Form a Florida LLC from the Netherlands: Complete 2026 Guide

Florida is one of the most popular states for non-US founders forming a US LLC. Filing costs $125 by mail or $125 online, and the ongoing burden is light: $138.75 mandatory annual report fee, due every year. Florida has no personal state income tax, which simplifies your state-level compliance even though home-country tax obligations remain separate. Florida is the only one of these five states that discloses member names on its public annual report. For a founder outside the US who wants a low-maintenance LLC, Florida consistently ranks among the top choices for non-US founders.

Forming an LLC in Florida costs $125 in state filing fees ($125 online where available), plus a registered agent, required in every state and typically $100-150/year. Ongoing state costs are $138.75 mandatory annual report fee, due every year. Beyond the state fee, budget for a free IRS EIN application, a US business bank account (typically free with Mercury or Relay), and optionally a formation-service bundle. EasyBrise's Global Launch plan runs $295 for year one, including a registered agent, and $149/year to renew — most founders budget well under $500 for the full first year, state fee included.

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 against the other four states on cost, privacy, and reporting before filing — switching states later means dissolving and re-forming, not a simple amendment.

Most the Netherlands-based founders bank with Mercury or Relay, both listing foreign-owned LLCs as eligible applicants, though approval depends on each bank's own review. You'll typically need your EIN letter (CP 575, or Form 147C if lost), Articles of Organization, and ID. From there, Stripe and PayPal both list foreign-owned US LLCs as eligible for an account, subject to underwriting — letting you invoice and collect USD from clients worldwide without a local the Netherlands merchant account.

Dutch founders typically form a US LLC to reach USD-paying international clients and US marketplaces more easily than through a Dutch B.V., and to access Stripe/PayPal without some of the onboarding friction non-US entities face. The US and the Netherlands have a long-standing income tax treaty, which can help with double-taxation relief, and as an EU member the Netherlands implements the EU's Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) — though ATAD's Article 1 only mandates CFC coverage for corporate taxpayers, so whether the Netherlands' own rules also reach an individual personally holding a foreign LLC is a detail worth confirming with a Dutch tax advisor rather than assuming either way.

Once your Florida LLC and EIN are in place: sign an Operating Agreement (the document banks and processors most often ask for, even where not legally required), and don't worry about federal Beneficial Ownership Information reporting — FinCEN's August 2026 rule permanently exempts US-formed LLCs from federal BOI reporting. Then open your bank account, apply for Stripe and/or PayPal (subject to each provider's own eligibility review), and calendar your annual state filing plus your federal Form 5472/1120 deadline.

The process is the same for any the Netherlands-based founder regardless of state: choose a name, file Articles of Organization with the Florida Secretary of State (directly or via your registered agent), appoint a registered agent with a physical Florida address, then apply for an EIN. Without a US SSN, you leave that field on Form SS-4 as "Foreign"/"N/A" and apply by phone (same-week, roughly 45-60 minutes on the international line) or fax/mail (4-6 weeks). Once you have the EIN, open a US business bank account remotely with Mercury or Relay and start invoicing.

Because it isn't independently confirmed here whether the Netherlands extended its CFC rules beyond the ATAD corporate-only minimum to reach individuals (some EU countries did, some didn't), this is worth a specific question to a Dutch tax advisor before assuming your personal ownership of a US LLC is either fully inside or fully outside Dutch anti-deferral rules. The US-Netherlands tax treaty can help with relief on income that does end up taxed in both countries. On the US side, a foreign-owned single-member LLC still files Form 5472 alongside a pro forma Form 1120 every year, with a $25,000 minimum penalty for a missed or incomplete filing, independent of Dutch tax treatment.