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

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

Yes in principle. Switzerland 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 Switzerland?

If you are based in Switzerland, 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 Switzerland?

The IRS international line is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Switzerland is six hours ahead of Eastern Time for most of the year, so the window is noon to 5 a.m. Swiss time, with a shorter gap on the few weeks when US and European clock changes differ.

How does Switzerland classify a US LLC?

A Swiss tax firm's guide says the Swiss Tax Conference generally treats it as a GmbH, so as a corporation, while the Federal Supreme Court applies a mixed method and has not clarified the point. Cantons mostly follow the Swiss Tax Conference, with partnership treatment possible case by case.

What ongoing filings does a Swiss founder need for a Florida LLC?

If you are based in Switzerland, 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 changes if the LLC is a corporation for Swiss tax?

The shares are subject to wealth tax at market value, distributions are investment income, and losses are not deductible. For a stake of at least 10 percent partial taxation applies.

Form a Florida LLC from Switzerland: Complete 2026 Guide

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

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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: Switzerland
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

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 Switzerland 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

A Switzerland-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 Switzerland. 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.

Florida LLC For Swiss Founders

Florida appeals to Swiss 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 a Switzerland 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.

Calling The IRS From Switzerland

The IRS international EIN line (267-941-1099) answers from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Switzerland is six hours ahead of Eastern Time for most of the year, so the window runs from noon to 5 a.m. Swiss time, with a shorter gap for a few weeks when the US and Europe change clocks on different dates. Call in your afternoon or early evening and plan on 45-60 minutes.

Swiss Classification Of A US LLC

A Swiss tax firm's guide says Swiss law treats a foreign entity like the domestic entity it most resembles, and that the Swiss Tax Conference generally treats a US LLC as a GmbH, so as a corporation, even though it is usually transparent in the US. The Federal Supreme Court in 2015 applied a mixed method that weighs the US tax treatment, and the guide says the court has not clarified the point since. In practice cantons mostly follow the Swiss Tax Conference, and partnership treatment is possible case by case. The guide recommends obtaining binding information from the Swiss tax authorities.

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 Swiss owner, how the canton classifies the LLC decides whether it counts as a company or a partnership, so get a ruling before you start.

Your Recurring Dates As A Swiss Owner

As a Swiss 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 noon to 5 a.m. Swiss time for most of the year (the gap shrinks to five 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.

Banking From Switzerland Mercury And Relay

Switzerland 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 Switzerland. Francs are converted to dollars when you fund the account, so compare the rate and any fee at your Swiss bank.

If The Canton Treats The LLC As A Partnership

If the LLC is treated as a partnership, the guide says income is self-employment income and losses can be offset against other income, subject to a limit it cites in the federal tax act. The taxpayer carries the burden of proof for any tax-reducing partnership treatment, so keep the operating agreement and US filings in good order and ask the authority for a binding view.

The US Taxation Of The LLC And The Swiss Credit

The guide says that where the LLC is transparent in the US, which is common, profits are attributed pro rata to the owner and taxed in Switzerland, generally as investment income when distributed. It adds that if the US taxes the LLC as a separate entity, distributions can be taxed in Switzerland with US withholding tax credited under the treaty. A foreign-owned single-member LLC is usually disregarded for US income tax, so ask an adviser which case applies to you.

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

Comprehensive US-Switzerland tax treaty in force since 1997, updated by a 2009 protocol effective 2019; LLC classification (corporation vs partnership) genuinely contested and varies by canton

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 Switzerland

Or browse all formation guides by country.

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