The short version: pick doola if you want everything — formation, an EIN without an SSN, registered agent and a U.S. address — handled in one yearly price. Pick Northwest if you want the lowest honest cost and strong privacy. Pick Firstbase if you only need formation and an EIN once. Skip Bizee and ZenBusiness as a non-resident — their no-SSN EIN path isn’t clear.
Last reviewed June 2026
We ranked these from a non-resident’s point of view, not by who pays us most. The questions that decide it: does it file your EIN without an SSN? Is the price honest, or padded with pre-checked upsells? And does it help with Form 5472 — the $25,000 trap that catches foreign owners? How we make money →
doola
Best all-in-one for non-residents
- Service fee
- $297/yr
- Starter plan, billed yearly — same price at renewal, no jump
- First year (approx.)
- ≈ $297 + state fee
- EIN without an SSN
- Included — they file Form SS-4 for you, no SSN needed, no extra charge
- Registered agent
- Included in the plan
Strengths
- Built specifically for foreign founders — the no-SSN EIN path is handled end to end
- One flat yearly price with registered agent, U.S. address and operating agreement bundled in
- Renews at the same $297 — no first-year-teaser pricing
Watch-outs
- It’s a yearly subscription, not a one-time fee — you pay $297 again every year
- Mandatory Form 5472 filing is only on the much pricier Tax & Compliance plan
- A U.S. bank account (e.g. Mercury) isn’t guaranteed — approval is the bank’s call
Our take: If you want the whole thing — formation, EIN without an SSN, registered agent and a U.S. address — handled in one go without touching an IRS fax machine, doola is the cleanest path for a non-resident. You’re paying for a hands-off year-one setup; just budget the Form 5472 filing separately.
Visit doolaReader discount — use code LANZAMO10 for 10% off your plan.
Northwest Registered Agent
Best value & privacy — and the most honest pricing
- Service fee
- $39 one-time
- Formation filing; first LLC only ($100 for additional ones)
- First year (approx.)
- ≈ $239 ($39 + $200 EIN) + state fee
- EIN without an SSN
- $200 add-on (vs $50 for SSN holders) — they handle the SS-4
- Registered agent
- Free the first year, then $125/yr
Strengths
- Genuinely transparent pricing — the $200 non-resident EIN fee is stated up front, not buried
- Strong privacy posture: they don’t sell your data and use their own address where allowed
- Registered agent is free the first year; renewal is a flat, predictable $125/yr
Watch-outs
- The non-resident EIN add-on is $200 — four times the resident price
- No all-in-one subscription — you assemble formation + EIN + agent à la carte
- Doesn’t file Form 5472 for you
Our take: Northwest is the value-and-privacy pick. If you’re comfortable being a little more hands-on and want the lowest honest price with no pre-checked upsells, $39 formation + $200 EIN beats a subscription — and you keep a clean, private registered-agent relationship.
See Northwest Registered Agent in the full comparisonFirstbase
Best if you only want formation + EIN
- Service fee
- $399 one-time
- Start package; registered agent is NOT included
- First year (approx.)
- ≈ $498–$698 ($399 + agent) + state fee
- EIN without an SSN
- Included in the $399 (no SSN needed; can take a few weeks)
- Registered agent
- Not included — add Agent at $99–$299/yr
Strengths
- One-time formation fee with the no-SSN EIN bundled in
- Purpose-built for international founders forming in Delaware or Wyoming
- No yearly subscription forced on you for the basic formation
Watch-outs
- Registered agent is a mandatory state requirement and it’s NOT in the $399 — real year-one cost is higher
- EIN for non-residents can take several weeks
- Ongoing compliance is thinner than doola unless you buy up
Our take: Firstbase fits the founder who wants formation and an EIN once, then handles the rest themselves. Just price in the registered agent — the headline $399 isn’t the real year-one number.
See Firstbase in the full comparisonLanzamo is reader-supported. Some links are paid affiliate links — if you start a service through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our recommendations or what our tools calculate.
All five, side by side
| Service | Service fee | EIN (no SSN) | Form 5472 | Non-resident fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| doola | $297/yr | Included — they file Form SS-4 for you, no SSN needed, no extra charge | Only on the higher Tax & Compliance plan (~$1,999/yr); the Starter plan doesn’t cover it | Excellent for non-residents |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $39 one-time | $200 add-on (vs $50 for SSN holders) — they handle the SS-4 | Not bundled — you (or an accountant) file it separately | Good for non-residents |
| Firstbase | $399 one-time | Included in the $399 (no SSN needed; can take a few weeks) | Available as a paid add-on / higher tier | Good for non-residents |
| Bizee (formerly Incfile) | $0 + state fee | No clear no-SSN path — checkout assumes you have an SSN | Not offered | Use with caution |
| ZenBusiness | $0 Starter | Not clearly supported for no-SSN founders | Not offered | Use with caution |
Service prices and plan contents change frequently and were last reviewed in June 2026. State filing fees are always extra. Always confirm the current price on the provider’s own pricing page before you buy.
The $25,000 mistake to avoid first
Whichever service you pick, a foreign-owned single-member LLC must file Form 5472 every year — even with zero income. Miss it and the penalty is $25,000. Most cheap plans don’t include it. Decide who files yours before you choose, not after.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best LLC formation service for non-US residents?
For most non-US founders, doola is the simplest all-in-one choice because it files your EIN without an SSN and bundles the registered agent and U.S. address into one yearly price. Northwest Registered Agent is the value and privacy pick — a one-time $39 formation plus a transparent $200 non-resident EIN add-on. Firstbase suits founders who only want formation and an EIN once. We do not recommend Bizee or ZenBusiness for non-residents because their EIN-without-SSN path is unclear.
Can I form a US LLC without an SSN?
Yes. You do not need a Social Security Number or even an ITIN to form a U.S. LLC or to get an EIN. You cannot use the IRS online EIN tool without an SSN/ITIN, but you (or a formation service) can file Form SS-4 by fax or mail and write "Foreign" on line 7b. This is the standard path for non-resident founders.
Which of these services gets my EIN without an SSN?
doola includes the no-SSN EIN in its plan at no extra charge. Northwest handles it as a $200 add-on. Firstbase includes it in the $399 formation fee (it can take a few weeks). Bizee and ZenBusiness do not offer a clear guided no-SSN EIN service — their checkout flows assume you have an SSN.
What state should a non-resident form an LLC in?
If you have no U.S. physical presence, Wyoming, Delaware and New Mexico are the usual picks — low or no state income tax, reasonable fees and strong privacy. The right choice depends on your fees and ongoing reporting; compare every state with our free LLC cost-by-state tool before you file.
What is Form 5472 and why does it matter so much?
A foreign-owned single-member U.S. LLC must file Form 5472 (with a pro-forma Form 1120) every year, even with zero income, to report transactions between you and your LLC. Missing it carries a $25,000 penalty. Most cheap formation plans do not include it — budget for an accountant or a plan that covers it. This single filing is the most common and most expensive mistake non-resident founders make.
Is the "$0 LLC" real?
The service fee can be $0, but the state filing fee is never waived — it ranges from about $35 to $500 depending on the state. And the cheap plans typically recover their cost through pre-checked upsells (registered agent renewals, "compliance" subscriptions, EIN add-ons). Read the cart before you pay.
The founder’s starting-a-US-company checklist
Get the free step-by-step checklist plus the occasional plain-English guide on formation, taxes, banking, and staying compliant. No spam, no hype. Unsubscribe anytime.