Can a Romanian resident open a Mercury or Relay account?

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

For a founder in Romania, 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 Romania?

The IRS international line is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Romania is seven hours ahead of Eastern Time for most of the year, so the window is 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. Romanian time, with a shorter gap on the few weeks when US and European clock changes differ.

How long does a Florida LLC take from Romania?

For a founder in Romania, 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 Romanian founder need for a Florida LLC?

For a founder in Romania, 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.

Do Romania's controlled foreign company rules apply to individuals?

As described by Deloitte, the rules apply to Romanian corporate income taxpayers that control a foreign company, with control meaning at least 50 percent of capital or profits, and they took effect on 1 January 2018. They do not describe individual owners, but ask a Romanian adviser to confirm your own position.

What is the dividend tax in Romania in 2026?

Secondary sources report that the dividend tax rose from 10 percent to 16 percent from 1 January 2026. Confirm the current rate with ANAF or a Romanian accountant before relying on it.

Form a Florida LLC from Romania: Complete 2026 Guide

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

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

Quick Summary

Country: Romania
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

Why do Romanian 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 Romania taxes you; that depends on Romania 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 Romania

The IRS international EIN line (267-941-1099) answers from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Romania is seven hours ahead of Eastern Time for most of the year, so the window runs from 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. Romanian time, with a shorter gap for a few weeks when the US and Europe change clocks on different dates. Call in your afternoon or evening and plan on 45-60 minutes.

Forming In Florida Step By Step

For a Romania-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.

Dividend Tax In Romania From 2026

For 2026, secondary sources report that Romania raised its dividend tax from 10 percent to 16 percent, and that the micro-enterprise regime now has a single 1 percent turnover rate with a revenue cap of 100,000 euro and a requirement for at least one employee. Confirm the current figures with ANAF or a Romanian accountant before you rely on them. They matter because profit you bring home personally from an LLC may be taxed at the dividend rate, so compare the whole path from LLC profit to personal income rather than one rate.

Florida LLC For Romanian Founders

Florida appeals to Romanian 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 Romanian owner, the state fee is small beside the Romanian dividend tax and the question of how Romania treats the LLC, so plan for a written view from a Romanian accountant before you form.

What A Florida LLC Costs From Romania

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

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

Your Recurring Dates As A Romanian Owner

As a Romanian 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. Romanian time for most of the year (the gap shrinks to six 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.

Romanian Tax Rules And The United States LLC

Romania's rules on controlled foreign companies came in with the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive on 1 January 2018. As reported by Deloitte, they apply to Romanian corporate income taxpayers that control a foreign company, with control meaning a holding of at least 50 percent of capital or profit rights, so they are written for companies and not for an individual who owns a US LLC directly. That is a reading of the corporate rules and not a clearance of your structure. A Romanian resident is taxed on worldwide income, so ask a Romanian accountant for a written view on the LLC and on how profit you bring into Romania is taxed.

A Local Company Versus A United States LLC For A Romanian Freelancer

A Romanian freelancer has a domestic alternative in the micro-enterprise company, and the comparison with a US LLC is not only about the headline rate. The employee requirement, the revenue cap and the dividend tax on profit drawn out all shape the answer. An LLC makes most sense when your clients are international, you want a US bank account and a US vendor identity, and a Romanian adviser has confirmed how the income is taxed at home.

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 Romania

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