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

An EIN is the US tax ID your bank and payment platforms will require. Singapore-based founders without an SSN or ITIN can still get one through IRS Form SS-4, filed by phone, fax, mail, or a third-party designee like EasyBrise.

Once the EIN is issued, Mercury or Relay let founders open a US business account fully 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.

Singapore has no exchange controls -- the Singapore dollar is freely convertible with no fixed cap on funding a US LLC, consistent with its status as one of the world's most open financial centers.

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.

Singapore-based founders in SaaS, e-commerce, and fintech-adjacent fields who need US platform access their Pte Ltd cannot provide directly are the clearest fit, particularly those already running a Pte Ltd and adding a US LLC alongside it rather than instead of it.

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

Wyoming suits most founders for cost and privacy. Delaware fits those planning to raise US venture funding. Texas suits revenue-generating businesses. New Mexico offers the lowest lifetime cost. Florida gives a Miami-based presence for LatAm-facing trade, though it publicly discloses member names. Comparison below.

The most common mistake is assuming a US-Singapore tax treaty exists because Singapore has treaties with almost everyone else -- it does not. This rarely causes double taxation in practice for an LLC with no US-source income, but founders should not assume treaty-based relief is available. Skipping Form 5472 because no US tax is owed is a separate, frequent mistake -- the 25,000 dollar penalty applies regardless.

Singapore has tax treaties with dozens of countries and is routinely ranked among the easiest places in the world to do business. Yet Singapore and the United States have never signed a comprehensive income tax treaty -- only a FATCA information-exchange agreement exists. For Singapore-based founders, this means a US LLC's tax position rests entirely on general US disregarded-entity rules, not treaty relief, which in practice still works well for most founders with no US-source income, but is worth understanding upfront.

Singapore's own Pte Ltd structure is already fast, low-tax, and well regarded internationally -- so the question founders reasonably ask is why add a US LLC at all. The answer is usually platform-specific: certain US marketplaces, payment processors, and enterprise vendor forms are built around US entities specifically, and a Pte Ltd doesn't always clear that bar the way a US LLC does.