Can I form an LLC in Florida if I live in Colombia and have never visited the US?

If you are based in Colombia, yes. US LLC formation does not require US residency, a US visit or a Social Security Number. Founders based in Colombia form Florida LLCs remotely using a registered agent for the required US address, and they apply for an EIN with "Foreign" or "N/A" in place of an SSN.

What time can I phone the IRS from Colombia?

The IRS international line is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Colombia is on UTC-5 all year, so the window is 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Colombian time in US daylight time and 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. in US standard time.

How long does a Florida LLC take from Colombia?

If you are based in Colombia, state approval in Florida typically takes a few business days to about two weeks depending on filing volume, and the EIN can often be obtained the same week by phone. Most founders have the LLC, the EIN and a bank application in 2-4 weeks.

I own 100% of my LLC. Does the 10% ECE threshold help me?

No. A sole owner holds far more than 10%, so you should assume the ECE regime is engaged and focus on the next question, whether the LLC earns passive or active business income, because that decides whether accrual taxation applies.

What is Colombia's ECE regime and does it apply to a US LLC?

ECE stands for Entidades Controladas del Exterior, the Colombian controlled-foreign-entity rules introduced by Law 1819 of 2016. They can apply when a Colombian resident holds a 10% or greater stake in a foreign entity, and a US LLC can fall within them, depending on its income.

What ongoing filings does a Colombian founder need for a Florida LLC?

If you are based in Colombia, two matter most: Florida's own annual requirement ($138.75 mandatory annual report, due every year) and the federal Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120, due every year for a foreign-owned single-member LLC. Missing the federal filing carries a $25,000 minimum penalty.

Form a Florida LLC from Colombia: Complete 2026 Guide

Q: Is LLC income taxed in Colombia only when I withdraw it?

Not necessarily. Under the ECE regime, passive income of the foreign entity can be taxed to the Colombian owner on an accrual basis, in the year it arises. Active business income is analysed differently, so classification matters.

Everything a Colombia-based founder needs to form, bank, and run a Florida LLC — costs, EIN process, and tax angles specific to Colombia.

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$125 · State filing fee

$138.75/year, due by May 1 · Annual fee

5-10 business days · Avg. filing time

Quick Summary

Country: Colombia
State: Florida
Avg. filing time: 5-10 business days (standard online filing)
State filing fee: $125 ($100 Articles of Organization + $25 registered agent designation)
Annual report fee: $138.75/year, due by May 1 (mandatory - not free, unlike Texas; $400 late penalty and eventual administrative dissolution if missed)

Why Florida

Start with the numbers. A Florida LLC costs $125 to file (or $125 online), and the recurring state cost is $138.75 mandatory annual report fee, due every year. State tax treatment: no personal state income tax. Privacy treatment: Florida is the only one of these five states that discloses member names on its public annual report. For a founder in Colombia the practical reading is that Florida is the only one of the five that publishes member names, so the question to ask is whether that trait matches how you plan to run the business.

What It Costs

Florida state fees are $125 to file ($125 online where available). The other line items are the same wherever you form: a registered agent at roughly $100-150 a year, a free EIN straight from the IRS, and a free business bank account at Mercury or Relay. What differs by state is the recurring cost, and for Florida that is $138.75 mandatory annual report fee, due every year. With EasyBrise Global Launch ($295 in year one, registered agent included; $149 a year to renew) the typical first year stays well under $500.

Who This State Is For

A Colombia-based founder should lean toward Florida if you want a well-known state with strong US business infrastructure and don't mind that Florida is the one state on this list requiring member names on the public annual report. Weigh it against the other four states on cost, privacy and reporting now, since a later switch is a dissolve-and-reform exercise, not an amendment.

Post Formation Checklist

Housekeeping for a new Florida LLC owned from Colombia. Federal Beneficial Ownership Information reporting is not something you need to do: FinCEN's rule in force since August 14, 2026 permanently exempts all US-formed LLCs. What you do need: an Operating Agreement, a business bank account, payment-processor accounts if you will take cards, and two recurring dates, your Florida annual obligation ($138.75 mandatory annual report, due every year) and the annual federal Form 5472 and pro forma 1120.

Calling The IRS From Colombia

The IRS international EIN line (267-941-1099) answers from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Colombia is on UTC-5 all year with no daylight saving. When the US is on daylight time that window is 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Colombian time; in US standard time the two match, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. A late-morning call works in both periods. Plan on 45-60 minutes.

How The Formation Process Works

Nothing about Florida formation requires you to be in the US. Your registered agent supplies the Florida address and receives official mail, the Articles of Organization go to the Florida Secretary of State, and the EIN comes from the IRS afterwards. Since a Colombia resident has no SSN, Form SS-4 gets "Foreign" or "N/A" in the SSN line. The international phone line (267-941-1099) takes roughly 45-60 minutes and is the quickest route; fax and mail take 4-6 weeks.

Florida LLC For Colombian Founders

Florida has a Spanish-speaking business community and strong banking infrastructure, which appeals to some Colombian founders. Remember that its public annual report lists members and that the $138.75 annual fee is due every year.

Five Year State Cost Of A Florida LLC

Over five years, the state-level cost of a Florida LLC is a $125 filing fee plus $138.75 a year for five years, so $818.75 in total, before the registered agent. That makes Florida the second most expensive of the five states on this measure. The same arithmetic across the five states runs from $50 to $2,110. For a Colombian owner, the bigger variable is not this US state cost but how the ECE regime treats the LLC's income, since passive income can be taxed on accrual.

What To Ask Your Colombian Accountant

Bring three questions to your Colombian accountant. Does your ownership level reach the 10% threshold that engages the ECE regime? Is the LLC's income passive or active business income for ECE purposes, since passive income is taxed on accrual? And how will you evidence US tax paid so that Colombia credits it? A short written opinion before formation avoids a surprise at your first Colombian filing.

Banking From Colombia Mercury And Relay

Colombia is not on Mercury's prohibited-countries list, which is based on the founder's country of residence, and it is not on Relay's list, which looks at the owners' citizenship and residency. Both banks run their own reviews, so approval is not automatic, but Colombian residents are not excluded by country. Neither bank's published rules restrict international wires involving Colombia. Keep the EIN letter, the Articles of Organization and your Colombian identity document ready when you apply.

Your Recurring Dates As A Colombian Owner

As a Colombian owner, your recurring dates look like this. State: Florida's $138.75 annual report is due every year between January 1 and May 1. Federal: Form 5472 with the pro forma Form 1120 is due on the return due date, April 15 for a calendar-year LLC, extendable with Form 7004. For the one-off EIN call, the IRS line (6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern) is open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Colombian time in US daylight time (6 a.m. to 11 p.m. in US standard time). Put the state date and the federal date in your calendar when the EIN arrives, because a missed Form 5472 carries a $25,000 minimum penalty.

Dual Citizenship And The Mercury Relay Rules

Mercury and Relay test eligibility in different ways. Mercury's prohibited-countries list is based on country of residence, not citizenship, and a citizen of a listed country who lives elsewhere may still be eligible after review. Relay looks at the citizenship or residency of the owners. Colombia is on neither list, so a Colombian citizen resident in Colombia is not excluded by country. If you hold another passport or live in a third country, check whether that country appears on either list before you apply.

Colombia Controlled Entity Rules And Accrual Taxation

Colombia's Controlled Foreign Entities regime (Entidades Controladas del Exterior, or ECE), introduced by Law 1819 of 2016, can apply when a Colombian resident holds 10% or more of a foreign entity. The practical consequence is the part that surprises founders: passive income of an ECE can be taxed to the Colombian owner on an accrual basis, in the year it arises, rather than only when you take money out. Whether your LLC's income is passive or active business income is therefore central, and a Colombian accountant should classify it before the first invoice. On the US side the LLC files Form 5472 and a pro forma Form 1120 every year, with a $25,000 minimum penalty for a missed or incomplete filing.

Requirements

Requirement	Needed
US Social Security Number
US visit required
Registered agent with US address
Florida annual filing
Federal Form 5472 + pro forma 1120

Costs

Item	Cost
State filing fee	$125 (mail) / $125 (online)
Registered agent (annual)	$100-150/yr (or included in EasyBrise Global Launch)
EIN application	Free via IRS (or via a paid service)
US business bank account	Free (Mercury / Relay)
EasyBrise Global Launch (year 1, incl. registered agent)	$295
EasyBrise renewal (year 2+)	$149/yr

Who Should Choose Florida

Choose Florida if

you want a well-known state with strong US business infrastructure and don't mind that Florida is the one state on this list requiring member names on the public annual report

Consider another state if

your priorities (fundraising plans, revenue level, or reporting tolerance) point more strongly to one of the other four states in the comparison table above.

Comparison

State	Filing Fee	Annual Requirement	State Income Tax	Privacy
Wyoming	$100 mail / $102 online	$60	None	No public member names
Delaware	$110	$400 flat annual franchise tax	None	No public member names
Texas	$300	$0 franchise tax for LLCs with revenue below the no-tax-due threshold	None	No public member names
New Mexico	$50	$0 ever	None	No public member names
Florida	$125	$138.75 mandatory annual report fee, due every year	None	Member names public

Banking

Mercury
Popular with non-resident founders; requires US LLC + EIN; no US visit needed
Relay
Remote-friendly for non-residents; requires formed US entity

Frequently Asked Questions

More guides for founders in Colombia

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