What to know before you form a US company. Explained honestly, with sources.

What business owners from Germany, Austria and Switzerland should know about a US company: formation, EIN and ITIN, US presence, bank account, cards, tax returns and structure. Every article cites its sources, states its as-of date and also says what a US company cannot do.

In brief

A US company is a tool for genuine business in the US and for building capital — not a tax model. The capital is not tied to the US: your company can transfer funds to Europe or invest them in Europe — within the terms of the institution concerned. Our partner tax adviser clarifies with you in advance how transfers and investments are treated for tax purposes. Anyone who manages the company from Germany, Austria or Switzerland generally pays tax on it at home, reports it to the tax office and files Form 5472 in the US every year. The articles here explain every step — from formation through tax numbers, account and cards to the tax return.

Before formation

Form a US LLC. Step by step, from Germany.
Which state? Three questions decide.
LLC or corporation? The choice that shapes everything else.
LLC or GmbH? Rarely an either-or.
Subsidiary or branch? Taking your GmbH to the US.
Reputable or not? The checklist before you engage anyone.

Tax numbers and US presence

Apply for your EIN. Without a Social Security number.
Apply for your ITIN. Only with a tax reason.
Registered agent and address. Your company’s US presence.

Account, credit history and cards

The LLC’s US account. What institutions want to see.
Credit in the US. It starts at zero.
Business credit. Your company’s creditworthiness.
The US business credit card. How issuers decide.

Tax and obligations

Does a US LLC reduce your tax? The honest answer.
Your LLC’s US tax return. Which forms, which deadlines.
Form 5472. The filing no one can afford to forget.

The states

Florida. Home of our team on the ground.
Delaware. The state for investors.
Wyoming. Lean and inexpensive to maintain.

By home country

From Germany to the US. With everything the tax office needs to know.
From Switzerland to the US. With a partner in Zurich.
London, Zurich, Miami. Three locations, one contracting party.

Everything from a single source

Every article here describes a task. FIAON Global handles all of them — formation, tax numbers, US presence, account and card applications, the compliance calendar and the first US filing, with a partner lawyer, partner tax adviser and US CPA — at a fixed price, with all fees for the services in the package included.

Read on

US company formation. With a team on the ground, at a fixed price. – Your US company from Germany or Switzerland: LLC or corporation, EIN, ITIN, registered agent and address. Fixed price, all fees included.
What a US company costs. One-off and annual — stated openly. – What a US LLC costs: state fees in Florida, Delaware and Wyoming, running costs from year two and the FIAON Global fixed price — with sources.
Questions and answers. 162 answers in one place. – All answers about FIAON Global: US company, EIN and ITIN, account and cards, costs, process, and tax in Germany and Switzerland.
Which package fits? Four questions, one clear answer. – Four questions on goal, capital range, time and support — the package finder shows which FIAON Global package fits you. No sign-up.