Can a Danish resident open a Mercury or Relay account?

Yes in principle. Denmark 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 Denmark and have never visited the US?

For a founder in Denmark, 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 Denmark?

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

How long does a Florida LLC take from Denmark?

For a founder in Denmark, 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 Danish founder need for a Florida LLC?

For a founder in Denmark, 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.

Does Denmark's controlled foreign company rule apply to individuals?

Yes. A Danish tax reference says Section 16 H of the Tax Assessment Act applies to individuals and estates. Control means more than 50 percent of capital or votes, directly, indirectly or jointly with close relatives.

What are the tests under Section 16 H?

CFC income must exceed one half of the company's taxable income, and the foreign income tax must be below three-quarters of the tax at the Danish corporate rate, which is 22 percent, so 16.5 percent. Ask a Danish adviser to apply them to your LLC.

Form a Florida LLC from Denmark: Complete 2026 Guide

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

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: Denmark
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

Why do Danish founders look at Florida? Mostly because the state-level side is predictable. The filing fee is $125 ($125 online), the ongoing requirement is $138.75 mandatory annual report fee, due every year, and the state applies no personal state income tax. Florida is the only one of these five states that discloses member names on its public annual report. Keep in mind that the state says nothing about how Denmark taxes you; that depends on Denmark law and is covered further down this page. What Florida offers is a well-known state with strong business infrastructure.

Is Florida Right For You

The case for Florida: 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. The case against is simply that another state may suit your priorities better, and changing states after formation means closing the LLC and starting a new one.

After Formation Checklist

Three things to do straight after formation. First, the paperwork: an Operating Agreement, and a note of the EIN letter's location (if it is lost, ask the IRS for Form 147C). Second, the money side: bank account, then Stripe or PayPal subject to their review. Third, the calendar: your Florida annual obligation ($138.75 mandatory annual report, due every year) and the federal Form 5472 and pro forma 1120. 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.

Calling The IRS From Denmark

The IRS international EIN line (267-941-1099) answers from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Denmark is six hours ahead of Eastern Time for most of the year, so the window runs from noon to 5 a.m. Danish 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.

Florida LLC For Danish Founders

Florida appeals to Danish 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

For a Denmark-based owner the order of operations is: registered agent first (you need their Florida address for the filing), then the Articles of Organization, then the EIN, then the bank account. The EIN application is Form SS-4; leave the SSN field as "Foreign" or "N/A". Calling the IRS international line (267-941-1099) is the fast route at about 45-60 minutes; faxing or mailing the form takes 4-6 weeks. Once you hold the EIN letter, bank and payment applications can begin.

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 Danish owner, Section 16 H of the Tax Assessment Act reaches individuals directly, so budget for a Danish adviser's written view alongside the US costs.

What A Florida LLC Costs From Denmark

Budgeting for a Florida LLC from Denmark? The one-time state fee is $125 ($125 online). Every LLC then needs a registered agent (typically $100-150 a year); the EIN itself costs nothing when you apply to the IRS directly; and Mercury or Relay accounts are usually free. The yearly state-side item is $138.75 mandatory annual report fee, due every year. Bundled, EasyBrise Global Launch costs $295 for year one with a registered agent included and $149 a year to renew.

Banking From Denmark Mercury And Relay

Denmark 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 Denmark. Kroner are converted to dollars when you fund the account, so compare the exchange rate and any fee at your Danish bank.

Your Recurring Dates As A Danish Owner

As a Danish 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. Danish 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.

Why A Treaty Does Not Switch The Rule Off

KPMG's Denmark profile says the CFC inclusion applies irrespective of the rules in a double tax treaty, so the US-Denmark treaty does not by itself take the LLC outside the Danish rule. The tax reference lists the circumstances in which the rule can apply, including an agreement with foreign tax authorities on the rate or tax base. Treat the treaty as background and get the Danish analysis done directly.

The Half Income Test And The Three Quarters Tax Test

Two further conditions must be met. CFC income must exceed one half of the company's taxable income, measured under the section, and the foreign income tax must be below three-quarters of the tax that would be due at the Danish corporate rate. With a 22 percent corporate rate the second line sits at 16.5 percent. The first test asks what kind of income the LLC has, so an LLC whose revenue is fees for work you do is a different case from an LLC holding financial assets. Ask an adviser to apply the test to real figures.

Danish Controlled Foreign Company Rules For Individuals

A Danish tax reference describes the controlled-foreign-company rule in Section 16 H of the Tax Assessment Act, Ligningsloven, as applying to individuals as well as estates, not only to companies. Control means owning more than 50 percent of the share capital or votes, directly, indirectly or jointly with close relatives. The rule applies where the foreign company's CFC income exceeds half of its taxable income and where the foreign tax is below three-quarters of the tax that would apply at the Danish corporate rate, which is 22 percent. At that rate, three-quarters is 16.5 percent. A single-member LLC bearing little or no US federal income tax is below that line, so the income-composition test matters.

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-Denmark tax treaty in force since 1999, updated by a 2006 protocol

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 Denmark

Or browse all formation guides by country.

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