Setting Up a US LLC: My Own Messy Journey
Man, setting up a US LLC as a non-resident was a trip. Seriously, I figured I’d just fill out a few forms, pay some fees, and bam, done. Nope. Not even close. I decided to document all the crap I went through because maybe it’ll save someone else the headaches I had.
The ‘Easy’ Start: Choosing the State
First thing I did was try to figure out which state was best. Everyone online screams “Delaware” or “Wyoming.” So I started looking at those. I spent a whole weekend just reading blog posts and forum discussions. It was overwhelming. People were talking about asset protection, anonymity, and how much the annual fees were going to kill me. I ended up choosing Wyoming because the annual fees looked low and people kept saying it was super non-resident-friendly. That decision took way longer than it should have—I kept second-guessing myself.
I dove into the actual state filing forms. I thought I could do it all myself to save cash. Big mistake. The forms weren’t hard to find, but figuring out exactly what information they wanted, and how to phrase it, was maddening. I remember staring at the “Registered Agent” section for hours. Did I need one immediately? Yes. Could I just use my friend’s address? Absolutely not. That’s when I realized I needed professional help, or at least a service.
Grabbing a Registered Agent and the Application
I signed up with one of those online formation services, mainly just to get the Registered Agent hooked up. I picked one that looked decent, paid their annual fee—which felt steep initially—but it was worth it just to handle the legal mumbo jumbo. They guided me through the actual filing process for the Articles of Organization with the state of Wyoming. This part was relatively smooth, because they practically held my hand electronically.
- Submitted the name check (which luckily went through on the first try).
- Filled out the basic business purpose—kept it super generic.
- Provided my foreign address and passport details.
- Paid the state fee through the service.
I remember hitting submit and then just waiting. And waiting. It took about a week for the state to process everything. That week felt like forever. I kept checking my email every two minutes. Finally, the email came in with the certified documents. I was officially a Wyoming LLC. Relief washed over me, but then I remembered the next huge hurdle: the EIN.
The Dreaded EIN Application (Form SS-4)
Being a non-resident without a US Social Security Number means you can’t just apply for the EIN online. You have to fill out Form SS-4 and fax or mail it in. Faxing! Who even has a fax machine anymore? I wasted an entire morning trying to find an online fax service that looked legit and wouldn’t charge me an arm and a leg for one single fax to the IRS.
Filling out the SS-4 was another nightmare. Section 7b was the confusing part—designating a third party to receive the EIN confirmation letter. Since I didn’t have a US address for the business yet (besides the Registered Agent, which I wasn’t sure if I should use), I had to make sure I got that mailing address right so the actual physical letter from the IRS didn’t vanish into the ether.
I finally got the fax sent off. That was in late March. The turnaround time the IRS was quoting was something ridiculous, like 8 to 11 weeks. I settled in for a long wait. About 10 weeks later, right when I was starting to lose hope and considering calling them (another layer of complexity—calling the IRS from overseas!), the physical letter arrived at my designated address. I ripped it open. I had the EIN.
Post-EIN Steps: The Operational Setup
Once I had the documents and the EIN, the rest was operational, but still difficult. Getting a US business bank account as a non-resident, without flying to the US, was the next massive pain. Most big banks wouldn’t touch me. I ended up using one of the newer online banking solutions that specializes in non-resident LLCs. It took another two weeks of KYC (Know Your Customer) checks—uploading my LLC documents, EIN letter, passport, everything. It felt invasive but necessary.
Finally, after about four months from the very first day I looked up “Wyoming LLC,” I had a fully formed, bank-accounted US entity ready to actually do business. It was a grind, and I definitely should have just paid someone more upfront to handle the SS-4 faxing and follow-up, but getting it done myself taught me exactly how messy the bureaucratic paperwork jungle is for us folks overseas.