (more if Wyoming assets are large). Delaware charges $110 and then $400 annual LLC tax (no annual report). State fees are the same for every owner, wherever they live. Our package prices are on the pricing page.

Pakistan isn't on Stripe's list of supported countries (checked Oct 2026). For a US Stripe account, Stripe says a registered business must be registered in the US, even if it operates in another country, and it asks a representative without an SSN or ITIN for a local tax ID. Stripe reviews each application and decides. A US company doesn't guarantee an account.

Pakistan isn't on PayPal's list of countries and regions (checked Oct 2026). PayPal's US user agreement says a business must be organized in, operating in, or a resident of the United States to open a US account. It doesn't say where the owners must live, and PayPal decides each application. We can't promise that PayPal will open an account for you.

It depends on the bank. Mercury publishes a prohibited-countries list that includes Pakistan and says it is based on your country of residence, not your citizenship (checked Oct 2026). Other providers publish different rules: Payoneer and Wise both describe how they verify a company and its owners. Read each provider's page before you apply.

Forming the company is a US filing. Sending money abroad to invest in it falls under Chapter 20, paragraph 13 of SBP's Foreign Exchange Manual. For resident individuals it lists three general permissions: shares of listed companies abroad up to USD 25,000 a year, a foreign employer's share option plan for staff of its Pakistan subsidiary up to USD 50,000 a year, and sweat equity up to 20%. If your plan isn't one of these, ask your bank or SBP how it is treated before you send money.

If you are in Pakistan for 183 days or more in a tax year you are a resident, and the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 computes a resident's income from both Pakistan-source and foreign-source amounts. A foreign company can also be resident in Pakistan if its control and management is wholly there. How these rules apply to you is a question for a tax adviser in Pakistan.

Payoneer publishes a guide to opening an account from Pakistan and lists the documents it asks a registered company for, including an IRS document with the EIN. Wise says it asks non-US owners of a US business for a photo ID. Neither page promises approval. Registate is a Payoneer Affiliate Partner and can guide a Payoneer application; Payoneer decides.

US LLCs from Pakistan: the longer answers

Last reviewed

What tax rate do Pakistani freelancers pay on export income?

It depends on what you export and whether you're registered. When you export services and receive the money through a Pakistani bank, tax is deducted from the proceeds under section 154A of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001: 0.25% for IT and IT-enabled services exporters registered with the Pakistan Software Export Board, for tax years 2024 to 2029, and 1% in other cases.

Those rates cover income you earn and bring home as an individual exporter. If your clients pay a US LLC instead, the money first belongs to the company, and how it is taxed in Pakistan when it reaches you depends on your residence and on how the LLC is treated, which the export-proceeds rules don't settle on their own. Keep records of both routes and ask a tax adviser in Pakistan before you switch. US companies for freelancers.

Do I need Form W-8BEN-E for my US LLC as a Pakistani freelancer?

Usually not. W-8BEN-E is for foreign entities, and a US LLC isn't foreign. If you own the LLC alone, the IRS disregards it by default and treats you as the owner of its income, so a US client or platform asking for a W-8 gets Form W-8BEN in your own name. An LLC with two or more members, or one taxed as a corporation, is a US person and gives Form W-9.

Clients ask so they know whether to withhold US tax. Pay for work you do from Pakistan is generally not US-source income, but the payer still needs the form to decide. The United States has an income tax treaty with Pakistan; claim a treaty article on the form only if it applies to your income. This is general information, not tax advice. Tax filings for a foreign-owned LLC.

How do I start Amazon FBA from Pakistan?

Register a seller account on Amazon Seller Central and choose Pakistan as your business location; Amazon has accepted sellers based in Pakistan since 2021, but check its current list of accepted countries first. You'll need a government ID such as a passport, proof of residential address from the last 180 days, a credit card, tax information and a bank account Amazon can pay out to. FBA is a service you add once the account is open.

You don't need a US LLC to start: Amazon says sellers don't have to be an LLC or registered business. A US company can help later, for example with US payment accounts, but it adds state fees and IRS filings, and Amazon still verifies the person behind it. Amazon decides each application; identity checks usually take a few business days. US companies for Amazon sellers.

Start your US company from Pakistan.

Form an LLC online. No SSN, no US visit. Providers decide their own accounts.
Start my US LLC from PakistanTalk to an expert