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

If you are based in Georgia, yes. US LLC formation does not require US residency, a US visit or a Social Security Number. Founders based in Georgia 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.

Can a Georgian resident open a Mercury or Relay account?

Yes in principle. Georgia 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.

How long does a Florida LLC take from Georgia?

If you are based in Georgia, 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.

What time can I phone the IRS from Georgia?

The IRS international line is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Georgia stays on UTC+4 all year, so the window is 3 p.m. to 8 a.m. in US standard time and 2 p.m. to 7 a.m. in US daylight time.

Does the country of Georgia tax foreign income of residents?

As described in a Georgian tax summary, a resident's foreign income is generally not taxed, and tax falls on Georgian-source income. Source depends on where income is generated, so ask a Georgian accountant about your LLC.

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

If you are based in Georgia, 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.

Does working from Georgia make my LLC income Georgian-source?

It can. The summary says a service physically performed from Georgia can be recharacterised as Georgian-source, so foreign clients do not settle the question. Get a written view and keep records of where work is done.

Form a Florida LLC from Georgia: Complete 2026 Guide

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

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: Georgia
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

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 Georgia 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 Georgia-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 Georgia. 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 Georgia

The IRS international EIN line (267-941-1099) answers from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Georgia stays on UTC+4 all year, so the window runs from 3 p.m. to 8 a.m. Georgian time in US standard time and from 2 p.m. to 7 a.m. in US daylight time. Call in your afternoon or evening and 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 Georgia 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 Georgian Founders

Florida appeals to Georgian founders with customers or relatives in the state. 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 Georgian owner, the question is whether the LLC's income counts as Georgian-source, so plan for a written view from a Georgian accountant before you form.

Banking From Georgia Mercury And Relay

Georgia 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 Georgia. Lari are converted to dollars when you fund the account, so compare the rate and any fee at your Georgian bank.

Your Recurring Dates As A Georgian Owner

As a Georgian 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 3 p.m. to 8 a.m. Georgian time in US standard time (2 p.m. to 7 a.m. in US daylight 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.

Georgian Territorial Taxation And Your LLC

As described in a Georgian tax summary, a Georgian resident's foreign income is generally not taxed and tax falls only on Georgian-source income under articles 79 and 82 of the Tax Code. The same summary stresses that source depends on where the income is actually generated, so a service physically performed from Georgia can be recharacterised as Georgian-source. It describes a flat 20 percent rate on Georgian-source income. That makes the place where you do the work the central fact: ask a Georgian accountant for a written view, and keep contracts and records showing where services are performed and for whom.

The 20 Percent Rate And The Small Business Alternative

The summary describes a flat 20 percent rate on Georgian-source income of individuals, and a small business status for sole proprietors with a 1 percent rate on turnover up to 500,000 lari a year and 3 percent on turnover above that from the month the cap is passed. It also says the 1 percent regime excludes many activities, including consultancy, legal, audit, medical, architectural and financial intermediation, while IT development, design, digital marketing and production qualify. Whether any of this applies to an LLC owner depends on the facts.

No Georgian Controlled Foreign Company Regime Was Described

The Georgian tax summary we reviewed does not describe a Georgian controlled-foreign-company regime, and it points readers to check the rules of their former country of residence. If you moved to Georgia recently, that former country may still tax you on the LLC, so take advice there as well as in Georgia. Do not treat the absence of a rule in one summary as a clearance.

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

US-Georgia treaty status disputed - old 1973 USSR treaty possibly applies, applicability contested by Georgian practitioners; no modern comprehensive treaty in force

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 Georgia

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