{"id":8351,"date":"2026-10-27T00:36:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T21:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/usa-company-registration\/"},"modified":"2026-10-27T00:36:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T21:36:44","slug":"usa-company-registration","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/usa-company-registration\/","title":{"rendered":"Company registration in the USA: Wyoming and Delaware"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"lbx lbd\"><ul class=\"lbx-kpi\"><li><small>Who it is for<\/small><b>Founders outside the US who need a US company for sales, a holding or investment<\/b><\/li><li><small>The choice<\/small><b>Wyoming has the lower annual cost, Delaware is the familiar choice for investors<\/b><\/li><li><small>Formation<\/small><b>Filed online with the state, through a registered agent in that state<\/b><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"lbd-g\"><div class=\"lbd-main\"><p class=\"lbx-lead\">A US company is formed under the law of one state, not of the country as a whole, and the two states our clients choose most often are Wyoming and Delaware. Below we compare them and describe the steps, the federal filings that apply to foreign owners and what to check before you register.<\/p><section><h2>Wyoming and Delaware compared<\/h2><div class=\"lbd-cmp\"><table><thead><tr><th><\/th><th>Wyoming<\/th><th>Delaware<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><th scope=\"row\">Formation document<\/th><td>Articles of organization, state fee US$100<\/td><td>Certificate of formation, fee under the Division\u2019s current schedule<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Registered agent<\/th><td>Required, with a physical Wyoming address<\/td><td>Required, with a physical Delaware address<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Members and managers in the filing<\/th><td>Not required in the articles<\/td><td>Not required in the certificate<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Annual cost to the state<\/th><td>Annual report with a license tax of US$60 or 0.02% of assets in Wyoming, whichever is greater<\/td><td>An LLC pays an annual tax of US$400 by 1 June, with no annual report. A corporation files an annual report and pays franchise tax by 1 March<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">If you miss the deadline<\/th><td>Delinquent from the second day of the next month, dissolved if not filed within 60 days, no reinstatement after two years<\/td><td>LLC: a US$200 penalty plus 1.5% interest a month<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Fit<\/th><td>A simple holding, service or trading company without outside investors<\/td><td>A company that plans to raise venture investment or issue stock options<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p><small>Fees come from the Wyoming Secretary of State schedule effective 1 July 2026 and the Delaware Division of Corporations page of 1 August 2026. Older Delaware pages still show an LLC tax of US$300, so confirm the amount when you file.<\/small><\/p><\/section><section><h2>What clients come to us for<\/h2><ul class=\"lbd-chk\"><li>You need a US entity to sign contracts, accept payments or open accounts with US providers<\/li><li>You are choosing between Wyoming and Delaware and want it settled before you register<\/li><li>You plan to raise money and need a structure investors accept<\/li><li>You want a US holding above an operating company elsewhere<\/li><li>You want to understand the federal filings a foreign owner must make<\/li><\/ul><\/section><section><h2>How registration works<\/h2><div class=\"lbd-acc\"><details open><summary>Choose the state and the entity<\/summary><p>An LLC suits most holding and service companies. A corporation suits a company that will issue shares and options to investors. We compare them for your plan and pick the state.<\/p><div class=\"lbd-got\"><small>What you get<\/small><span>Recommended state and entity type<\/span><\/div><\/details><details><summary>Appoint a registered agent<\/summary><p>Both states require an agent with a physical address in the state to receive official documents. We arrange it.<\/p><div class=\"lbd-got\"><small>What you get<\/small><span>Registered agent in place<\/span><\/div><\/details><details><summary>File the formation document<\/summary><p>Wyoming articles of organization or a Delaware certificate of formation. Neither requires naming members or managers. A Delaware name can be reserved for 120 days.<\/p><div class=\"lbd-got\"><small>What you get<\/small><span>Formation document filed and confirmed<\/span><\/div><\/details><details><summary>Prepare the operating agreement or bylaws<\/summary><p>The state filing is short. The agreement between owners sets control, profit sharing and exit, and banks and investors will ask for it.<\/p><div class=\"lbd-got\"><small>What you get<\/small><span>Operating agreement or bylaws and ownership records<\/span><\/div><\/details><details><summary>Obtain the EIN<\/summary><p>The EIN is the US tax number, issued by the IRS on Form SS-4. A foreign applicant without an SSN or ITIN cannot apply online and applies by telephone, fax or mail, and mail takes about four weeks.<\/p><div class=\"lbd-got\"><small>What you get<\/small><span>EIN and IRS notice<\/span><\/div><\/details><details><summary>Open the bank account and set up compliance<\/summary><p>The state filing is not a licence to do business, and each place where you operate may require its own registrations. We prepare the document pack for the bank and a calendar of annual deadlines.<\/p><div class=\"lbd-got\"><small>What you get<\/small><span>Bank pack and compliance calendar<\/span><\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section><section><h2>What a foreign owner should check<\/h2><div class=\"lbd-acc\"><details open><summary>Form 5472 and the pro forma Form 1120<\/summary><p>A US LLC wholly owned by a foreign person must file Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 each year if it has reportable transactions with its owner, even when no tax is due. It cannot be filed electronically, and the penalty for failure to file is US$25,000.<\/p><div class=\"lbd-got\"><small>Result<\/small><span>Filing plan and a US tax adviser on the file<\/span><\/div><\/details><details><summary>Beneficial ownership reporting to FinCEN<\/summary><p>Since the interim final rule of March 2025, companies formed in the US and their owners are exempt from reporting to FinCEN, and the requirement applies to foreign entities registered to do business in a US state. This rule has changed more than once, so we confirm it on the day you file.<\/p><div class=\"lbd-got\"><small>Result<\/small><span>Written confirmation of what applies to you<\/span><\/div><\/details><details><summary>Tax is a separate question<\/summary><p>Federal and state tax depends on the type of income and on whether the business is carried on in the US. We coordinate with a US tax adviser rather than answer it in general terms.<\/p><div class=\"lbd-got\"><small>Result<\/small><span>Tax position for your structure<\/span><\/div><\/details><details><summary>The company is not a licence<\/summary><p>A US company does not authorise regulated activity. Crypto exchange, payments and similar services need federal and state registrations or licences. See <a href=\"\/en\/regulatory-and-compliance\/\">licensing and compliance<\/a> and our article on <a href=\"\/en\/how-to-choose-a-jurisdiction-for-your-company-registration\/\">choosing a jurisdiction<\/a>.<\/p><div class=\"lbd-got\"><small>Result<\/small><span>A map of the licences your model needs<\/span><\/div><\/details><details><summary>Bank account<\/summary><p>Whether a bank opens an account for a company with foreign owners is the bank\u2019s decision. We prepare the business description and documents it will ask for.<\/p><div class=\"lbd-got\"><small>Result<\/small><span>Document pack for the bank<\/span><\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section><section><h2>Questions<\/h2><div class=\"lbx-faq\"><details><summary>Do I need to be in the US to form the company?<\/summary><p>No. Delaware states that an entity is not required to have operations in Delaware. In both states you need a registered agent with a physical address in the state.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>Are the owners public?<\/summary><p>Neither the Wyoming articles nor the Delaware certificate of formation requires naming members or managers. A Delaware corporation files a public annual report listing its directors.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>Do I pay US tax if the company has no US business?<\/summary><p>It depends on the type of income and on where the business is carried on. Even when no tax is due, a foreign-owned single-member LLC still has to file Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>What does it cost?<\/summary><p>The state fees are in the table above. Registered agent and our fees are separate, and we confirm them when we quote. See <a href=\"\/en\/pricing\/\">how we price our work<\/a>.<\/p><\/details><\/div><\/section><section><h2>Sources<\/h2><ul class=\"lbd-src\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sos.wyo.gov\/business\/docs\/businessfees.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wyoming Secretary of State: business filing fee schedule (effective 1 July 2026)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sos.wyo.gov\/forms\/business\/llc\/llc-articlesorganization.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wyoming Secretary of State: LLC articles of organization form<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sos.wyo.gov\/faqs.aspx?root=BUS\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wyoming Secretary of State: business FAQ<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/corp.delaware.gov\/alt-entitytaxinstructions\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Delaware Division of Corporations: LLC, LP and GP franchise tax instructions<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/corp.delaware.gov\/howtoform\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Delaware Division of Corporations: how to form a new business entity<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/corplaw.delaware.gov\/after-incorporation-formation\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Delaware Corporate Law: after incorporation or formation<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/pub\/irs-pdf\/i5472.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">IRS: Instructions for Form 5472 (Rev. December 2024)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/instructions\/iss4\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">IRS: Instructions for Form SS-4<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fincen.gov\/news\/news-releases\/fincen-removes-beneficial-ownership-reporting-requirements-us-companies-and-us\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FinCEN: removal of beneficial ownership reporting requirements for US companies (21 March 2025)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/section><\/div><aside class=\"lbd-panel\"><p>Shall we discuss your task? We reply within one business day.<\/p><button type=\"button\" class=\"lbd-b popmake-4929\">Get a consultation<\/button><a class=\"lbd-pr\" href=\"\/en\/pricing\/\">How pricing works<\/a><\/aside><\/div><p class=\"lbx-back\"><a href=\"\/en\/#services\">All services<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/corporate-law\/\">Company structure<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/\">\u2190 Back to home<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"Service\",\"name\":\"Company registration in the USA: Wyoming and Delaware\",\"description\":\"How to register a US company as a foreign owner: Wyoming and Delaware compared, fees, steps, EIN, Form 5472 and what to check before you file.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/usa-company-registration\/\",\"provider\":{\"@type\":\"LegalService\",\"name\":\"LegalBit\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/\"},\"areaServed\":\"Worldwide\"}<\/script>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Do I need to be in the US to form the company?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. Delaware states that an entity is not required to have operations in Delaware. 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