US Business
How to Open a US LLC from Pakistan (2026 Guide)
Published 26 October 2026 by SARN Consulting, Islamabad · Last updated: October 2026
Key takeaway
A Pakistani citizen can open a US LLC entirely remotely: there is no citizenship or residency requirement, formation is filed in 3–5 working days, the EIN takes up to 30 working days via Form SS-4, and US fintech banking opens with no US visit. SARN's complete package — formation, EIN and bank account — costs the state fee plus USD 200. The filing most guides skip — Form 5472 with a pro-forma 1120 — is due every April 15 and carries a $25,000 penalty.
Why Pakistani freelancers and sellers form US LLCs
Stripe is not directly available in Pakistan, PayPal is not either, and every serious US client eventually asks for a card payment or a US invoice. A US limited liability company solves all three at once: it gives you a US entity that Stripe, PayPal, Amazon and American clients recognise, backed by a USD bank account at a fintech like Mercury, Relay or Wise that you can open from your desk in Islamabad.
The pattern we see weekly: an Upwork or YouTube freelancer lands a direct client who will not pay through freelance platforms; an Amazon seller needs a US entity for the marketplace; a PSEB-registered IT house wants to invoice the American client without an intermediary shaving the rate. In each case the US LLC is not vanity — it is the difference between quoting in dollars and losing the client to a competitor who already has one.
What the LLC does not do, by itself, is keep you legal on either side of the ocean. That is the part this guide exists for.
Wyoming, Delaware or New Mexico: choosing the state
Wyoming is the sensible default for most Pakistani owners: low fees, strong privacy, no state income tax on a company without US activity, and an annual report due in your anniversary month. New Mexico is the cheapest to maintain but formation and banking onboarding can be slower. Choose Delaware when actual investors are coming — not before.
| Wyoming | Delaware | New Mexico | |
|---|---|---|---|
| State filing fee | approx. $100 | $90 | approx. $50 |
| Annual cost | min. $60 report + agent | $300 franchise tax + agent | No annual report — agent only |
| Owner privacy | Strong | Moderate | Strong |
| Best for | Freelancers, small e-commerce | Startups expecting investors | Budget single-owner setups |
Step by step: from CNIC to Stripe
The whole sequence runs remotely. This is the order that avoids rework:
- Choose the state and company name, and confirm availability.
- Appoint a registered agent with a US address — required in every state.
- File the Articles of Organization (3–5 working days through SARN).
- Draft the single-member operating agreement naming you, the foreign owner.
- Apply for the EIN on Form SS-4 — owners without an SSN cannot use the IRS online portal; the fax/mail route takes up to 30 working days.
- Open US fintech banking (Mercury, Relay, Wise) remotely against the EIN.
- Connect Stripe, PayPal, Payoneer and your marketplace accounts.
- Put the Form 5472/1120, state annual report and agent renewal on a compliance calendar — the step formation mills skip.
The filing most guides skip: Form 5472
None of these are difficult — they are just invisible unless someone owns the calendar. When SARN forms an LLC, the compliance calendar is part of the handover package, and the 5472 is quoted at formation rather than discovered in April.
| Annual US obligation | Deadline | Penalty if missed |
|---|---|---|
| Form 5472 + pro-forma 1120 | April 15 (extension to Oct 15 via Form 7004) | $25,000 |
| Wyoming annual report | Anniversary month each year | Loss of good standing, then dissolution |
| Delaware LLC franchise tax | June 1 | $300 flat plus penalties |
| Registered agent renewal | Yearly | Agent terminates — your service address lapses |
| FBAR (FinCEN 114), if you are also a US person | April 15 (automatic extension to Oct 15) | Civil penalties from $10,000 per violation |
| State sales tax (selling into the US via Amazon/Shopify) | Varies by state — monthly, quarterly or annual | Back tax plus penalties and interest — nexus registration is not optional |
The Pakistan side: FBR, SBP and PSEB
A US LLC does not switch off Pakistani tax residence. Income a Pakistani tax resident earns through a foreign entity still meets the FBR: it belongs in your Pakistani return, and hiding it is how freelancers end up with frozen accounts and penalty files. Done correctly, the opposite happens — IT exporters with PSEB registration who remit proceeds through banking channels sit in the concessional export regime, so the Pakistan-side cost of doing it right is small.
Two structural checks matter before you form anything: how money will move from the LLC to you (owner draws, loan, salary — each has different US and Pakistani paperwork), and what the State Bank's rules require for holding a foreign entity as a resident individual. This is exactly the intersection SARN works in daily — the US filings and the Pakistani return, PSEB status and remittance trail handled as one engagement, not two vendors pointing at each other.
What it costs, honestly
State filing fees vary by state — roughly $100 in Wyoming, $90 in Delaware, $50 in New Mexico — and pass through at actual. Treat any '$49 US company' advertisement as the beginning of the bill, not the end: registered-agent upsells, address renewals and April compliance are where the real cost lives. Our fee card is published precisely so you can compare the two-year number, not the headline — and every US filing is prepared by an IRS-authorized PTIN holder working with US CPAs and tax attorneys.
| Item | SARN fee (2026) |
|---|---|
| Company formation — LLC / C-Corp | State fee + USD 100 — filed in 3–5 working days |
| EIN (federal tax ID) | USD 75 — up to 30 working days |
| US business bank account | USD 100 — fintech accounts opened remotely |
| Complete package: formation + EIN + bank | State fee + USD 200 — about 40 days |
| US federal tax filing (incl. Form 5472 for foreign-owned LLCs) | USD 200 / year |
| US sales tax registration & filings | Quoted per state — after a free nexus review |
| ITIN application | USD 200 — about one month |
| US trademark registration | USD 750 — quoted per classes |
Common mistakes we fix every season
Every one of these arrives at our G-11 office with an IRS notice or a frozen payout attached:
- Buying formation only — then discovering Form 5472 eighteen months later.
- Choosing Delaware by default and paying $300 a year for nothing.
- Mixing personal PayPal and family money with the LLC account.
- Letting the registered agent lapse, so the state dissolves the company mid-contract.
- Ignoring the Pakistan side — undeclared foreign income in the FBR return.
- Assuming Amazon's marketplace-facilitator tax collection covers every state — FBA inventory in a warehouse state creates sales tax nexus even where the marketplace collects.
- Applying for the EIN through the online portal without an SSN and stalling for months.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open a US LLC from Pakistan without visiting the US?
Yes — entirely remote. The state filing, EIN via Form SS-4, operating agreement and fintech banking (Mercury, Relay, Wise) all complete with scanned documents. Some banks request a short video verification; travel is never required for a standard single-member LLC.
How long does the whole process take?
Formation is filed in 3–5 working days; the EIN is the long pole at up to 30 working days (about six weeks) for foreign owners without an SSN; banking opens within days of the EIN. Practically: SARN's complete package lands in about 40 days from CNIC to a working bank account.
Can I get Stripe with a Pakistani passport?
Yes — through the US LLC. Stripe underwrites the US-registered entity with a US bank account and EIN, not your nationality. A Pakistani-resident owner of a US LLC is a routine Stripe approval, provided the address, EIN and bank details all line up.
What taxes will my US LLC pay?
A single-member LLC owned by a non-resident with no US operations generally owes no US federal income tax — but must still file Form 5472 with a pro-forma 1120 every year, with a $25,000 penalty for not filing. If you are a US citizen or green-card holder, the 1040/FBAR rules apply instead. The Pakistan side — foreign income in your FBR return — we handle in the same engagement.
What happens if I did not file Form 5472 for previous years?
The penalty starts at $25,000 per unfiled form, even for a dormant company. The fix is to file late before the IRS assesses — catch-up 5472/1120 filings are routine work and considerably cheaper than the penalty. Bring the LLC's EIN letter and bank statements; we will tell you in the free review exactly which years are exposed.
Published by SARN Consulting, Islamabad. General information, not a substitute for advice on your specific facts.
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