Straight answers, including the awkward ones

Yes. No U.S. state requires citizenship, residency or a green card to own an LLC or a Corporation. You do not need a U.S. address of your own, and you never need to travel to the United States. This is the single most common misconception we correct.

No. An SSN speeds up the EIN application, but it is not required. Without one we file Form SS-4 directly with the IRS on your behalf, which takes longer than the instant online route but reaches the same result — a genuine federal tax ID for your company.

Yes. Single-member LLCs are entirely normal and are what most of our clients form. You can add members later without dissolving and re-forming.

No. Neither U.S. states nor U.K. Companies House impose a minimum capital requirement for the entities we form. A U.K. company can be incorporated with £1 of share capital.

Yes, and many founders do — a U.K. LTD for European clients alongside a U.S. LLC for American ones is a common arrangement. Each is a separate legal entity with its own filings.

If your business is physically somewhere, form there — anything else means registering twice. If it is purely online and run from abroad, Wyoming and New Mexico are the usual answers on cost and privacy. If you are raising U.S. venture money, Delaware. Our formation guides cover fifteen states in detail.

For companies raising institutional money, yes. For a solo founder selling online, it is an expensive habit — a flat $300 franchise tax every year buys access to a business court you will never use. The advice is right for the companies it was written about and gets over-applied to everyone else.

An LLC is simpler, more flexible on tax and cheaper to run — right for most founders. A C-Corporation makes sense when you are issuing shares to investors, granting employee equity, or planning to raise a priced round. We have a full comparison, and we will tell you which fits before you pay anything.

No, and anyone implying otherwise is selling something. State of formation affects state-level obligations only. Federal tax obligations are identical wherever you form, and your own country will have its own view of income you earn. We are not a law or tax firm — for your specific position, we coordinate with licensed professionals.

The state filing is usually one to five business days depending on the state — Delaware and Colorado are fastest, Montana and New Mexico slower. The EIN takes longer without an SSN, typically a few weeks, because it goes through the IRS by fax or mail rather than the instant online system.

Your preferred company name, your chosen state, and identification details for each owner. That is enough to begin. We confirm name availability before filing anything, and we come back to you if a name is taken.

We check availability before filing, so this is caught early rather than after payment. Name searches are unlimited — we will keep checking alternatives until one clears.

Digitally, by email, as soon as the state issues them. Certified physical copies can be ordered where a bank or authority specifically requires originals.

In most cases yes, through providers that onboard remotely — Wise, Payoneer, Mercury and others. We prepare and guide your application so it is submitted in the right category with the right documents. What we cannot do is promise approval: that decision belongs entirely to the financial provider.

No, and be wary of anyone who does. Providers apply their own risk criteria, which vary by country of residence, industry and business model. We significantly improve the odds by getting the application right; we do not control the outcome.

Usually. A U.S. LLC with an EIN and a business bank account meets Stripe’s structural requirements, and we guide the setup. Approval and ongoing account standing remain Stripe’s decision, and some business categories are restricted regardless of entity.

Not for formation, and not usually for banking. An ITIN matters when you have a personal U.S. tax filing obligation. We will tell you if your situation calls for one rather than selling you one by default.

It depends on the state. Some — New Mexico, Missouri, Ohio, Arizona — ask for nothing at all. Most want an annual report and a fee. Separately, every company files federally, and BOI reporting applies at federal level. Each state guide sets out exactly what applies.

Penalties, then loss of good standing, then administrative dissolution if it goes long enough. Florida’s $400 late fee is the harshest and is effectively never waived. We track your deadlines and remind you well ahead of them.

We prepare and coordinate filings and work alongside licensed CPAs for returns. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal or tax advice ourselves — where your situation needs a professional opinion, we bring one in rather than guessing.

Yes. Changing agent is a simple state filing and we handle the transfer. Many clients come to us after their first provider stopped forwarding mail reliably.

Yes, and you should do it properly — an abandoned company keeps accruing fees and penalties. Formal dissolution files with the state and closes the obligation cleanly. We handle it.

For U.S. formation packages, yes — the price in our calculator is our fee and the state filing fee together. Individual add-on services are priced separately from government fees, which is stated on each one.

No. What recurs is what the state charges to keep the company alive plus your registered agent renewal, both shown before you buy. We do not mark up state fees.

Support is unlimited and included. Most of our work is with founders in their second and third year, not just at formation — the filings, the renewals, the questions from banks.

Email hello@formationxperts.com or call +92 (345) 4454 499. We answer across time zones because our clients are spread across more than forty countries.