I live outside the US and want an LLC
Non-US founders, freelancers and online sellers
Guides to Starting and Running a US Business
Plain-English guides to forming a US company, getting an EIN, choosing an address, handling mail and keeping up with what the state and IRS expect. Each one points to the official sources and your next step.
Contents42 pages · 0 in preparation
Pick a stage; the library below follows it.
The library, by topic
Published pages are linked. Guides marked “In preparation” are being written and will link here once they're live.
Formation
Company types, states and what filing involves.
- Can a Non-US Resident Own a US LLC?Who can own a US LLC from abroad and what changes when you do. Read guide
- What Does a US LLC Cost to Start and Maintain?State fees, yearly fees and optional services, year one and after. Read guide
- How Long Does It Take to Set Up a US Company?Each step's timing, and which parts the state and IRS control. Read guide
- Documents and Information Needed to Form a US CompanyWhat to have ready before you file. Read guide
- US company formationLLC or C-Corp, which state, and what the first year costs.
- Forming a US LLCFiling steps, state fees, EIN support and ongoing obligations.
- Forming a US C-CorpShares, directors, corporate tax and how it differs from an LLC.
- Formation for non-residentsHow non-US residents form a company, get an EIN and prepare address documents.
- Delaware LLCFormation steps, registered agent needs and yearly state obligations.
- Wyoming LLCFormation, registered agent requirements and annual reporting.
- Delaware C-CorpCompany documents, EIN support and Delaware's corporate filings.
- How Registate worksFrom choosing services to documents and what happens after you order.
EIN & tax
Your federal tax ID and the filings that follow it.
- How to Apply for an EIN Without an SSNThe IRS routes open to applicants without an SSN or ITIN. Read guide
- US Tax Obligations for a Foreign-Owned LLCThe federal filings a foreign-owned LLC can owe. Read guide
- Form 5472 and Pro Forma Form 1120 for Foreign-Owned LLCsWho files them, what they report and when. Read guide
Addresses & mail
Street addresses, mailboxes and proof of address.
- USPS Form 1583 for Your Virtual MailboxWhy USPS requires it and how it's completed. Read guide
- US Business Address Types: Glossary and UsesRegistered agent, mailing, street and PMB addresses explained. Read guide
- What Can Prove Your Business Address?Documents that are commonly accepted, and what usually isn't. Read guide
- Changing Your US Business Address: What to UpdateThe state, IRS, banks and platforms to tell. Read guide
- Proof of addressLease-backed address documents and the checks banks and platforms run.
- Virtual mailboxA US street address for mail, with scans, forwarding and storage online.
- Mail scanningSeeing incoming mail online and asking for document scans.
- Mail forwardingDomestic and international forwarding, charges and limits.
- Virtual officeBusiness address options, mail services and location terms.
Banking & payments
What banks, payment providers and marketplaces ask for.
- US banking and paymentsAccount options for non-US founders and the documents they ask for.
- Why US banks say noCommon reasons applications are declined, and possible next steps.
- Payoneer for non-US ownersReceiving accounts, application documents and published fees.
- Mercury requirementsCompany, founder and physical address rules from Mercury's own guidance.
- Stripe requirementsWhat Stripe checks for the company, representatives and website.
- Amazon seller verificationIdentity and address documents, and keeping them consistent.
Staying compliant
Registered agents, yearly state filings and reports.
- Delaware Annual Obligations: LLCs and C CorporationsDelaware's yearly taxes and reports, and their due dates. Read guide
- Wyoming LLC Annual Reports and Ongoing RequirementsThe yearly report, its tax and what else Wyoming expects. Read guide
- BOI Reporting: Which Companies Need to File?Where beneficial ownership reporting stands under FinCEN's rules. Read guide
- When Does Your LLC Need Foreign Qualification?Registering to do business in a second state. Read guide
Comparisons
Two options side by side, when you're choosing.
- ComparisonsSide-by-side answers to the common either-or choices.
- LLC vs C-CorpOwnership, tax and investor fit, side by side.
- Delaware vs Wyoming LLCFees, yearly obligations and practical differences.
- Virtual mailbox vs virtual officeWhat each gives you, and which one fits your use.
- Registered agent vs business addressTwo different addresses with two different jobs.
Reading paths for common situations
Not sure where to begin? Pick the situation closest to yours and read the pages in this order.
I need a US bank or payment account
Founders preparing an application
I plan to raise money from investors
Startups weighing a corporation
I need a US address and my mail handled
Companies that already exist
How we write our guides
Four rules every page in the library follows.
- Official sources firstFees, forms and rules come from the IRS, state filing offices, USPS, FinCEN and the providers themselves, and we link to them.
- Dated checksPages with fees or rules carry a “Sources, checked” line with the month we checked, so you can see how fresh it is.
- Who decides whatWe say when the state, the IRS, a bank or a platform makes the call. Processing times vary; they set them, not us.
- Information, not adviceGuides explain how things work. For tax or legal advice on your situation, talk to a qualified professional.
Start with the official guides
The two public references this library builds on. Worth reading alongside any page here.
Also cited across the library
State filing officesUSPSFinCENBank and platform help pages
Links above checked Sept 2026.
Guides FAQs
What's in the library, how current it is, and what it isn't.
Pages on forming a US LLC or C-Corp, choosing a state, getting an EIN, US addresses and mail, banking and payment account requirements, and yearly state obligations. They're grouped by topic, and the reading paths suggest an order for common situations.
Those guides are being written and aren't published yet, so they aren't linked. They'll appear as links in the library once they're live. Until then, the related published pages in the same topic cover the basics.
No. They explain how formation, EINs, addresses and filings generally work, using official sources. For advice on your own situation, talk to a qualified tax professional or attorney.
Pages that quote fees or rules list their sources with the month we checked them. States, the IRS and providers can change their rules, so if something differs, the official source is the one to follow.
No. The guides are free to read. If you'd like us to handle formation, EIN preparation, an address or a mailbox for you, you can order those separately.