🇺🇸 US Company Registration
A US entity gives access to US payment rails such as Stripe and PayPal, US marketplaces and US banking. Delaware and Wyoming are the most common states for foreign-owned entities; Delaware is preferred when future investment or equity incentives are planned.
United States company registration is administered by State Secretary of State, the usual entity type is LLC / C-Corp, and the standard timeline is 1-3 business days. Please confirm requirements with our advisors before proceeding.
United States at a glance
LLC or C-Corp?
- LLC — pass-through taxation by default, flexible management structure, lower compliance overhead. Suited to e-commerce sellers, trading entities and asset holding.
- C-Corp — the standard structure for venture funding and equity incentives, with a familiar share/board framework. Subject to corporate-level tax (and a second layer on dividends).
- A common path is to operate as an LLC first and convert to a C-Corp when institutional funding is raised; the conversion has tax and contractual implications and should be planned in advance.
Key requirements
- Members / directors: minimum one; no nationality restriction and no US residency requirement.
- Registered agent: every US entity must maintain a registered agent with a physical address in the state of formation.
- Formation document: Articles of Organization (LLC) or Certificate of Incorporation (C-Corp).
- EIN: an Employer Identification Number is required for banking and tax filings and is applied for separately after formation.
- Operating agreement / bylaws: not always mandatory, but strongly recommended for clarity and banking.
Formation process
- State selection and entity structuring (1-2 business days)
- Name availability check and reservation
- Filing of formation documents with the Secretary of State (1-3 business days)
- EIN application (1-3 weeks; may run in parallel)
- Drafting of operating agreement or bylaws and initial resolutions
- Ongoing: annual report / franchise tax, federal and state filings, BOI beneficial ownership report
Frequently asked questions
No. Formation does not require an SSN, ITIN or US residency. An EIN can be obtained with the formation documents and the responsible party’s passport details, though the process takes longer without an SSN.
Delaware is standard when you expect investment or complex equity; Wyoming is popular for e-commerce and small entities for its lower franchise tax and privacy; if you have staff, offices or inventory in a state, you may also need to register there as a foreign entity.
In many cases yes, particularly with digital-first providers. Traditional banks usually require stronger evidence of US business activity and may require in-person visits. An EIN and a US company are normally prerequisites.