Can a Kuwaiti resident open a Mercury or Relay account?

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

For a founder in Kuwait, 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 Kuwait?

The IRS international line is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Kuwait is on UTC+3 all year, so the window is 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. in US daylight time and 2 p.m. to 7 a.m. in US standard time.

How long does a Florida LLC take from Kuwait?

For a founder in Kuwait, 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 Kuwaiti founder need for a Florida LLC?

For a founder in Kuwait, 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 Kuwait tax income earned through a US LLC?

Moore's Kuwait summary says there is no personal income tax in Kuwait and that only foreign companies operating there pay corporate income tax. Confirm current rules, and any other levies, with a Kuwaiti adviser.

Form a Florida LLC from Kuwait: Complete 2026 Guide

Q: Does Kuwait have CFC rules?

Moore's summary lists controlled-foreign-company rules as not applicable to Kuwait.

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

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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: Kuwait
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

Why do Kuwaiti 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 Kuwait taxes you; that depends on Kuwait 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 Kuwait

The IRS international EIN line (267-941-1099) answers from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Kuwait is on UTC+3 all year with no daylight saving. In US daylight time that window is 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. Kuwait time, and in US standard time it is 2 p.m. to 7 a.m. Call in your afternoon or evening and plan on 45-60 minutes.

Forming In Florida Step By Step

For a Kuwait-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.

Florida LLC For Kuwaiti Founders

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

What A Florida LLC Costs From Kuwait

Budgeting for a Florida LLC from Kuwait? 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 Kuwait Mercury And Relay

Kuwait 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 Kuwait. Dinars are converted to dollars when you fund the account, so compare the exchange rate and any fee at your Kuwaiti bank.

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 Kuwaiti owner, Kuwait levies no personal income tax, so the US costs and the federal filings are the main recurring items.

Your Recurring Dates As A Kuwaiti Owner

As a Kuwaiti 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 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. Kuwait time in US daylight time (2 p.m. to 7 a.m. 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.

What Kuwait S Zero Personal Tax Does And Does Not Remove

Kuwait's lack of a personal income tax removes a home-country tax on your own LLC income, but it does not remove the US filings. A foreign-owned single-member LLC still files Form 5472 with a pro forma 1120 each year. Banks and payment processors also ask for documents showing who you are and what the business does, so keep the operating agreement, client contracts and invoices together.

Kuwait Has No Personal Income Tax And The US Filings Remain

Moore's Kuwait summary says there is no personal income tax in Kuwait and that only foreign companies operating in Kuwait are subject to corporate income tax. It lists controlled-foreign-company rules as not applicable. That summary was last modified in September 2024, so confirm current rules with a Kuwaiti adviser, in particular any other levies that might touch a resident's foreign company. Because Kuwaiti rules for individuals are thin, the practical work is documentation and the American side. The compliance that remains is American: the LLC files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 every year, with a $25,000 minimum penalty for a missed or incomplete filing.

Kuwait Corporate Tax Applies To Foreign Companies Operating There

Moore's summary says only foreign companies operating in Kuwait are subject to corporate income tax, at 15 percent, and that companies incorporated in GCC countries and wholly owned by GCC citizens are not subject to income tax. A US LLC that serves clients outside Kuwait and has no Kuwaiti office, staff or customers is not described as operating there. If you run client work from Kuwait, or sell to Kuwaiti customers, ask a Kuwaiti adviser how the authorities would view the LLC, and keep contracts that show where the clients and the services are.

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 comprehensive US-Kuwait tax treaty; limited practical impact given Kuwait's 0% personal income tax. FATF placed Kuwait under increased monitoring (grey list) Feb 2026.

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 Kuwait

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