🇨🇦
US LLC Formation for Canadian Founders
Guides, tools, and compliance walkthroughs for Canadian residents forming and operating US business entities.
Your First Steps
Step 1
Form Your Entity
Forming a US LLC from Canada: Complete Guide (2026)
Step 2
Open US Banking
US Banking for Canadian LLC Owners (2026)
Step 3
Avoid the CRA Trap
CRA and US LLCs: The Tax Classification Trap Canadians Face
Step 4
Understand the Treaty
Canada-US Tax Treaty and LLC Income: What Changes in 2026
Canadian Founder Guides
Forming a US LLC from Canada: Complete Guide (2026)
Canada-US is the #1 co-founder pairing on Stripe Atlas. But the CRA treats US LLCs as corporations — creating a tax trap that costs founders thousands.
CRA and US LLCs: The Tax Classification Trap Canadians Face
The CRA treats US LLCs as corporations. The IRS treats them as pass-through. This mismatch creates effective tax rates of 50-75% for Canadian founders.
US Banking for Canadian LLC Owners (2026)
Canadian founders have a real edge: TD Bank works on both sides of the border. But the fintech options and FX traps are different from what you expect.
Canada-US Tax Treaty and LLC Income: What Changes in 2026
Section 899 was dropped in July 2025, but the Canada-US treaty still has gaps for LLCs. What the treaty covers, what it misses, and why Section 899 matters.
Tools and Calculators
Canada × US LLC Formation — why LLC is often the wrong structure
CRA Income Tax Folio S5-F2-C1 foreign-corp treatment + FAPI rules under ITA Sec 91-95 + 50-75% effective rate trap + when C-Corp + Canadian holding company beats the LLC route
Canada × US Banking — country-specific deep dive
Mercury / Relay 3-7 day approval reality + CRA T1134 / T1135 layer + Canada-US Treaty 1980 gap on LLC classification
Canada × US Annual Compliance — heaviest cohort filing footprint
Form 5472 + CRA T1134 (12mo after foreign affiliate year-end) + T1135 (April 30 if foreign property > CAD 100K) + FAPI attribution rules under ITA Sec 91-95
Free Risk Check
See structural risk in 5 minutes
Formation Cost Calculator
Estimate total first-year cost
Formation Service Comparison
Atlas vs Firstbase vs Doola
Banking Comparison
Mercury vs Wise vs Relay
Also Relevant
Stripe Atlas vs Firstbase vs Doola vs Bizee: Formation for Non-Residents (2026)
Non-resident US LLC formation compared: Stripe Atlas, Firstbase, Doola, and Bizee on price, EIN, Form 5472, Wyoming, and 3-year total cost.
Mercury vs Wise vs Relay vs Rho: Who Approves Non-Resident LLCs? (2026)
Mercury, Wise, Relay, and Rho gate non-resident founders differently: ITIN rules, country limits, FDIC tiers ($5M / none / $3M / $75M). 2026 approval criteria.
Form 5472: $25,000 Penalty for Non-Resident LLCs (Filing Guide)
Every foreign-owned US LLC files Form 5472. Miss it: $25,000 per form per year. Deadlines, CPA costs ($650-$1,200), filing steps.
US LLC Cost for Non-Residents: $297 to $6,400 Breakdown (2026)
Formation fee ($297-$500) is just the start. Add registered agent, state fees, Form 5472, and bookkeeping — Year 1 real cost hits $1,300-$3,100. Full 5-year projection from actual invoices.
Delaware vs Wyoming LLC for Non-Residents (2026)
Delaware costs $300/yr in franchise tax. Wyoming: $60/yr. Side-by-side comparison of fees, privacy, asset protection, and compliance for non-resident founders.
Tax Residency Guide for Digital Nomads (2026)
How tax residency is determined: the 183-day rule, center of vital interests, habitual abode — specific criteria countries use to claim you as a resident.
Deep Dives
Not sure where to start?
Two free ways to map your cross-border risk across Money, Entity, Tax, and Accountability — pick the depth that fits your time.