Can a Dominican resident open a Mercury or Relay account?

Yes in principle. The Dominican 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 Dominican Republic and have never visited the US?

From Dominican 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 Dominican Republic?

The IRS international line is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. The Dominican Republic is on UTC-4 all year, so the window is 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. in US daylight time and 7 a.m. to midnight in US standard time.

How long does a Florida LLC take from Dominican Republic?

From Dominican 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 Dominican founder need for a Florida LLC?

From Dominican 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.

Does the Dominican Republic tax income earned through a US LLC?

PwC's summary says the Dominican Republic follows a territorial concept, so foreign-source income generally is not taxed, but residents are taxed on foreign investments and financial gains. Ask a Dominican adviser how your LLC income is classified.

Form a Florida LLC from Dominican Republic: Complete 2026 Guide

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

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$125 · State filing fee

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

5-10 business days · Avg. filing time

Wire/ACH via a US business bank… · Transfer method

Quick Summary

Country: Dominican 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 a US business bank account (eligibility depends on your country of residence and citizenship)

Why Florida

What makes Florida worth a look for someone in Dominican 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 Dominican 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.

Forming In Florida Step By Step

Forming from Dominican 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.

Florida LLC For Dominican Founders

Florida's links with the Caribbean and Latin America appeal to some Dominican founders. Its public annual report names members, and the $138.75 annual fee recurs 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 Dominican owner, the Dominican Republic follows a territorial concept for income, so the question is how a resident's foreign LLC income is classified.

The Three Year Rule For New Residents

PwC says that for individuals who become residents, foreign-source income is taxed only after the third year. That matters for a founder who has recently moved to the Dominican Republic, since the clock starts with residence. The summary does not set out the residence test, so ask a Dominican adviser to confirm your status and the date your three years begin.

Your Recurring Dates As A Dominican Owner

As a Dominican 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 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dominican time in US daylight time (7 a.m. to midnight 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.

Calling The IRS From The Dominican Republic

The IRS international EIN line (267-941-1099) answers from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. The Dominican Republic is on UTC-4 all year with no daylight saving. In US daylight time the two clocks match, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and in US standard time the window is 7 a.m. to midnight Dominican time. Any daytime call is comfortable. Plan on 45-60 minutes.

What A Florida LLC Costs From Dominican Republic

Here is the first-year budget for a Florida LLC owned from Dominican 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.

Dominican Territorial Taxation And Foreign Income

PwC's summary says the Dominican Republic follows a territorial concept for the determination of taxable income, so Dominican-source income is taxable and foreign-source income generally is not. It also says residents are taxed on foreign investments and financial gains, and that for individuals who become residents, foreign-source income is taxed only after the third year of residence. For 2026 PwC's table shows a tax-free threshold of DOP 416,220 and rates of 15, 20 and 25 percent in the bands above it. The summary does not describe a controlled-foreign-company regime. Whether profit earned by a US LLC for services performed abroad counts as foreign-source business income or as taxable foreign investment income is a question for a Dominican adviser.

Banking From The Dominican Republic Mercury And Relay

The Dominican 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. Relay's help page also lists countries involved in wire restrictions, and the Dominican Republic is on neither of its lists. Pesos are converted to dollars when you fund the account, so compare the exchange rate and any fee at your Dominican bank.

What Stays American Even With A Territorial Home Country

A territorial home system does not remove US filings. A foreign-owned single-member LLC files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 every year, with a $25,000 minimum penalty for a missed or incomplete filing. Keep the operating agreement, the contracts that show where your clients are and the invoices together, because banks, processors and a Dominican adviser will ask for them.

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 at most US business banks (eligibility varies by country)
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

No US-Dominican Republic income tax treaty (TIEA only); territorial system taxes foreign investments/financial gains only, with a 3-year exemption for new residents; Law 30-26 (effective 2027) broadens foreign-source income to include technical assistance services

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 Dominican Republic

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