How to form a Wyoming LLC from outside the US, step by step
Each step in order: the state form field by field, the documents you need, the EIN without an SSN and the bank pack. File it yourself with this guide, or hand it to our Wyoming LLC formation service.
- State fee at cost: $100
- Active as soon as the filing is accepted
- Year two price shown now
01Is a Wyoming LLC right for you?
Usually yes, if you run an online business from outside the US and need a US company to sign clients, get paid or use US payment platforms. Usually no, if you plan to raise venture capital or you'll operate physically in another US state.
A good fit when you
- Sell services, software or products online to customers anywhere
- Need a US company for clients, payment platforms or marketplaces
- Want low, predictable yearly costs ($60 state minimum)
- Want owners kept off the public state record
- Will hold the company yourself or with a few partners
Choose something else when you
- Plan to raise from US venture investors (they usually ask for a Delaware C corporation)
- Will have staff, an office or stock in another state (you'd also register there, which erases most savings)
- Live in the US (your home state is often simpler)
- Mostly sell in your own country, where a local company may suit banks and tax better
- Live in a country under comprehensive US sanctions
A Wyoming LLC doesn't change where you pay personal tax. Your home country may tax the LLC's profits as yours. Check with a tax adviser where you live before you form it; we'll tell you what to ask.
02Filing it yourself or with help: who does each step
You can file with Wyoming yourself for the state fee alone. Here is what each task involves on your own, next to what Heirson does for you.
| Task | Filing it yourself | With Heirson |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization | You file on wyobiz.wyo.gov. $100 + 2.4% card fee | We file it for you, state fee at cost |
| Registered agent with a Wyoming street address | Required. You hire one; you can't use your own address abroad | Included in year one and every renewal |
| EIN (US tax number) | Free from the IRS. Without an SSN you phone, fax or post Form SS-4 | We prepare and submit it, and track it in your dashboard |
| Operating agreement | Not filed with the state, but banks ask for it | Drafted from your answers |
| Annual report and $60 tax | You remember the date and file it | Reminders 30 and 7 days before; filed with your OK |
| Form 5472 (foreign single owner) | Paper or fax to the IRS each year. $25,000 penalty if missed | Deadline in your calendar. Preparation available for US$179 a year |
Done for you, year one is US$181.40 all in: the US$102.40 state filing and card fee at cost plus US$79 for the filing, registered agent, EIN and operating agreement. From year two it is US$130.44. The Wyoming LLC formation page breaks the price down.
03How to form a Wyoming LLC online, step by step
Pick a name, appoint a Wyoming registered agent, file the Articles of Organization online, then get an EIN, sign an operating agreement and open a bank account. The state step takes minutes. The EIN and bank take longer.
Choose a name the state will accept
It must end in LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company or a short form such as Ltd. Liability Co. (Wyoming Statutes 17-29-108), and be distinguishable from names already on the Wyoming register. We check it as you type. You don't need to reserve it first; a reservation holds a name for 120 days if you're not ready.
Heirson checks itAppoint a registered agent in Wyoming
Every Wyoming LLC needs one: a Wyoming resident or registered commercial agent with a street address in the state. PO boxes and mail-forwarding addresses aren't allowed, as the state's registered agent guide explains. The agent receives legal papers for you and privately keeps a contact for the company.
IncludedFile the Articles of Organization online
The online filing is active immediately, and Wyoming reviews the name on the next business day, according to the Secretary of State business FAQs. Here is what the Articles of Organization form asks for, and what becomes public:
Heirson files itArticles of Organization (summary)Public record?LLC name PublicExactly as approved, with the LLC ending.Registered agent and office PublicThe agent's name and Wyoming street address, with the agent's written consent.Mailing and principal office PublicCan be outside the US. Many founders use a business address instead of home.Organizer PublicWhoever signs the filing. Heirson can act as organizer so your name isn't the one shown.Members and managers Not askedWyoming's form doesn't ask who owns the LLC.Get your EIN
The EIN is the company's US tax number. Banks and payment platforms ask for it. Without an SSN or ITIN, it's issued by phone, fax or post (section 04).
Heirson submits itSign an operating agreement
Not filed with the state. It sets out who owns what and who decides. Banks usually ask for a copy.
Drafted for youOpen a bank or payment account
With your Articles, EIN, operating agreement and passport. Approval is the bank's decision (section 05).
You apply, we prepare the pack
04Getting an EIN without an SSN
Yes, you can. The IRS online tool isn't open to LLCs run from outside the US, so the application goes on Form SS-4, with "Foreign" written where the SSN would go, as the SS-4 instructions describe. The EIN is free.
| Route | How | Typical time (IRS) |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | IRS international line 267-941-1099, Mon to Fri, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Not toll-free. | During the call |
| Fax | Form SS-4 to the IRS fax number, with a return fax number | About 4 business days |
| Post | Form SS-4 by mail | About 4 weeks |
Heirson prepares the SS-4 from your answers, submits it and tracks it in your dashboard. You don't need an ITIN for the EIN.
EIN without an SSN: the full guide05Bank account and payments
For most founders, the bank account is the real goal. Here is the honest version: banks and payment platforms decide who they accept, and none of them can be guaranteed by a formation service, including us.
- What they usually ask for: your Articles of Organization, EIN letter, operating agreement, passport, proof of your home address, and a clear description of what the business sells and to whom.
- What helps: a website that matches the business description, a business address, and consistent names across every document.
- What slows things down: missing EIN letter, mismatched addresses, or a business activity the bank treats as higher risk.
Your dashboard builds this pack as each document arrives, and tells you when it's complete.
US business bank account for non-residents06Taxes and yearly filings for foreign owners
Wyoming has no state income tax. Each year you file a short annual report with a $60 minimum tax. A single owner outside the US also files IRS Form 5472 every year, even with no US income. FinCEN's ownership report is no longer required for US-formed LLCs.
Wyoming annual report
Due on the first day of the month you formed the LLC, every year. It asks for the value of assets located in Wyoming and the principal office address, not the owners. The tax is $60, or $0.0002 per dollar of Wyoming assets if that's more, under the state fee schedule. You can file up to 120 days early. Miss it and the LLC becomes delinquent on the second day of the following month, then is dissolved if the report is still missing 60 days after the due date; reinstatement costs $100 plus the back fees and is only possible within two years.
Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120
A single-member LLC owned by a non-US person files Form 5472 (IRS instructions), attached to a pro forma Form 1120, by 15 April for the previous year. Putting money into the company or paying its formation costs counts as a reportable transaction, so the first one is due the April after you form. It can't be filed online: it goes by fax or post to the IRS. The penalty for not filing is $25,000, and more if it continues after an IRS notice.
US income tax
A foreign owner generally pays US federal income tax only on income "effectively connected" with a US trade or business, such as income from staff, an office or other operations in the US. Many online businesses run entirely from abroad have none, but this depends on the facts, so confirm it with a US tax professional.
Beneficial ownership (FinCEN BOI)
Since FinCEN's final rule took effect on 14 August 2026, companies formed in the US, including a Wyoming LLC owned entirely by non-US people, don't file a beneficial ownership report. Many guides still describe the old rules.
Your home country
Where you live may tax the LLC's profits as your own, or have rules on owning a foreign company. Heirson isn't a tax adviser. Ask a local adviser before you form it.
Form 5472 for foreign-owned LLCs07Privacy: what's public and who still knows
Wyoming LLCs are often sold as "anonymous". That's only half true. Your name stays off the public state record, but the people who need to know who owns the company still do.
Public record
Anyone can search it- LLC name and status
- Registered agent and Wyoming office
- Mailing and principal office address
- Organizer's name
Registered agent
Kept confidential- Names of members or managers
- A contact person for the company
- Released only for a subpoena or criminal investigation
Bank and IRS
Know you by law- The IRS: you as responsible party on the EIN, and on Form 5472
- Banks: identity checks on every owner
A 2026 bill (SF0082) that would have required agents to record every owner did not pass.
08Wyoming or Delaware?
For a small online business owned from abroad, Wyoming is usually the simpler, cheaper choice: a $100 filing and $60 a year. Delaware is the default for companies planning to raise from US venture investors, usually as a C corporation, and its yearly costs are higher.
Wyoming vs Delaware LLC for non-residents09Wyoming LLC numbers people get wrong
Many pages that rank for Wyoming LLC searches still repeat old figures. These are the most common mistakes, set against the state's and FinCEN's own documents.
| Topic | Often written | Correct (26 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Card fee on the $100 filing | $2, or $4 | 2.4% of the fee, $1 minimum ($2.40) |
| When the yearly tax rises above $60 | Above $250,000 of assets, or "0.0002%" | Above $300,000 of Wyoming assets ($0.0002 per dollar) |
| How long the state takes | "3 weeks" or "15 days" | Online: active immediately. By post: up to 15 business days |
| FinCEN BOI report | Required, or "exempt for now" | Not required for US-formed LLCs (final rule, 14 Aug 2026) |
| Paying to speed it up | "Wyoming has no expedite" | Since 1 Jul 2026: $700 next day, $1,400 same day (paper filings, HB0016). Online needs none |
| Anonymity | "Fully anonymous" | Off the public record; known to the agent, banks and the IRS |
You're welcome to cite this table. Please link to this page.
10Questions
Can I form a Wyoming LLC if I'm not a US citizen or resident?
How long until my LLC exists?
Can a company, not a person, own the LLC?
Do I need a US address or phone number?
What if I miss the annual report?
Can I close the LLC later?
Is Heirson the Wyoming Secretary of State?
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Heirson is a private company registration service and is not affiliated with the State of Wyoming or the IRS.
Ten minutes to apply. Every yearly cost already on the table.
We file with Wyoming as soon as you finish, get your EIN without an SSN, and keep your deadlines in one place. You pay at the end, in crypto.