Form a New Mexico LLC from Italy: Complete 2026 Guide

Forming an LLC in New Mexico costs $50 in state filing fees ($50 online where available), plus a registered agent, required in every state and typically $100-150/year. Ongoing state costs are $0 ever — New Mexico is one of the only states with no ongoing annual report or annual fee for LLCs. 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.

New Mexico is one of the most popular states for non-US founders forming a US LLC. Filing costs $50 by mail or $50 online, and the ongoing burden is light: $0 ever — New Mexico is one of the only states with no ongoing annual report or annual fee for LLCs. New Mexico does not tax LLC income earned outside the state for non-resident owners, which simplifies your state-level compliance even though home-country tax obligations remain separate. New Mexico does not publicly disclose member or manager names in its formation records. For a founder outside the US who wants a low-maintenance LLC, New Mexico consistently ranks among the top choices for non-US founders.

Italian founders typically form a US LLC to reach USD-paying clients, get more reliable Stripe and PayPal access, and build a US business presence for freelance, agency, or SaaS work. The US and Italy have had an income tax treaty in force since the 1980s (updated by a later protocol), which can help with double-taxation relief, and as an EU member Italy implements the EU's Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) — though ATAD's Article 1 only mandates CFC coverage for corporate taxpayers, so whether Italy's own rules also reach an individual personally holding a foreign LLC is a detail worth confirming with an Italian tax advisor rather than assumed either way.

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 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 Italy-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 Italy merchant account.

Once your New Mexico 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.

Because it isn't independently confirmed here whether Italy 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 an Italian tax advisor before assuming your personal ownership of a US LLC is either fully inside or fully outside Italian anti-deferral rules. The US-Italy 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 Italian tax treatment.

The process is the same for any Italy-based founder regardless of state: choose a name, file Articles of Organization with the New Mexico Secretary of State (directly or via your registered agent), appoint a registered agent with a physical New Mexico 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.