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

For owners in Israel: yes. US LLC formation does not require US residency, a US visit or a Social Security Number. Founders based in Israel 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.

Is there a US-Israel tax treaty?

Yes, an income tax treaty has been in force since 1975. Whether it relieves tax on an LLC's profit depends on the income type and on how Israel classifies the LLC, so take advice on your specific numbers.

How long does a Florida LLC take from Israel?

For owners in Israel: 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 Israel?

The IRS international line takes calls 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. With Israel about seven hours ahead for most of the year, that is roughly 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. Israeli time. Plan for 45-60 minutes.

Does Israel tax the income of my US LLC?

Israel taxes its tax residents on worldwide income, so LLC profit generally falls within the Israeli tax net no matter which US state you form in. How and when it is taxed depends on whether Israel treats the LLC as transparent or as a company, which is why the classification question comes first.

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

For owners in Israel: 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 the difference between Section 75B and the Circular 05/2004 election?

Section 75B is Israel's controlled-foreign-company regime, which can attribute certain undistributed passive income of a controlled foreign company to Israeli resident owners. Circular 05/2004 is a separate Israel Tax Authority instrument for electing how a foreign entity is classified. They interact, but one is not the other.

Form a Florida LLC from Israel: Complete 2026 Guide

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

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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: Israel
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

Florida is a common choice for Israeli founders who want a US LLC without moving to the US. Filing costs $125 by mail ($125 online where available), and the yearly state obligation is $138.75 mandatory annual report fee, due every year. Florida has no personal state income tax, which keeps state-level compliance simple, although what Israel does with the LLC's profits is a separate question. On privacy: Florida is the only one of these five states that discloses member names on its public annual report. In short, Florida is the only one of the five that publishes member names.

What It Costs

Forming in Florida costs $125 in state fees ($125 online where available). Add a registered agent, which every state requires and which typically runs $100-150 a year, a free IRS EIN application, and a US business bank account that is usually free with Mercury or Relay. Ongoing state cost: $138.75 mandatory annual report fee, due every year. EasyBrise's Global Launch plan is $295 for year one including a registered agent, then $149 a year to renew, so most founders in Israel budget well under $500 for the first year, state fee included.

Who This State Is For

Florida tends to be the right fit 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. Compare it with the other four states on cost, privacy and reporting before filing; switching states later means dissolving and re-forming rather than a simple amendment.

Post Formation Checklist

After your Florida LLC and EIN are in place: sign an Operating Agreement (banks and payment processors ask for it even where the state doesn't), skip BOI reporting because FinCEN's rule in force since August 14, 2026 permanently exempts all US-formed LLCs, open the bank account, apply to Stripe or PayPal (each runs its own eligibility review), and put your Florida annual obligation ($138.75 mandatory annual report, due every year) plus the federal Form 5472 and pro forma 1120 deadline in your calendar.

Calling The IRS From Israel

The IRS international EIN line (267-941-1099) is answered from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Israel runs about seven hours ahead of New York for most of the year, so that window is roughly 1 p.m. until 6 a.m. Israeli time, and it shifts by an hour for a few weeks each spring and autumn when the two countries change clocks on different dates. Expect 45-60 minutes on the line.

How The Formation Process Works

The steps are the same for any Israel-based founder: pick a name, file Articles of Organization with the Florida Secretary of State (yourself or through your registered agent), appoint a registered agent with a physical Florida address, then apply for an EIN. You have no US Social Security Number, so on Form SS-4 you enter "Foreign" or "N/A" in that field. The phone route (267-941-1099, international callers) usually takes 45-60 minutes on the line; fax or mail takes 4-6 weeks. With the EIN in hand you apply for a US business bank account remotely.

Florida LLC For Israeli Founders

Florida's public annual report lists member names, which matters to an Israeli owner who values privacy. The $138.75 annual fee is also the highest recurring state cost of the five. Choose it for business infrastructure reasons, not for privacy or lowest cost.

Banking From Israel Mercury And Relay

Mercury's prohibited-countries list is based on country of residence, and Israel is not on it. Relay's list is based on the citizenship or residency of the owners, and Israel is not on that list either, so an Israeli owner can apply to both. The catch is on the payments side: Relay's published rule says it cannot process international wires, sending or receiving, that involve Israel, and Relay notes the list can change without notice. If your plan depends on wiring money between a US business account and an Israeli bank account, get the bank's confirmation in writing before you rely on it. Approval at either bank is never guaranteed.

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 Israeli owner, the bigger variable is not this US state cost but how Israel classifies the LLC under Section 75B and Circular 05/2004.

Your Recurring Dates As An Israeli Owner

As an Israeli 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 roughly 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. Israeli time for most of the year. 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.

Questions To Put To Your Israeli Accountant

Before you form, ask your Israeli accountant four things. Will Israel treat the LLC as transparent or as a company? Does Section 75B reach you given your ownership share and the type of income? Is a Circular 05/2004 election available and advisable in your case? And how will US tax paid on the LLC's income be credited under the 1975 treaty?

Dual Citizenship And The Mercury Relay Rules

Mercury and Relay test eligibility differently, and it matters if you hold more than one passport. Mercury's prohibited-countries list is based on country of residence, not citizenship, and a citizen of a listed country who lives elsewhere may still be eligible after review. Relay's list looks at the citizenship or residency of the business owners. Israel is on neither list, so an Israeli resident with only Israeli citizenship is not excluded by country. If you also hold citizenship in, or live in, a country that either list names, check that bank's current page before applying.

Israel CFC Rules And The Foreign Entity Election

Two Israeli concepts get mixed up here, so keep them apart. Section 75B of the Israeli Income Tax Ordinance is the controlled-foreign-company regime: it can attribute certain undistributed passive income of a foreign company controlled by Israeli residents to those residents. The election is a different instrument: Israel Tax Authority Circular 05/2004 sets out a route for choosing how a foreign entity is classified for Israeli purposes. Both depend on the facts, so model them with an Israeli accountant before you form. On the US side the LLC still files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 every year; a missed or incomplete filing carries a $25,000 minimum penalty.

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

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