What Do You Need to Start a Company in the US?

The short list

To set up a US company (LLC) from Turkey you usually need: a valid ID (most often a passport), your address details, company name ideas, the state you’ll form in, and a Registered Agent in that state.

Once the company is formed, it gets an EIN and you apply for a bank or payment account. None of these steps requires travelling to the US.

State and Registered Agent

Your company is formed in one state; Wyoming, Delaware and New Mexico are common choices for founders abroad. Each state has its own formation and yearly rules, and our free State comparison tool shows them side by side.

In Delaware and Wyoming every company must keep a Registered Agent at all times. The Registered Agent accepts official notices and state mail; it isn’t the company’s business address or a virtual office.

EIN: the company’s tax number

An EIN is the 9-digit federal tax ID the IRS gives businesses. Bank accounts, payment platforms and federal filings all run on it, and the IRS doesn’t charge for it.

You can apply even without a Social Security Number (SSN) or ITIN; this is stated on Form SS-4. IRS processing times vary by period and by how you apply.

Do I need an ITIN?

You don’t need an ITIN to form a company or to get the company an EIN. An ITIN is for individuals with a US tax obligation or a valid federal tax purpose. Our free EIN / ITIN check shows whether you need one.

After formation

Once the company exists, yearly tasks begin: a single-member LLC wholly owned by a foreign person files Form 5472 with the IRS every year, and depending on the state there may be an annual report or state tax. Under FinCEN’s current rule, companies formed in the US are exempt from BOI reporting.

So you don’t miss a deadline, our free Deadline calendar builds a calendar for your company that you can add to your phone.