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US company formation, EIN, ITIN and tax filing guides
Most guidance for non-resident founders stops at formation, which is the cheapest and least consequential step. These guides cover what follows: the EIN, the bank account, the information returns and the state-level obligations that keep running.
The rule this topic turns on: Forming a US entity is the easy part. State choice drives recurring cost and reporting far more than it drives tax, and a foreign-owned entity carries information-return obligations that apply even in a year with no income.
In depthUSAThe complete US tax guide for 2026
Every 2026 rate table, the standard deduction, all the major credits and exclusions, how to get an SSN, ITIN or EIN, and how to file Form 1040 - in one place.
In depthUSAForming a US LLC as a non-resident
The seven steps in order, filing and annual fees for all 50 states and DC, what goes in the Articles and Operating Agreement, and bank onboarding.
In depthUSAGetting an EIN without an SSN: Form SS-4 line by line
Why the online tool is closed to you, the three routes that are open, and every SS-4 line completed for a foreign-owned LLC, with a call script.
In depthUSAITIN applications: who needs one and how to apply
When an individual needs an ITIN rather than an EIN, the documentation standard, and typical processing realities.
In depthUSALLC or C-Corporation: choosing a US entity
Pass-through versus corporate taxation, investor expectations, the compliance load each carries, and when converting actually makes sense.
In depthUSAWhich US state should you form your LLC in?
Why the usual advice is written for Americans, five-year costs for the states non-residents actually use, and Delaware versus Wyoming answered.
In depthUSAOpening a US business bank account as a non-resident
What US banks and fintechs ask a non-resident founder for, why applications stall at verification, and the order of formation, EIN and account.
In depthUSAForm 5472 for a foreign-owned US LLC
Who must file, what counts as a reportable transaction, the exact filing package, where it goes, the $25,000 penalty ladder, and how to fix missed years.
In depthUSASales tax nexus by state in 2026
Every state dollar and transaction threshold, the 200-transaction trap that catches low-price sellers, and how to fix historic exposure.
In depthUSAFederal and state tax filing: two separate obligations
What the federal return covers, what a state return adds, why meeting one says nothing about the other, and multi-state exposure.
In depthUSARegistering a trademark in the United States
Search and classification, what registration actually protects, the timeline, and how it should line up with the entity that owns it.
In depthUSAIs your US LLC actually tax-free?
The two questions that decide whether a foreign owner owes US tax, three worked scenarios, and why a protective return usually pays for itself.
In depthUSAUS payroll taxes for a small business
Employer and employee components, deposit schedules, the quarterly returns, and the difference between an employee and a contractor.
In depthUSAW-8BEN or W-9: which form applies to you
Which form fits which payee, Form W-8BEN completed line by line, what the treaty section is for, and how to answer a client asking wrongly.
In depthUSAAnnual compliance checklist for a US LLC
Every recurring obligation in one list, split between federal, state and entity maintenance, with the deadlines that carry penalties.
In depthUSAPakistanis in the USA: what you still owe at home
Residency, Pakistan-source income, filer status and the wealth statement for Pakistanis in the United States, and treaty relief.
In depthUSASending money to Pakistan from the USA
Channels, the evidence to keep, how remittances are tested against a wealth statement, and the documentation banks expect to see.
In depthUSAThe US-Pakistan tax treaty in practice
What the treaty allocates, the residence tie-breaker, the documentation relief depends on, and how a foreign tax credit is claimed.
In depthUSABuying property in Pakistan from the USA
Section 236K advance tax on purchase, why filer status on the transfer date sets the rate, and evidencing dollars remitted through banking channels.
In depthUSASchedule C for US sole proprietors and freelancers
How a US sole proprietor or single-member LLC reports business income on Schedule C, what net profit flows into, and how self-employment tax fits.
In depthUSAQuarterly estimated taxes in 2026
The 2026 due dates, the three safe harbours and which one binds, a full worked calculation with self-employment tax and QBI, uneven income, and how to pay.
In depthUSAForm 1099-NEC in 2026: the new $2,000 threshold
What changed on 1 January 2026 and when it bites, who gets a 1099, why foreign contractors do not, and the deadlines and penalties.
In depthUSASingle-member versus multi-member LLC: US tax treatment
How owner count changes an LLC default US tax treatment: disregarded entity versus partnership, the returns each files, and elections available.
In depthUSAUS sales tax registration and filing after nexus
What to do once a business has US sales tax nexus: registering for a permit in each state, collecting at the right rate, and filing on schedule.
In depthUSAReasonable compensation for S-corp owners explained
Why S-corporation owner-employees must take a reasonable salary before distributions, how the IRS tests it, and the risk of setting it too low.
In depthUSAForm W-9 and backup withholding for US businesses
Why a US business collects Form W-9 from vendors before paying them, how it feeds year-end 1099 reporting, and when backup withholding is triggered.
In depthUSAFranchise tax, annual reports and state income tax
Three obligations that get confused, the fifteen names states use for the same filing, and how to recover an entity that has lost good standing.
In depthUSAThe home office deduction for US self-employed people
How the US home office deduction works: the exclusive-and-regular-use test, simplified versus actual expenses, and why employees cannot claim it.
In depthUSAForm 1120 versus 1120-S: C corp and S corp returns
How the US corporate return differs by status: Form 1120 for a C corporation with entity-level tax, versus Form 1120-S passing income through.
In depthUSAUS depreciation, Section 179 and bonus depreciation
How US businesses deduct equipment cost over time, and how Section 179 and bonus depreciation let much of it be deducted immediately instead.
In depthUSASelf-employment tax in the US explained
What US self-employment tax is, why the self-employed pay both halves of Social Security and Medicare, and the deduction that softens the bill.
In depthUSAUS business expense deductions: ordinary and necessary
How US business expense deductions work: the ordinary-and-necessary standard, the common categories, and the records the IRS expects you to hold.
In depthUSAForm 1120: the US C corporation income tax return
How a US C corporation reports income and pays the flat 21% corporate tax on Form 1120, what the return contains, and how state tax sits on top.
In depthUSAForm 1065 and Schedule K-1 for US partnerships
How a US partnership files Form 1065 and passes income to partners on Schedule K-1, with self-employment tax, basis and the deadline explained.
In depthUSAForm 1120-S and Schedule K-1: the S corporation return
How an S corporation files Form 1120-S, passes income to shareholders on Schedule K-1, and why owner-employees must take a reasonable salary.
In depthUSAForm 1040-NR: the US nonresident alien tax return
How a nonresident alien reports US income on Form 1040-NR: effectively connected income at graduated rates, FDAP at 30%, and treaty relief.
In depthUSAForm 1120-F: when a foreign corporation files in the US
When a foreign corporation must file Form 1120-F: a US trade or business, effectively connected income at 21%, and the branch profits tax.
In depthUSAForm 7004: extending a US business tax return
How Form 7004 gives a US business an automatic six-month extension for returns such as 1120, 1120-S and 1065, and why it never extends payment.
In depthUSAForm 8832: changing an entity's tax classification
How Form 8832, the check-the-box election, lets an eligible entity choose corporate taxation, plus the effective-date and 60-month rules.
In depthUSAForm 2553: electing S corporation tax treatment
How to elect S corporation status on Form 2553: the two-months-and-15-days deadline, eligibility, shareholder consent, and filing late.
In depthUSACan a nonresident alien own an S corporation?
Why a nonresident alien cannot be a direct S corporation shareholder, how it terminates the election, and what non-residents use instead.
In depthUSALate S corporation election relief explained
How Revenue Procedure 2013-30 lets many businesses make a late S corporation election after missing Form 2553, and the conditions for relief.
In depthUSAPartnership guaranteed payments: tax and bookkeeping
How guaranteed payments are taxed: deductible by the partnership, ordinary income and self-employment tax for the partner, and versus distributions.
In depthUSAS corporation distributions and shareholder basis
How S corporation distributions are taxed against stock basis, why amounts above basis are capital gain, how basis limits losses, and the role of the AAA.
In depthUSANet operating losses: carrying US losses forward
How US net operating losses work now: carried forward indefinitely, no carryback for most, and capped at 80% of a later year taxable income.
In depthUSAFinal tax returns after closing a US business
The filings that formally close a US business: a final income tax return, final employment reporting, closing the EIN, and state dissolution.
In depthUSAHow to build a chart of accounts for a US LLC
The five account types, sensible numbering, and how to right-size a chart of accounts for a US LLC so your financial reports come out clean.
In depthUSACash-basis vs accrual-basis accounting for US firms
The timing difference between cash-basis and accrual-basis accounting, where each one fits a US small business, and when the tax rules require accrual.
In depthUSAMonthly bank reconciliation, step by step
What a bank reconciliation proves, why the book and bank balances differ before you start, and why doing it every month is a core control.
In depthUSAReconciling business credit cards correctly
Why a business credit card is a liability whose purchases are the expenses, the payment-as-expense trap to avoid, and how to reconcile the card each month.
In depthUSAReconciling Stripe, PayPal and Square in the books
Why recording only the net payout from Stripe, PayPal or Square understates your sales and hides processing fees, and how a clearing account fixes it.
In depthUSAInventory and cost of goods sold accounting
Why buying stock is not an immediate expense, how cost of goods sold is worked out from opening stock, purchases and closing stock, and margin.
In depthUSAAccounting for sales returns, refunds and chargebacks
How to record refunds as a reduction of revenue rather than an expense, how a chargeback splits into a reversed sale and a fee, and the stock side.
In depthUSAAccounts-receivable aging and collection controls
How an aging report groups what customers owe by how overdue it is, why the buckets matter, and the controls that keep receivables current.
In depthUSAAccounts-payable controls for small businesses
The simple controls that ensure a small business pays the right supplier the right amount once and on time, and how to stop duplicate payments.
In depthUSAOwner contributions, draws and distributions in books
Why owner contributions, draws and distributions are equity movements rather than income or expenses, and why recording a draw as an expense distorts profit.
In depthUSABusiness loans: separating principal, interest and fees
How to record a business loan and its repayments by splitting each payment into principal that reduces the liability and interest that is an expense.
In depthUSAFixed-asset registers and depreciation schedules
What a fixed-asset register holds, how depreciation spreads an asset's cost over its life, and why book and tax depreciation are tracked separately.
In depthUSAPrepaid expenses, accrued expenses and deferred revenue
How prepaid expenses, accrued expenses and deferred revenue realign the accounts so income and costs land in the period they actually belong to.
In depthUSAMulti-currency bookkeeping for US companies
How a US company records foreign-currency transactions in its dollar functional currency, and where exchange-rate gains and losses actually come from.
In depthUSA