Checklist
Your US LLC with GCS.
Prepare, launch, handle each year: what is up to you, what GCS takes over and in which order, ready to tick off.
As of 17 September 2026 · Global Capital Strategy
The US LLC is the most flexible company for entrepreneurs who work location-independently or live in a country without income tax: fully online, no presence required, customers worldwide. GCS handles the formation: registration, EIN application, operating agreement, registered agent and business address.
This list shows what you clarify beforehand, which documents we need from you, what follows the handover and which tasks come back every year. How the profits are taxed depends on where you live; you clarify that with your tax adviser.
01 · Before the first call
Clarify what the LLC is for.
An hour of clarity up front keeps the first call short and the quote precise: business, residence, customers and payment routes.
- Describe the business model in three sentencesWhat do you sell, to whom, and how do you invoice? We use this description for the formation, the EIN application and later for the account. It should read the same everywhere.
- Write down your residence situation for the next twelve monthsWill you live without a fixed residence, in a country that does not tax this income, in another country or still in Germany, Austria or Switzerland? A single-member LLC is attributed to its owner for tax purposes: tax follows where you live and where you run the company from. Guide: which company for whom
- Sort customers by country and typeIn which countries are your customers, and are they businesses or consumers? This list helps choose the account provider and shows early whether VAT becomes a topic, for example with digital services to consumers in the EU.
- Note your payment routesHow do your customers pay: bank transfer, card, subscription, marketplace or platform? In which currencies, and what monthly volume do you expect? This determines which account setup suits you. Guide: fintech or bank
- Clarify the membersWill you own the LLC alone, or will a partner join? The GCS package assumes one individual as owner. With several members the LLC is usually treated as a partnership, with different duties; we quote that case separately. Glossary: disregarded entity
- Involve your tax adviser while you live in GermanyIf you still live in Germany, your tax adviser goes through the classification of the LLC with you before formation, and through existing shareholdings before a move. Forming or acquiring a foreign shareholding must be notified to the tax office (section 138(2) AO). In Austria and Switzerland, a local professional clarifies this. Glossary: reporting duty section 138 AO
02 · Documents for GCS
What you give us for the formation.
With complete documents on day one, the formation is quickest. GCS does the rest.
- PassportA valid passport as a colour scan of all pages with details. Check the remaining validity: the same passport is used for the account later.
- Recent proof of addressLease, utility bill or bank statement to your home address, ideally from the last three months. If you live without a fixed residence, we agree with you beforehand which address and proof fit.
- Preferred name with two alternativesGive us your preferred name and two fallback names. GCS checks availability in the state and adds the designator. Secure the matching domain in parallel.
- Decide Wyoming or Florida with usGCS forms in both states. Both require an annual report with its own fee and deadline. Which state suits you is something we discuss in the first call. USA · LLC at a glance
- Business description and contact detailsYour description from the preparation, plus e-mail, phone number and the address where you can be reached. We carry these details into the formation documents and the EIN application.
- Source of funds detailsWhere does the LLC’s starting capital come from, for example savings, the sale of a business or ongoing income? A bank statement and a tax assessment are usually enough. The bank will need the same evidence later. Guide: documents for the business account
- SignYou sign the operating agreement and the EIN application documents digitally or as a scan, following our instructions. No travel is needed.
03 · Handover
Take over the finished LLC.
After registration and EIN you receive the company file. A short check makes sure all details are right.
- Check the company fileYou receive the articles of organization, operating agreement, IRS confirmation of the EIN, the registered agent and business address details and a schedule of deadlines. Check the company name, the spelling of your name and the addresses. Glossary: operating agreement
- Note the formation dateThe registration date sets later deadlines, in Wyoming for example the month of the annual report. It appears on the articles of organization and in your schedule of deadlines.
- File the documents twiceStore the documents digitally in a folder called “Formation” and keep an offline copy. Almost every account provider and payment platform asks for these documents.
- Understand registered agent and business addressThe registered agent accepts official mail in the state of formation and forwards it to you. You use the business address from the package for invoices and website, as far as your account provider accepts it. Both are included for the first twelve months. Glossary: registered agent
04 · Account
Set up the account and payment routes.
With the company file and your personal documents, the account application is quickly made. GCS prepares the file with you.
- Choose a suitable providerFor the LLC, US payment providers such as Mercury or Relay and international providers such as Wise are a common route. Check the provider’s country list, industries and address requirements beforehand. The provider decides on the opening. Guide: why banks decline
- Submit complete documentsCompany file, passport, proof of address, business description with countries and volume, source-of-funds evidence and proof of activity such as contracts or website. The account opening checklist lists every document individually. Account opening checklist
- Set up a second payment routeA second account with a different institution keeps your business able to operate if one provider asks questions or reviews an account. Use both regularly.
- Complete the providers’ tax formsPayment providers and platforms ask for a W-8 form. For a single-member LLC without an election, the IRS instructions generally have the owner submit the form, so this is often the W-8BEN for you as an individual. The platform’s onboarding shows which form it requires.
- Keep business and private money apartAll income and expenses of the LLC run through the LLC’s account. That simplifies bookkeeping and the annual return and shows banks and customers that the company is run as a business of its own.
05 · First 90 days
Start cleanly.
In the first three months you set up the routines that save you time later.
- Set up bookkeepingRecord every invoice and payment as you go, ideally with accounting software connected to the account. For an LLC with few transactions this is quickly done.
- Record contributions and withdrawalsMoney you put into the LLC or take out of it is among the transactions Form 5472 asks about. That includes formation costs you paid privately. Note amount, date and purpose. Glossary: Form 5472
- Update invoices, contracts and websiteCompany name with “LLC”, business address and contact details belong on invoices, contracts and the website. Consistent details make every review by providers and customers easier.
- Have VAT checked brieflyIf you sell digital services to consumers in the EU, VAT may arise in the customer’s country; the non-Union scheme of the One-Stop Shop simplifies the return. With business customers this point usually falls away. Your bookkeeper clarifies it from your customer list. Guide: obligations after registration
- Notify the tax office if you live in GermanyIf you live in Germany when the LLC is formed, notify the tax office of your shareholding, usually together with your next income tax return (section 138 AO).
- Set up a calendar of deadlinesTransfer the schedule of deadlines from the handover into your calendar: annual report, renewal of registered agent and address, Form 5472 and the tax return where you reside.
06 · Every year
The annual tasks.
The LLC has a lean calendar. GCS basic administration takes over two tasks; you handle one with our guide or as a service.
- Annual report through basic administrationWyoming requires it every year by the first day of the anniversary month of formation, Florida between 1 January and 1 May. From the second year GCS files it within basic administration, together with registered agent and address: €1,200 per year. Guide: obligations after registration
- Registered agent and address continueThe registered agent must be appointed at all times. Basic administration renews it and the business address every year. All you need to do is keep your contact details with us up to date.
- Form 5472 with the guide or as a serviceA foreign-owned single-member LLC with reportable transactions files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 every year, even without US income tax. For a calendar tax year the deadline is usually 15 April, extendable with Form 7004. With the GCS step-by-step guide you handle it yourself, or GCS takes over the filing for €500 per tax year. Glossary: Form 5472
- Have the figures for Form 5472 readyWhether you file yourself or use the service: in January, have the totals of contributions, withdrawals and loans between you and the LLC ready, together with the previous year’s bank statements.
- Declare the profits where you resideYou declare the LLC’s profits where you are tax resident, as far as your country of residence taxes them. Your local adviser classifies them and prepares the return. Glossary: tax residence
- Report changes to GCSNew address, new member or a move: let us know. GCS agrees the necessary filings with the state and the IRS with you. Update the same details with your account providers as well.
This checklist orders the tasks around your US LLC with GCS and marks the points where the individual case decides. Official fees and deadlines can change. It does not replace legal or tax advice. That is provided by the licensed professionals you appoint directly.