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Non-resident service ranking

Best LLC service for non-US residents

An honest, non-resident-first comparison of the formation services that can handle an EIN without an SSN, avoid vague checkout traps, and keep Form 5472 on your radar.

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Services
3
ranked for non-residents
Reviewed
June 2026
pricing changes often
Key trap
$25k
Form 5472 penalty

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. Bizee and ZenBusiness aren’t our non-resident picks — their no-SSN EIN path isn’t clear — though if rock-bottom formation fees matter most and you’ll handle the EIN and Form 5472 yourself, Bizee is compared further down.

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 →

1

doola

Best all-in-one for non-residents

Excellent 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.

Start with doola

Reader discount — use code LANZAMO10 for 10% off your plan.

2

Northwest Registered Agent

Best value & privacy — and the most honest pricing

Good for non-residents
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 comparison
3

Firstbase

Best if you only want formation + EIN

Good for non-residents
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.

Visit Firstbase

Reader discount — use code PARTNERGIFT2024 for $25 off your first transaction.

More options worth comparing

These aren’t in our top three for the typical non-resident, but each is a legitimate, purpose-built service — choose them when their specific strength (a flat one-time fee, or U.S. banking) is exactly what you need.

StartGlobal

Best flat one-time fee — pay once, no yearly subscription

Good for non-residents
Service fee
$399 one-time
First year (approx.)
≈ $399, state fee included
EIN without an SSN
Included — they prepare the SS-4 and get your EIN with no U.S. SSN, no extra charge
Form 5472
Not bundled in the formation fee — file it separately (or via their paid tax service)

Our take: StartGlobal suits the founder who wants one transparent flat fee instead of a yearly subscription — formation, a no-SSN EIN, and a U.S. bank-account introduction in a single $399 with the state fees already inside it. Good if you’d rather pay once and manage compliance yourself; less ideal if you want Form 5472 and ongoing tax filing handled for you — budget that separately.

Visit StartGlobal

Globalfy

Best all-in-one with a U.S. banking concierge

Good for non-residents
Service fee
$588/yr
First year (approx.)
≈ $588 + state fee
EIN without an SSN
Included — they file for your EIN with no SSN as part of every plan
Form 5472
Only on the Essential plan (~$1,308/yr); the Start plan doesn’t include tax filing

Our take: Globalfy is the closest all-in-one alternative to doola for non-residents, and it leans hardest on getting you set up with a U.S. business bank account (Mercury or Lili) — useful if banking, not just formation, is what’s been blocking you. It files your EIN without an SSN and bundles a U.S. address. Worth comparing if banking access is your #1 worry; if you only need formation and an EIN once, a flat one-time option likely costs less.

Visit Globalfy

Bizee (formerly Incfile)

Lowest entry price to compare — not our non-resident pick

Use with caution
Service fee
$0 + state fee
First year (approx.)
$0 service fee, but budget separately for EIN, agent renewal and tax filings
EIN without an SSN
Foreign owners can form an LLC, but a guided no-SSN EIN path is not clear
Form 5472
Not offered

Our take: Bizee is worth comparing if your only priority is the lowest possible formation service fee. For a non-resident, the unclear guided no-SSN EIN path and no Form 5472 support keep it out of our ranked picks.

Visit Bizee (formerly Incfile)

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All seven, 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
StartGlobal $399 one-time Included — they prepare the SS-4 and get your EIN with no U.S. SSN, no extra charge Not bundled in the formation fee — file it separately (or via their paid tax service) Good for non-residents
Globalfy $588/yr Included — they file for your EIN with no SSN as part of every plan Only on the Essential plan (~$1,308/yr); the Start plan doesn’t include tax filing Good for non-residents
Bizee (formerly Incfile) $0 + state fee Foreign owners can form an LLC, but a guided no-SSN EIN path is not clear 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.

Start with your EIN (free) Compare state costs first

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.