Forming a Company in the U.S.: LLC Formation, EIN and Bank Account
U.S. company formation means registering an LLC or Corporation in a U.S. state and making the company ready to operate with an EIN, a registered agent, a U.S. address and a bank account. Export Partners is an Amazon SPN verified team that handles this without you traveling to the U.S., usually within a week, and plans your Amazon account, trademark registration and FDA registration under the same company.
No travel to the U.S. · Usually within a week · EIN and bank account included
LLCCorporationEINWyomingDelawareBank account
Forming a company in the U.S.: state, company type and cost
Formation starts with choosing the state and the company type; for most exporters the right structure is a single-member LLC. Next come the formation documents, a registered agent and U.S. address, the EIN, an online bank account and the first-year tax calendar. It is set up for manufacturers and brands that need to sell on Amazon U.S., invoice U.S. buyers or use a U.S. company for FDA registration.
Which state: Wyoming, Delaware, Florida
State choice is driven by the formation fee, the annual report fee and state taxes. Wyoming, with low annual costs and no state income tax, is the most common choice for small e-commerce export companies; Delaware is preferred for structures that will raise investment or have partners, but it has an annual franchise tax; Florida and Texas make sense for companies with physical operations (warehouse, office). The comparison is in our article Which U.S. state to form your company in.
Cost of forming a company in the U.S.
The total cost consists of the state filing fee, registered agent and address fees, the EIN and the service fee; the annual report and federal tax return are recurring items in later years. Current state-by-state figures are in our article Cost of forming an LLC in the U.S.; a quote is prepared at the first call based on your product and market.
Who is it for?
Selling on Amazon U.S.
Invoicing U.S. buyers
Needing a U.S. contact for FDA and customs
Planning investment or partners
U.S. company formation process map: six steps and timelines
The timeline and a detailed guide for each step, from formation to the first tax return.
Initial call: company type and state
Day 1
Which state should you form your company in?
Name and formation filing
Days 1 to 5
Formation cost by state
Operating Agreement
Together with formation
EIN, federal tax ID
A few business days to a few weeks
EIN vs. ITIN
Bank account
After the EIN
Tax calendar and annual obligations
Every year
U.S. tax filing service
Company, EIN and bank account in one plan
Company formation can be purchased on its own. If you also need an Amazon account, trademark registration and FDA registration, they move forward as a package under the same company.
Our Services
U.S. Company Formation
Online bank account
Federal tax return
EIN (company tax ID)
ITIN
Reseller Certificate and sales tax
D-U-N-S number
Company dissolution
Why Export Partners?
U.S.-based tax professionals
Company, Amazon, trademark and FDA in one plan
Transparent process, fast response
Reasonable fees
Forming a company in the U.S.: guides
Detailed articles on formation, tax and payment questions.
Cost of Forming a Company in the U.S.: State Fees and Annual Expenses
The cost of forming a company in the U.S. has two parts: the state fee paid once at formation and the expenses that keep the company in good standing each year. There is no minimum capital requirement. State fees for an LLC in commonly chosen states are as follows:
| State | Formation fee | Annual state cost | Who chooses it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 100 USD | Annual report from 60 USD | Small companies selling on Amazon and online exports |
| Delaware | 110 USD | 300 USD annual LLC tax | Structures raising investment or with multiple partners |
| Florida | 125 USD | 138.75 USD annual report | Companies with a warehouse or office in Florida |
| New Mexico | 50 USD | No annual report | Those looking for the lowest state costs |
Every state also requires a registered agent and address service, which is added to these fees. The IRS does not charge for an EIN; for foreign applicants without a Social Security number, processing can take several weeks.
Annual requirements after forming a U.S. company
- State annual report: filed with the state to keep the company in good standing; in Wyoming during the month of formation, in Florida by May 1.
- Form 5472 and pro forma 1120: a foreign-owned single-member LLC reports to the IRS every year; it is required even when no tax is due, and the penalty for not filing is 25,000 USD.
- Sales tax: comes into play only in states where you sell and exceed the threshold or hold inventory; for Amazon marketplace sales, Amazon collects the tax in most states.
- BOI report: no longer required for companies formed in the U.S.; FinCEN now applies this obligation only to companies formed in a foreign country and registered to do business in the U.S.
That is why, when deciding to form a company in the U.S., it makes sense to look at the state's annual costs and annual filing costs together with the formation fee.
Frequently asked questions
No. Formation, the EIN application and an online bank account can all be completed from your home country; U.S. residency or an SSN is not required. Some banks ask for a video call for identity verification.
Once all information is complete, formation is usually finalized within a week; online formation in Wyoming and Delaware is fast. For foreign applicants without an SSN, the EIN generally arrives in about 4 business days by fax or 4-5 weeks by mail; the bank account is opened after the EIN.
A passport is not needed for formation; it is requested for identity verification in the EIN application and when opening a bank account. FinCEN removed BOI (beneficial ownership) reporting for companies formed in the U.S. in 2025, and a final rule confirmed this in August 2026; only companies formed in a foreign country and registered in the U.S. remain in scope.
Yes. The EIN is the company's federal tax ID; the bank account, payment providers, the Amazon Tax Interview and tax filings all run on the EIN. It is obtained together with formation.
No. The ITIN is the company owner's personal tax number and is obtained through a tax professional together with the first income tax return, that is, by April of the year following formation. It is not needed for formation or the EIN.
No. Delaware has no state income tax on out-of-state activity, but it does have an annual franchise tax; federal tax applies in every state. U.S. taxation is filing-based, and mismatches between bank activity and filings can lead to penalties in an audit. Choosing a state is a cost and operations decision, not a tax one.
Yes. In Seller Central, the company name, U.S. address and EIN are entered in the legal entity section, and the Tax Interview is completed in the company's name with a W-9. Formation documents and the EIN letter are requested during account verification.
A sales tax ID is the registration to collect and file sales tax in a state; a Resale Certificate lets you buy goods for resale without paying sales tax. Amazon collects sales tax itself as the marketplace in most states, but registration may be needed for wholesale purchases and in some states.
Sole proprietorship, LLC, C-Corporation and S-Corporation. Most foreign exporters choose an LLC: limited liability, a single owner is enough and the tax structure is simple. An S-Corp is open only to U.S. citizen or resident owners; a C-Corp is considered for structures that will raise investment.
By default an LLC is “pass-through”: profit is taxed on the owners' returns, not at the company level. A corporation pays corporate tax on its profit, and distributed dividends are taxed again at the owner level. A foreign-owned single-member LLC also files Form 5472 every year; the filing calendar is set up together with formation.
Yes. Every state requires a registered agent to receive official notices and an address within the state; this service is included in the formation package. A U.S. mailing address for the bank and Amazon can also be provided.
No. You can open an Amazon U.S. seller account with a company registered in your home country. Most brands still prefer a U.S. company because it makes a U.S. bank account, payment platforms such as Stripe, invoicing U.S. buyers and the tax side easier.
A Stripe account is opened according to the country where the business is registered; since Stripe is not available in many countries, Shopify sellers who want to accept card payments from U.S. customers usually open a Stripe account with a U.S. LLC and EIN.
Some states allow an LLC to move to another state (domestication or conversion); where this is not allowed, a new company is formed in the new state and the old one is dissolved, or the company is registered in the new state as a foreign company (foreign qualification). The right path depends on the rules of both states.
For online sellers without physical operations, Wyoming is usually the choice (low annual cost, no state income tax); Delaware for structures that will raise investment; and forming in the state where you have a warehouse or office (Texas, Florida) makes sense. Details are in our state comparison article.
Closing (dissolution) is done by notifying the state, filing a final tax return and closing the EIN account; annual reports and tax balances must be paid. State fees and penalties keep accruing for a company that is not closed, so an unused company is closed rather than left inactive.
State filing fees range from 50 to 125 USD depending on the state: New Mexico 50, Wyoming 100, Delaware 110, Florida 125 USD. Annual state costs start at 60 USD in Wyoming, 300 USD in Delaware and 138.75 USD in Florida; New Mexico has no annual report. Registered agent and address service, the annual tax filing (Form 5472) and the service fee of the firm handling the setup are added to these. The IRS does not charge for an EIN.
The most concrete advantage is access to U.S. payment and sales infrastructure: a U.S. bank, payment systems such as Stripe and PayPal, an Amazon U.S. seller account under a U.S. legal entity, and a local point of contact for U.S. buyers. The tax side depends on your activity; forming a U.S. company does not by itself mean tax-free sales, and filings in your home country and the U.S. should be planned together.
No. In March 2025 FinCEN exempted companies formed in the U.S. from beneficial ownership (BOI) reporting and confirmed this with a final rule in August 2026. An LLC formed in a U.S. state does not file the report even if its owner is foreign; the obligation remains only for companies formed in a foreign country and registered to do business in the U.S. Some older sources online still describe it as “required within the first 30 days.”
In most cases, yes. Once the EIN is issued, a business account can be opened online with U.S. digital banks; identity verification usually requires a passport and company documents. Some traditional banks may require an in-branch visit. After the account is opened, Stripe, PayPal and Amazon payouts can be linked to it.
Company formation in other countries
The same plan works for the European and UK markets: company, tax registration and Amazon account together.
Get a quote
Tell us about your product, target market and ownership structure; we reply the same day with a proposal that includes a state recommendation, timeline and price.
- State and entity type recommendation included with the proposal
- State fee, registered agent and service fee listed separately
- EIN and bank account included in the process
Contact us
E-mail: info@exportpartnersllc.com
U.S.: +1 210 756 2033
Export Partners LLC, 5835 Callaghan Rd, Ste 204-0501, San Antonio, TX 78228, USA