Can I form an LLC in New Mexico if I live in Ethiopia and have never visited the US?

For owners in Ethiopia: yes, entirely remotely. New Mexico does not ask for residency or a trip to the US, and no SSN is required. A registered agent provides the New Mexico address, and the EIN application uses "Foreign" or "N/A" where an SSN would go.

Can an Ethiopian resident open a Mercury or Relay account?

Mercury's list is residence-based and does not name Ethiopia, so a Mercury application is possible, subject to its review. Relay's prohibited list includes Ethiopia for citizenship or residency, so Relay is not an option.

How long does a New Mexico LLC take from Ethiopia?

For owners in Ethiopia: expect a few business days to roughly two weeks for New Mexico 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 are Ethiopia's foreign exchange rules for individuals?

EY reports that Directive FXD/01/2024, effective 29 July 2024, allows foreign currency accounts for resident and non-resident Ethiopians that meet the requirements and caps carried cash at USD 10,000 per trip. It does not address personal transfers abroad, so ask your bank.

What time can I phone the IRS from Ethiopia?

The IRS international line is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Ethiopia 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.

What ongoing filings does an Ethiopian founder need for a New Mexico LLC?

For owners in Ethiopia: the federal Form 5472 and pro forma Form 1120 are due every year ($25,000 minimum penalty if missed). On the state side, New Mexico requires nothing recurring: no annual report and no annual fee, ever.

Does Ethiopia tax residents on worldwide income?

An Ethiopian law firm's note on Proclamation 979/2016 says a resident taxpayer is taxed on income from worldwide sources unless deemed exclusively resident in another country under an international tax agreement.

Form a New Mexico LLC from Ethiopia: Complete 2026 Guide

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

Start your formation View pricing

$50 · State filing fee

None - New Mexico requires no… · Annual fee

3-7 business days · Avg. filing time

Wire/ACH via Mercury · Transfer method

Quick Summary

Country: Ethiopia
State: New Mexico
Avg. filing time: 3-7 business days
State filing fee: $50
Annual report fee: None - New Mexico requires no annual report and no franchise tax of any kind for a standard LLC (the only US state offering true zero ongoing state-level filing)
Transfer method: Wire/ACH via Mercury (Relay restricts Ethiopia)

What It Costs

Forming in New Mexico costs $50 in state fees ($50 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 at banks that accept your country (check Mercury's and Relay's published lists). Ongoing state cost: $0 ever — New Mexico is one of the only states with no ongoing annual report or annual fee for LLCs. EasyBrise's Global Launch plan is $295 for year one including a registered agent, then $149 a year to renew, so most founders in Ethiopia budget well under $500 for the first year, state fee included.

Why New Mexico

New Mexico is a common choice for Ethiopian founders who want a US LLC without moving to the US. Filing costs $50 by mail ($50 online where available), and the yearly state obligation is $0 ever — New Mexico is one of the only states with no ongoing annual report or annual fee for LLCs. New Mexico has no tax on LLC income earned outside the state for non-resident owners, which keeps state-level compliance simple, although what Ethiopia does with the LLC's profits is a separate question. On privacy: New Mexico does not publicly disclose member or manager names in its formation records. In short, New Mexico is the only one of the five with no annual filing at all.

Who This State Is For

New Mexico tends to be the right fit if minimizing ongoing paperwork is the top priority — no annual report, ever, is unique among these five states — and strict privacy matters more to you than name recognition. 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.

For Ethiopian Founders

Ethiopian freelancers, developers, consultants and online sellers form US LLCs to invoice international clients in dollars, hold a US business account and present a domestic US vendor to American customers. An Ethiopian resident is taxed on worldwide income, and the National Bank of Ethiopia sets foreign exchange rules, so funding and reporting are as important as the US formation. Banking also differs from most countries, because Relay's prohibited list names Ethiopia.

Post Formation Checklist

After your New Mexico 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 there is no New Mexico annual filing to calendar plus the federal Form 5472 and pro forma 1120 deadline in your calendar.

Calling The IRS From Ethiopia

The IRS international EIN line (267-941-1099) answers from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Ethiopia is on UTC+3 all year with no daylight saving. In US daylight time that window is 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. Ethiopian 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, and the IRS fax or mail route takes 4-6 weeks.

How The Formation Process Works

The steps are the same for any Ethiopia-based founder: pick a name, file Articles of Organization with the New Mexico Secretary of State (yourself or through your registered agent), appoint a registered agent with a physical New Mexico 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.

New Mexico LLC For Ethiopian Founders

New Mexico suits an Ethiopian founder who wants the lightest US paperwork: a $50 filing fee, no annual state report and no annual fee, leaving only the federal Form 5472 and pro forma 1120.

Five Year State Cost Of A New Mexico LLC

Over five years, the state-level cost of a New Mexico LLC is a $50 filing fee and nothing recurring, so $50 in total, before the registered agent. That makes New Mexico the cheapest of the five states on this measure. The same arithmetic across the five states runs from $50 to $2,110. For an Ethiopian owner, residents are taxed on worldwide income and foreign exchange rules govern how you fund the LLC, and Relay is not an option, so Mercury is the first bank to try.

Foreign Exchange Rules And Funding The LLC

EY reports that National Bank of Ethiopia Directive FXD/01/2024, effective 29 July 2024, replaced earlier foreign exchange directives, and that resident and non-resident Ethiopians can hold foreign currency accounts if they meet the account requirements. It also sets travel limits and a cap on carrying cash of USD 10,000 per trip. The summary does not address sending money abroad for personal transfers, so ask your Ethiopian bank how to document and send the funds that capitalize the LLC, and keep every record.

Your Recurring Dates As An Ethiopian Owner

As an Ethiopian owner, your recurring dates look like this. State: New Mexico adds no state annual filing at all. 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. Ethiopian 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.

Mercury Is The First Bank To Try And Relay Is Out

Relay's published prohibited list includes Ethiopia and applies to citizenship or residency, so an Ethiopian citizen or resident cannot use Relay. Mercury's list is residence-based and does not name Ethiopia, so an Ethiopian-resident founder can apply, subject to Mercury's own review. Both banks say their lists can change without notice, so check their current pages before you spend on formation.

Ethiopian Taxation Of Residents On Worldwide Income

An Ethiopian law firm's note on the Income Tax Proclamation 979/2016 says a resident taxpayer is taxed on income derived directly and indirectly from worldwide sources, unless the person is deemed exclusively resident in another country under an international tax agreement, while non-residents are taxed only on Ethiopian-source income. An individual is resident if domiciled in Ethiopia, present for more than 183 days in a one-year period, or an Ethiopian citizen serving as a consular or diplomatic official abroad. We could not confirm whether Ethiopia has controlled-foreign-company rules or how an LLC's undistributed profit is treated, so ask an Ethiopian adviser how the LLC would be reported.

Requirements

Requirement	Needed
US Social Security Number
US visit required
Registered agent with US address
New Mexico annual filing
Federal Form 5472 + pro forma 1120

Costs

Item	Cost
State filing fee	$50 (mail) / $50 (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 New Mexico

Choose New Mexico if

minimizing ongoing paperwork is the top priority — no annual report, ever, is unique among these five states — and strict privacy matters more to you than name recognition

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 US-Ethiopia income tax treaty; birr floated July 2024, new Feb 2026 directive (FXD/04/2026) liberalized rules for service exporters and outward investment

Banking

Alternative Options
Relay lists Ethiopia as a prohibited country, so Relay is not available. Mercury does not restrict Ethiopia, making it the more realistic option.

Frequently Asked Questions

More guides for founders in Ethiopia

Or browse all formation guides by country.

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