Most people think starting a US company from abroad takes a lawyer, a plane ticket, and 3 months.
It took me a few days.
From my laptop.
Without ever setting foot in Wyoming.
This is the playbook I wish someone had handed me: where to form your LLC, what it actually costs today, the order of operations that matters, and the one tool I used end to end.
No theory.
The exact path.
The conclusion first: form a Wyoming LLC, and don’t do it by hand
If you are a non-US founder and you want a clean, low-cost, low-drama US company, the answer is a Wyoming LLC.
Not Delaware.
Not your home state.
Wyoming.
And don’t assemble it piece by piece across five tabs and three government websites.
Use one platform that does the filing, the EIN, the registered agent, and the bank introduction in a single flow.
I used doola.
I’ll explain exactly why at the end — including the part where the CEO emailed me personally.
But first, the substance, because you should be able to make this decision even if you never click my link.
Why an LLC, and why the United States
An LLC is a Limited Liability Company.
It separates you from your business.
If the company owes money, your personal assets sit behind a wall.
For a creator, a freelancer, an e-commerce seller, or a SaaS founder, that wall matters.
So does the address on the door.
A US LLC gives you something a French or Indonesian structure can’t: instant credibility with American customers, access to Stripe and US payment rails, US banking, and a tax setup that — for many non-residents with no US activity — results in zero US federal income tax on the business itself.
That last point depends on your situation, so treat it as a reason to ask an accountant, not as advice.
The US is the largest market on earth.
An LLC is the cheapest passport into it.
Why Wyoming beats Delaware for most people
Everyone repeats « Delaware » like a reflex.
Delaware is built for venture-backed startups that will raise from US funds and issue stock.
That is a real use case. It is probably not yours.
For a solo founder or a small team, Wyoming wins on the three things that actually cost you money and time.
Cost.
Wyoming charges a $100 filing fee to form the LLC and a $60 minimum annual report each year.
Delaware’s annual franchise tax and higher fees add up fast for nothing you’ll use.
Privacy.
Wyoming does not publish member or manager names in its public records.
Only your registered agent appears. Your ownership stays off the public internet. Delaware is less generous here.
Taxes.
Wyoming has no state income tax, no corporate income tax, and no franchise tax on LLC income.
You still deal with federal rules, but the state takes nothing off the top.
There’s also strong asset protection: Wyoming’s « charging order » protection is one of the toughest in the country, even for single-member LLCs.
Translation: it’s hard for a creditor to pry the company out of your hands.
Think of it like choosing a car.
Delaware is a track car built for one specific race.
Wyoming is the Bugatti you can actually drive every day — fast, premium, and oddly practical once you own one.
For 90% of founders reading this, you want the one you can drive.
How to create an LLC in the USA: the 7 steps
Here’s the whole process, in order.
This is « how to create a LLC in USA » stripped to its bones.
1. Pick your state.
Done. Wyoming.
2. Pick a company name.
It must be unique in Wyoming and end with « LLC. »
Check availability before you fall in love with it.
3. Appoint a registered agent.
Wyoming law requires a physical address in the state to receive legal mail.
You almost certainly don’t have one.
A formation service includes this — usually for a year.
4. File the Articles of Organization.
This is the actual birth certificate of your LLC, filed with the Wyoming Secretary of State.
The $100 fee lives here.
5. Get your EIN.
The EIN is your company’s tax ID — the US equivalent of a SIRET in France.
You need it for banking, Stripe, and taxes.
As a non-resident without an SSN, you can still get one, but the IRS process is slower.
Expect roughly 4 to 8 weeks if it’s handled for you, longer if you fight the fax machine alone.
6. Open a US bank account.
Most non-residents go through Mercury or Relay, which work remotely.
No US trip required.
Approval is never guaranteed, so your application has to be clean.
7. Stay compliant.
File the annual report ($60+), keep your registered agent active, and handle federal filings.
Foreign-owned single-member LLCs typically file Form 5472 with a pro-forma 1120 each year.
Miss this one and the penalty is brutal — five figures.
This is the step solo founders forget.
Seven steps.
Each one is simple.
The pain is that they live in seven different places, and step 5 and step 7 are where people quietly fail.
What it really costs in 2026
Let’s kill the mystery.
Real numbers, no asterisks.
State filing fee: $100, once.
Annual report / license tax: $60 minimum per year (around $62 with the online fee).
Registered agent: $50–$200 per year if you use a service.
So the government-and-agent floor is roughly $150–$360 for year one, then a low annual amount after that.
On top of that sits the service you use to do the work for you.
That’s optional in theory.
In practice, if your time is worth anything, it’s the best money in the stack.
Doing it alone vs. using a platform
You can do all seven steps yourself.
People do.
I considered it.
Then I priced my own time.
Hours hunting registered-agent providers.
The IRS EIN process without an SSN, which is the single most frustrating government interaction I’ve had.
Then Form 5472, which is easy to get wrong and expensive to get wrong.
The math was obvious.
Pay a few hundred dollars, get the whole chain handled, and spend my hours on the thing that actually makes money: my content and my audience.
This is the same principle I push on everything — leverage over hustle.
Systems over grinding.
You don’t get paid for assembling paperwork. You get paid for the business the paperwork unlocks.
Why I used doola (the honest part)
I’m not going to pretend I tested every option for six months.
I picked the tool built specifically for non-US founders and it did exactly what it promised.
doola handled the Wyoming filing, the registered agent, the EIN-without-SSN process, a usable US business address, and the bank introduction — in one flow.
Their Starter plan is $297/year + state fees. If you want them to also run your bookkeeping and file the federal returns (the Form 5472 trap), the Total Compliance plan at $1,999/year covers it.
I’d rather pay that than risk a five-figure IRS penalty I didn’t see coming.
Was it perfect? The banking piece depends on Mercury approving you, and no service can guarantee that.
Go in knowing it.
But the core job — getting a clean, compliant US LLC from outside the country without losing weeks — it nailed.
Here’s the part that actually moved me.
After I signed up, the CEO emailed me personally.
Not a templated « welcome aboard » blast.
A real message (maybe AI haha)
In a world of faceless software, a founder taking ten minutes to write to a customer is rare, and it told me more about the company than any landing page.
That’s why I’m comfortable putting my name on this. I’m not recommending doola because there’s a link. There’s a link because I’d recommend it anyway.
Your move
If you’ve been telling yourself « I’ll set up my US company someday, » understand the opportunity cost.
Every month without a US LLC is a month you can’t cleanly take US customers, can’t run Stripe properly, and can’t build the asset that outlives a single product.
Pick Wyoming.
Do the seven steps.
Don’t do them by hand.
If you want the path I took, start your LLC here: create your Wyoming LLC with doola.
Full transparency: that’s my affiliate link, so I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
I only share it because I used the product and it delivered.
The company you build this year is the leverage you’ll thank yourself for in five.
Go build it.
FAQ
What is the best state to form an LLC as a non-US resident?
For most non-residents, Wyoming. It has no state income tax, low fees ($100 to form, $60+ per year), strong privacy, and strong asset protection. Delaware mainly makes sense if you plan to raise venture capital and issue stock.
Can I create a US LLC without living in the US?
Yes. You don’t need to be a US citizen, a resident, or have a visa. You need a registered agent in your chosen state and an EIN. The entire process can be done remotely.
Do I need an SSN to get an EIN?
No. Non-residents without a Social Security Number can still obtain an EIN, but the IRS process is slower — typically 4 to 8 weeks when handled for you. Services like doola specialize in this.
How much does a Wyoming LLC cost in 2026?
Roughly $150–$360 in year one between the $100 state filing fee, the ~$60 annual report, and registered agent fees. A done-for-you formation platform adds its own fee on top, starting around $297/year.
Will I pay US tax on my Wyoming LLC?
Wyoming charges no state income tax. Federal treatment depends on your activity and residency, and foreign-owned LLCs must file specific forms (often Form 5472 + pro-forma 1120). Talk to a cross-border accountant before assuming zero — this article is information, not tax advice.