How to Start a US LLC from Mexico (2026 Complete Guide)

An EIN is the US tax ID your bank and payment platforms will require. Mexican founders without an SSN or ITIN can still get one: the IRS accepts Form SS-4 by phone, fax, mail, or a third-party designee like EasyBrise. Processing usually takes one to three weeks.

Every state requires some annual filing -- a flat fee in Wyoming and Delaware, a free Public Information Report in Texas, nothing in New Mexico, a mandatory report in Florida. Federally, Form 5472 plus Form 1120 is due April 15. Since a FinCEN rule effective August 14, 2026, US-formed LLCs are permanently exempt from BOI reporting, so most Mexican-founded LLCs have no BOI obligation at all.

Choose a state, complete a short onboarding form, and submit a scanned passport. EasyBrise files your Certificate of Formation directly with the state -- approval typically takes three to fifteen business days -- then applies for your EIN and helps you open a Mercury or Relay account. Your dashboard tracks every step in real time.

Some founders assume there is no US-Mexico tax treaty, forgetting Mexico is one of the few Latin American countries with one, in force since 1994. Others mistake standard bank reporting thresholds on larger transfers for a fixed remittance cap -- Mexico has no such cap. A frequent and costly mistake is skipping Form 5472, assuming no US tax owed means no filing required -- the 25,000 dollar penalty applies regardless. Finally, some founders assume an RFC or Mexican company is a prerequisite for a US LLC -- it is not; the two are entirely independent.

Wyoming is the default for most Mexican founders -- low cost, strong privacy, a simple flat fee. Delaware suits those planning to raise US venture funding. Texas fits businesses expecting real revenue and is a natural fit given cross-border trade patterns, with zero franchise tax below a 2026 threshold of 2.65 million dollars. New Mexico offers the lowest lifetime cost and never collects member names. Florida gives a Miami-based presence for LatAm-facing trade, though it publicly discloses member names. See the comparison table below.

Forming a US LLC from Mexico follows five steps most founders finish in two to four weeks: choose a state, file with just a passport, get an EIN without an SSN, open a US bank account remotely, then maintain one annual state filing plus a federal Form 5472. EasyBrise runs the first four steps end-to-end, without any RFC registration or SAT filing.

With an EIN and US bank account, Stripe treats your LLC like any other US business. This is especially useful for Mexican founders serving nearshoring-adjacent clients, e-commerce sellers, and agencies working with US companies who expect USD invoicing and a US-registered vendor.

A US-Mexico tax treaty has been in force since 1994 -- Mexico is one of only two Latin American countries with a comprehensive US tax treaty -- preventing the same income from being taxed twice, with US tax paid generally creditable against your Mexican tax liability. On the US side, a single-member LLC owned by a non-resident is a disregarded entity that owes no US corporate tax on income not effectively connected with a US trade or business, but it must still file an informational Form 5472 with a pro-forma Form 1120 by April 15. On the transfer side, Mexico has no exchange controls and the peso is freely convertible -- there is no fixed cap on outward transfers to fund or run a US LLC, though transfers above roughly 10,000 dollars trigger standard bank reporting rather than requiring approval.

Once your EIN is issued, Mercury or Relay let you open a US business account entirely online. Mercury is free with FDIC-backed sweep coverage up to five million dollars and free international wires; Relay is free on its Starter plan with native QuickBooks/Xero sync -- both give Mexican founders a genuine USD account alongside their existing Mexican banking.