25 answers for owners and founders of a United States (50 states) company, from ordering to banking, annual compliance and what happens after incorporation. General information, not legal or tax advice; your specialist confirms how it applies to you.
A passport copy and a recent proof of address for each member, a short description of the business and the ownership split between members. That is enough for the state filing and the EIN application. If a member is a company, we also need its registry documents and the names of the people who own or control it.
The words Limited Liability Company or the abbreviation L.L.C. or LLC, and a name that is distinguishable from others on the Delaware register. Wyoming has a similar rule. We check availability with the state before filing, and you can give up to three names at checkout.
Source: Delaware Code Title 6, Chapter 18 (Limited Liability Company Act), State of Delaware
Only when you personally have a US federal tax purpose and cannot get a Social Security Number, for example to file your own US tax return. You apply on Form W-7. The IRS asks you to allow 7 weeks, or 9–11 weeks if you apply from abroad or during tax season (15 January to 30 April). Forming the LLC and getting its EIN do not wait for it.
Source: Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), Internal Revenue Service
Not usually for online sales from abroad. You register in another state when you do business there, for example with staff, an office or stock in a warehouse. Registering a foreign LLC costs US$200 in Delaware as of September 2026, and every other state, Wyoming included, sets its own fee and its own test for doing business.
Source: Fee schedule (revised 1 August 2026), Delaware Division of Corporations
An annual report and franchise tax, due by 1 March. Under the authorized shares method the tax starts at US$175, plus a US$50 filing fee, and it rises with the number of authorized shares, so check the method that gives the lower figure. This is separate from our renewal, and we show it before each due date.
Source: Pay taxes: franchise tax and annual report, Delaware Division of Corporations
With the pro forma Form 1120, by the Form 1120 due date: 15 April for a calendar year, or 15 October if you file Form 7004 for an extension first. It is sent by fax or mail to a dedicated IRS unit, not through normal e-file. Keep a record of every transfer between you and the LLC during the year, because the form reports them.
Source: Instructions for Form 5472, Internal Revenue Service
On the first day of your formation anniversary month, with the licence tax of at least US$60. A company that has not filed within 60 days of the due date is administratively dissolved. Reinstatement is possible but costs more than the report, so we send the reminder a month ahead.
Source: Business entities FAQ (annual report licence tax, due date, dissolution), Wyoming Secretary of State
Yes. We complete KYC, then file the state's change of registered agent form, and the state updates its record. Every LLC must keep a registered agent in its state at all times, so the new appointment starts before the old one ends. Your IRS records and EIN stay the same.
Source: Delaware Code Title 6, Chapter 18 (Limited Liability Company Act), State of Delaware
Usually the EIN confirmation letter from the IRS, the certificate of formation or articles of organization, the operating agreement and each owner's passport. Expect questions about your products, customers and where you live. Answer them the same way you described the business at formation, because providers compare the two.
Usually yes, but each platform runs its own review. Platforms ask for the EIN, the LLC's details and a US bank or fintech account in the company's name, and may ask for proof of address or identity again. We cannot decide for a platform; we make sure your company documents are consistent before you apply.
Our renewal of US$799 on Starter covers the registered agent and our compliance service and is invoiced before your formation anniversary. The state annual tax or report fee has its own legal due date, so we remind you of it separately with the exact figure. Pay either one by card, PayPal or wire on Renew & pay.
Delaware adds a US$200 penalty plus interest of 1.5% a month on the tax and penalty. The US$400 annual tax applies to every LLC on the register at any point in the year, with no proration, even if it had no income. Unpaid tax also stops the LLC being in good standing, which banks check.
Source: Annual tax instructions for LLCs, LPs and GPs, Delaware Division of Corporations
File a certificate of cancellation in Delaware or articles of dissolution in Wyoming, after paying any state tax or report fee that is due. Then file the final Form 5472 and pro forma 1120 for the last year and close the EIN account with the IRS. Leaving the LLC to lapse keeps Delaware tax and IRS filing duties running (confirm the steps for your case with your specialist).
Source: Annual tax instructions for LLCs, LPs and GPs, Delaware Division of Corporations
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