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

If you are based in Ireland, yes. US LLC formation does not require US residency, a US visit or a Social Security Number. Founders based in Ireland 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 an Irish resident open a Mercury or Relay account?

Yes in principle. Ireland 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 Ireland?

If you are based in Ireland, 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 Ireland?

The IRS international line is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Ireland is five hours ahead of Eastern Time for most of the year, so the window is 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. Irish time, with a shorter gap on the few weeks when US and European clock changes differ.

What ongoing filings does an Irish founder need for a Florida LLC?

If you are based in Ireland, 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.

What is Section 806 of the Taxes Consolidation Act and does it matter for a US LLC?

Section 806 deals with the transfer of assets abroad and looks at whether an Irish-resident individual retains the power to enjoy the resulting income. Whether it affects your LLC depends on the facts, so ask an Irish accountant to address it in writing.

Form a Florida LLC from Ireland: Complete 2026 Guide

Q: Do Ireland's controlled foreign company rules apply to me as an individual?

No. Revenue's guidance says the charge can arise only to companies, and that an Irish-resident individual can never be a controlling company. The regime applies to accounting periods starting on or after 1 January 2019.

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

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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: Ireland
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 Ireland 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

An Ireland-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 Ireland. 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 Ireland

The IRS international EIN line (267-941-1099) answers from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Ireland is five hours ahead of Eastern Time for most of the year, so the window runs from 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. Irish time, with a shorter gap for a few weeks when the US and Europe change clocks on different dates. Any daytime or evening call is comfortable. Plan on 45-60 minutes.

Florida LLC For Irish Founders

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

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 an Ireland 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.

When A Company Enters The Chain

Some Irish founders eventually place the LLC under an Irish company. That is where the controlled-foreign-company regime starts to matter, because the charge falls on companies. If you are weighing that route, take advice before restructuring, since the answer for a company owner differs from the answer for an individual owner.

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 an Irish owner, the state fee is small beside the question of how Revenue treats the LLC, so plan for a written view from an Irish accountant before you form.

Banking From Ireland Mercury And Relay

Ireland 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 Ireland. Euros are converted to dollars when you fund the account, so compare the rate and any fee at your Irish bank. Ireland takes part in the Common Reporting Standard, so Irish banks exchange account information automatically.

Your Recurring Dates As An Irish Owner

As an Irish 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 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. Irish time for most of the year (the gap shrinks to four 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.

Section 806 And The Power To Enjoy The Income

Section 806 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 is the provision Irish advisers check when an Irish-resident individual transfers assets abroad and keeps the ability to enjoy the resulting income. A sole owner who can draw the LLC's profits at will is the kind of person the question is aimed at. Whether the section bites depends on the facts, including the commercial purpose of the transfer, so ask your accountant to address it explicitly and to keep the conclusion on file.

Irish Tax Rules For An Individual Owning A United States LLC

Ireland's controlled-foreign-company regime, which took effect for accounting periods starting on or after 1 January 2019, charges only companies. Revenue's own guidance states that the charge can arise only to chargeable companies, and that an Irish-resident individual can never be a controlling company. That means the regime does not reach you as an individual owner. It does not mean Irish tax is irrelevant: an Irish resident is taxed on worldwide income, and Irish advisers also look at Section 806 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, which deals with the transfer of assets abroad. Ask an Irish accountant whether it matters for your structure and get the answer in writing.

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 Ireland

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