US Federal & State Tax Filing
A US company files whether or not it made money, and a foreign-owned one files forms most accountants outside the US never see. A single-member LLC owned from Pakistan is disregarded for tax and still has to lodge Form 5472 behind a pro forma Form 1120 every year, with a penalty starting at $25,000 for not doing it. We work out what your structure actually owes, file the federal and state returns, and keep the state registration alive underneath them.
Scope
What'sincluded
Everything below is in the standard engagement. Anything outside it is agreed in writing before the work starts, never after.
- Form 5472 with the pro forma Form 1120 for a foreign-owned single-member LLC, due 15 April
- Form 1065 partnership return with Schedules K-1 and K-3 for a multi-member LLC
- Form 1120 corporation return for a C-Corporation, with state corporate returns where they are required
- Form 1040-NR where you have income effectively connected with a US trade or business
- Extensions filed on Form 7004 or Form 4868 before the deadline rather than after it
- State annual report and franchise tax filed on your state’s date, so the company stays in good standing
- Reportable-transaction schedules: capital contributions, owner draws, and every payment between you and the LLC
Who this is for
Built for three situations
- Owners of a foreign-owned US LLC
- Companies that have never filed
- Founders who have had an IRS notice
Process
How thisactually runs
Position review
We read your formation documents, EIN letter and bank statements, then tell you exactly which federal and state returns are due, and which years are already late.
Books to a return
Transactions classified and reconciled for the tax year, with transactions between you and the company identified separately, because those are precisely what Form 5472 reports.
Filing
Returns prepared, sent to you with every figure explained, and lodged with the IRS and the state once you have signed off on them.
Standing maintained
Annual report and franchise tax filed on the state’s own date, and next year’s calendar issued with every federal and state deadline already on it.
Deliverables
What you end up holding
- Filed federal return with the IRS acknowledgement
- Filed state annual report or franchise tax return
- Form 5472 as lodged, with the related-party schedule behind it
- A tax-year summary of the company’s income, expenses and owner transactions
- A written filing calendar for the year ahead
What we need from you
Documents required
- Articles of Organization or Incorporation, and the EIN confirmation letter
- Operating agreement or bylaws showing current ownership
- Bank and payment processor statements covering the whole tax year
- A record of every transfer between you and the company, in both directions
- Prior year US returns, if any were filed
- Your ITIN or SSN, where the structure requires an individual return
Missing something? Tell us anyway. We can usually work around a gap, and it is better to know before we start.
Next step
Tell us your situation and we will scope it.
Scope, fee and dates confirmed in writing before anything starts.
Questions
AboutUS Federal & State Tax Filing
My LLC made no money. Do I still have to file?
Yes. A foreign-owned single-member LLC files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 for any year in which it had a reportable transaction, and forming the company and funding it are themselves reportable transactions. A dormant year is still a filing year.
What happens if I have never filed Form 5472?
The penalty is $25,000 per form per year, with a further $25,000 for every 30 days that pass once the IRS has issued a 90-day notice. It is a penalty for not filing rather than a tax on profit, so it applies in full to a company that earned nothing. Late filings are still worth making, and we prepare them with a reasonable-cause statement attached.
Does owning a US LLC mean I pay US income tax?
Not automatically. A single-member LLC with no US office, no US employees and no dependent agent in the US often has no income effectively connected with a US trade or business, and so no US income tax, while still having to file. The reporting obligation and the tax liability are separate questions and we answer them separately.
When are the deadlines?
Form 5472 with the pro forma Form 1120 is due 15 April for a calendar-year owner, with a six-month extension available on Form 7004 filed before that date. A partnership return on Form 1065 is due 15 March. State dates are set by the state: Wyoming on the first day of your formation anniversary month, Delaware on 1 June.
Do I have to register for US sales tax?
Only where you have nexus, and that is decided by where your buyers are rather than where you live. Most states set an economic nexus threshold at $100,000 of sales into the state, some adding a 200-transaction test. We check your sales by state before registering you anywhere, because registering unnecessarily creates a filing obligation you then have to keep meeting.
Often taken alongside
- International
US Company Formation
A US LLC or C-Corporation registered in your name from Pakistan, with the EIN, registered agent and business banking that make it usable.
- International
US Bookkeeping & Payroll
Books kept in US dollars to the standard a US return is filed from, plus payroll and contractor reporting where you have people being paid.
- Finance & Tax
Income Tax
NTN registration, annual income tax returns and wealth statements filed through FBR IRIS, correctly and before the deadline.
