Can a Czech resident open a Mercury or Relay account?

Yes in principle. The Czech Republic is not on Mercury's prohibited list (residence-based) or on Relay's list (owners' citizenship or residency), subject to each bank's own review.

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

From Czech Republic, yes, entirely remotely. Florida does not ask for residency or a trip to the US, and no SSN is required. A registered agent provides the Florida address, and the EIN application uses "Foreign" or "N/A" where an SSN would go.

What time can I phone the IRS from the Czech Republic?

The IRS international line is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. The Czech Republic is six hours ahead of Eastern Time for most of the year, so the window is noon to 5 a.m. Czech time, with a shorter gap on the few weeks when US and European clock changes differ.

How long does a Florida LLC take from Czech Republic?

From Czech Republic, expect a few business days to roughly two weeks for Florida to approve the filing, depending on volume. The EIN by phone is usually same-week, so formation, EIN and a submitted bank application commonly take 2-4 weeks in total.

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

From Czech Republic, the federal Form 5472 and pro forma Form 1120 come due every year, with a $25,000 minimum penalty for a missed filing. On the state side, Florida's requirement is $138.75 mandatory annual report, due every year.

When did the Czech controlled foreign company rules start?

Section 38fa of the Income Tax Act took effect on 1 April 2019 under Act No. 80/2019 Coll., and a rule on EU non-cooperative jurisdictions applies from 1 January 2021.

Form a Florida LLC from Czech Republic: Complete 2026 Guide

Q: Do the Czech controlled foreign company rules apply to individuals?

As Grant Thornton Czech Republic describes them, the controlling person must be a Czech tax-resident corporate income taxpayer, so a foreign company owned solely by a Czech individual is outside the rules. Ask a Czech accountant to confirm your own position.

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

Start your formation View pricing

$125 · State filing fee

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

5-10 business days · Avg. filing time

Wire/ACH via Mercury or Relay · Transfer method

Quick Summary

Country: Czech Republic
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)
Transfer method: Wire/ACH via Mercury or Relay (not on either prohibited-countries list)

Why Florida

What makes Florida worth a look for someone in Czech Republic: the state fee is $125 on paper ($125 online), and after that the state-level upkeep is $138.75 mandatory annual report fee, due every year. The state levies no personal state income tax. Florida is the only one of these five states that discloses member names on its public annual report. None of this changes your Czech Republic tax position, which sits on top of the US picture, but it does mean Florida itself adds little friction. Among the five states we cover, Florida is the only one of the five that publishes member names.

Is Florida Right For You

Choose Florida when 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. If your priorities lean another way, compare the other four states first, because moving a Florida LLC to another state later means dissolving it and forming a new one.

After Formation Checklist

Checklist once the EIN letter arrives: (1) Operating Agreement signed and stored; (2) bank account application submitted; (3) Stripe and/or PayPal applications, subject to their own review; (4) your Florida annual obligation ($138.75 mandatory annual report, due every year) in your calendar; (5) Form 5472 with a pro forma 1120 on the federal calendar. 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.

Florida LLC For Czech Founders

Florida appeals to Czech founders with customers or relatives in the state. Its public annual report names members, and the $138.75 annual fee recurs every year.

Forming In Florida Step By Step

Forming from Czech Republic is a five-step job. One: choose and check the name. Two: appoint a registered agent with a physical Florida address. Three: file the Florida formation documents. Four: obtain the EIN, entering "Foreign" or "N/A" where Form SS-4 asks for an SSN or ITIN; by phone on 267-941-1099 it takes about 45-60 minutes, by fax or mail 4-6 weeks. Five: open the business bank account online. No US trip is needed at any point.

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 Czech owner, the controlled-foreign-company rules are written for companies, so the useful budget item is an adviser's confirmation of how your LLC's profit is taxed when you take it out.

Your Recurring Dates As A Czech Owner

As a Czech 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 noon to 5 a.m. Czech time for most of the year (the gap shrinks to five hours for a few weeks when US and European clock changes fall on different dates). 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.

Calling The IRS From The Czech Republic

The IRS international EIN line (267-941-1099) answers from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. The Czech Republic is six hours ahead of Eastern Time for most of the year, so the window runs from noon to 5 a.m. Czech time, with a shorter gap for a few weeks when the US and Europe change clocks on different dates. Call in your afternoon or early evening and plan on 45-60 minutes.

A Czech Company Versus A United States LLC

A Czech founder can invoice through a Czech company or as a sole trader as well as through a US LLC. The LLC's case is strongest when your customers and payment processors are American and you want a US bank account and a US vendor identity. Compare the whole path from business profit to personal income for each structure with a Czech accountant before choosing.

What A Florida LLC Costs From Czech Republic

Here is the first-year budget for a Florida LLC owned from Czech Republic. State filing: $125 ($125 online). Registered agent: typically $100-150 a year, or included in EasyBrise Global Launch at $295 for year one ($149 a year after that). EIN: free if you apply to the IRS yourself. Bank account: usually free at Mercury or Relay. Recurring state requirement: $138.75 mandatory annual report fee, due every year. Most founders land well under $500 all-in for year one.

Banking From The Czech Republic Mercury And Relay

The Czech Republic is not on Mercury's prohibited-countries list, which is based on country of residence, and it is not on Relay's list, which looks at the citizenship and residency of the owners. Both banks run their own reviews, so approval is never guaranteed. Neither bank's published rules restrict international wires involving the Czech Republic. Koruna are converted to dollars when you fund the account, so compare the exchange rate and any fee at your Czech bank.

Czech Controlled Foreign Company Rules And Your LLC

Grant Thornton Czech Republic explains that the Czech rules on controlled foreign companies, in Section 38fa of the Income Tax Act and in force since 1 April 2019, define the controlling person as a Czech tax-resident corporate income taxpayer, so a foreign company owned solely by a Czech individual falls outside them. A corporate taxpayer is controlling where it holds more than 50 percent of the capital, voting rights or profit rights, alone or with associated enterprises. An individual can still matter as an associated enterprise when a corporate taxpayer's holding is tested. That is a reading of the corporate rules and not a clearance of your whole position, so ask a Czech accountant how your LLC's profit is taxed to you.

What The Czech Passive Income List Covers If A Company Is Involved

If a Czech corporate taxpayer were the controlling company, the included income is listed exhaustively in the Income Tax Act and is passive in nature: interest, royalties, profit distributions, gains on disposing of shares, income from property assigned with a right to later acquire it, insurance, banking and other financial activity, and sales of goods or services bought from and resold to associated entities with little or no added value. Revenue from your own services would be a different question.

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

Taxes

Comprehensive US-Czech tax treaty in force since 1993, plus a social security totalization agreement

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 Czech Republic

Or browse all formation guides by country.

Ready to start your Florida LLC?

No SSN and no U.S. address required. Get your LLC, EIN and banking readiness handled in one place.