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From Austria · Europe

Start a US company from Austria

For Austrian founders who sell into the US as a US vendor or raise from US investors. An Austrian GmbH already gets you Stripe, and Mercury and Wise Business both serve founders here. Austria decides for itself whether a US LLC is a company, and one run from Austria can be Austrian-resident, so read that section first.

Start from Austria From $351.40 in the first year

Launch + Wyoming filing; the tax return is separate.Checked by Saais Patel, compliance reviewer.

At a glance

Mercury takes applications from founders living in Austria. Wise Business is the usual second account.

The banks, in detail
US tax treaty
In force
Local Stripe
Yes
Mercury
Yes
Currency
EUR
Our fee
from $249
Wyoming's fee
$102.40
Until we file
Refunded in full

You can form a US company while living in Austria, without an SSN or a US visit, and Mercury and Wise Business both open for founders here. Launch starts at $351.40 in Wyoming, including our plan and state filing fee. An Austrian GmbH already gets you Stripe, so the reason is usually US customers or investors. The Austrian points: Austria classes a US LLC by its own comparison, and a company run day to day from Austria is Austrian-resident.

Before you form

Start with whether you need a US company, and how Austria will class it.

  • You may not need a US company

    Card payments from customers worldwide

    Stripe already supports Austrian businesses, and a GmbH is what Austrian banks and the tax office understand.

    Getting access to Stripe
  • A Wyoming LLC or a C-Corp, after advice

    Selling into the US as a US vendor

    Some US buyers and platforms want a US contracting party. Run from Austria, either can be Austrian-resident.

    US companies for SaaS
  • A Delaware C-Corp

    Raising from US investors

    US investors usually want a Delaware C-Corp. Where it's run day to day is the Austrian question.

    Raising from US investors
  • A US subsidiary

    An Austrian company expanding to the US

    An Austrian GmbH can own a US company as its subsidiary. Price dealings between them at arm's length.

    US holding companies

BaseAcross's Wyoming LLC and Delaware C-Corp options for founders in Austria

Wyoming LLC

Owner-run business selling to US customers, after advice.

State filing
$102.40
Yearly state charge
From $60
Wyoming LLC formation

Delaware C-Corp

Raising from US investors; plan where it's run.

State filing
$110
Yearly state charge
$450 for the model shown
Delaware C-Corp formation

Both charges are the state's, before our plan, optional services and your advisers' fees. Wyoming sets a minimum yearly charge, and Delaware's franchise tax depends on how it's calculated. Staff, stock or premises in another state can bring obligations there. An S-corporation isn't an option, because nonresident aliens can't hold its shares.

Prepare the information

Different documents are needed at different stages.

You provide

Before state filing

  • Your proposed company name, business activity and chosen structure.
  • Owners' names exactly as on their passports, ownership shares, managers and home addresses.
  • Where the company will be run day to day, because Austria's residence test asks.
  • The approved company name and formation details.
  • The responsible party. Without an SSN or ITIN, the application goes on Form SS-4.
  • Accurate mailing and principal business addresses, and your signed authorization where required.
You confirm; we prepare

After formation, for the EIN

  • A passport for each owner the provider asks about.
  • Formation documents, the EIN confirmation and the operating agreement.
  • A real business address, your website, a description of the business and the source of funds, as each provider asks.
The provider verifies

For bank and payment applications

  • Your return, with any dividends paid into an account abroad.
  • The operating agreement, for Austria's comparison of the LLC with its own company forms.
  • A record of where the company is run day to day.
You and your Steuerberater

For your Austrian return

You don't need an Austrian company to form a US company. The EIN is the US company's tax ID. Send identity documents through a secure request, and only the ones asked for.

How it works

Seven steps from Austria to a maintained US company.

The state approves the company, the IRS issues the EIN and each provider approves its own account. In Austria, your Steuerberater handles the tax office; we don't file there.

You and your Steuerberater

Check the Austrian side first

Decide whether you need a US company at all, how Austria will class it, and where it will be run day to day.

You leave this stage with: A structure and tax plan that fits Austria's rules.

01 / 07

Plan the wait

Formation, the EIN and banking have separate timelines.

Published service estimates and prerequisites for a Wyoming company from Austria

  1. Wyoming formationSame day
  2. Ordinary EINsix to eight weeks
  3. Expedited EINtwo to three weeks
  4. Bank and payment accountsProvider review
  5. US Stripe accountStripe's review

  1. Wyoming formation

    Same day

    The clock starts
    Complete filing accepted by the state
    What can change it
    Our order checks and filing batch come first. Expedited filing changes our queue; it doesn't speed up the EIN.

  2. Ordinary EIN

    six to eight weeks

    The clock starts
    EIN application after formation
    What can change it
    Included in the plan. This is our published estimate; the IRS queue can change.

  3. Expedited EIN

    two to three weeks

    The clock starts
    EIN application after formation
    What can change it
    Optional $199 service. An estimate, with issuance controlled by the IRS.

  4. Bank and payment accounts

    Provider review

    The clock starts
    Company and owner information ready
    What can change it
    Mercury, Wise and any other provider set their own timing, may ask for more documents and can decline an application.

  5. US Stripe account

    Stripe's review

    The clock starts
    US bank account and website ready
    What can change it
    Stripe reviews the business and the person behind it, and can decline.

These are service estimates, not promised completion dates. The IRS and each provider set their own processing times. Names or addresses that differ between documents slow every stage.

What it costs

The same price from Austria as from anywhere.

Charged in US dollars, with the Wyoming state fee passed on at cost. Where you live changes which bank we introduce you to, not the price.

LLC cost calculator

Launch

To start

$351.40

$249 our fee + $102.40 Wyoming fee

Renews from $309 a year

OperateBilled yearly

To start

$2,490.40

$2,388 our fee + $102.40 Wyoming fee

Renews from $2,448 a year

Included in both plans

  • State formation filing
  • Registered agent and registered office
  • EIN application without an SSN
  • LLC Operating Agreement or corporate bylaws
  • Bank and payment application guidance
  • Filing calendar and reminders

What changes because you live here

The filing is the same from anywhere. Four things aren't.

Treaty status, payment availability, bank eligibility and time zones. Sources checked 14 October 2026; account approval remains with the provider.

1 of 4: The tax treaty

The tax treaty

The tax treaty: In force

The US–Austria income tax treaty is in force.

It exempts interest and most royalties from US withholding, and caps dividends at 15%, or 5% for a qualifying company shareholder. Pay for work you do in Austria generally isn't US-source income, so the treaty matters less for a services business.

How Austria sees it

Austria decides for itself what your LLC is.

Classification comes from the Finance Ministry's own written answer, and the rates from its page on corporate tax. Residence comes from PwC's summary. They run alongside the US steps below.

  1. Before you form it

    You, with your Steuerberater

    Austria compares the LLC with its own company forms, from its operating agreement.

  2. If it's run day to day from here

    The company

    Austrian-resident, with corporate tax at 23%.

  3. When it pays you

    You

    Profit paid out to you is taxed at 27.5%, on your return if it reaches an account abroad.

Worked example

A one-person LLC run from Vienna, worked through

This is an illustration, not a quote. Which way Austria classes your LLC is for your Steuerberater.

  1. Your Wyoming LLC makes €100,000 of profit, and you run it day to day from Vienna.

  2. If Austria classes it like a GmbH, it's Austrian-resident: corporate tax at 23% is €23,000.

  3. Paying the remaining €77,000 out to you costs another 27.5%, or €21,175.

  4. If Austria classes it like a partnership instead, the profit is taxed on your own return at your personal rates.

What Austria expects

Owning a US company doesn't take you out of Austria's tax system.

Austria classes a US LLC by comparing it with its own company forms, treats a company run from Austria as resident at 23%, and taxes profit paid out to you at 27.5%.

How the LLC is classed

Austria compares a US LLC with its own company forms, case by case, from its structure and operating agreement. How the US taxes it doesn't decide the answer, and the owner has to supply the analysis.

Sources

Where it is run

A company is Austrian-resident if its place of effective management is in Austria: where it's actually run day to day, not where single board decisions are formally made.

Sources

The rates

Corporate tax is 23%. Profit paid out to an individual shareholder is taxed at 27.5%, and dividends paid into an account abroad go on your return at that rate.

Sources

Residence

You're resident once you have a home in Austria, or in any case after six months there.

Sources

On the record

We form US companies. We aren't Austrian tax advisers. These are the rules as they're generally published, they change, and how they apply to you depends on details this page can't know. Take this list to a tax adviser in Austria before you order, and we'll tell you what the US forms need.

After formation

Someone has to own each filing, in each country.

US information reporting

A US LLC with one foreign owner is usually a disregarded entity that files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 when it has reportable transactions with you. Money you put in, take out or are paid for your work can count even in a year without sales. The IRS penalty for not filing starts at $25,000.

For a calendar-year company, the return is usually due 15 April, and Form 7004 requests an extension before then. A C-Corp, or an LLC with more than one owner, files different returns.

Form 5472 and the pro forma 1120

State, return and classification checks

Keep the registered agent active and track the state's yearly charge. In Austria, keep the analysis of how the LLC is classed, declare what it pays you, and expect corporate returns if it's run from here.

US-created companies are exempt from BOI reporting under FinCEN's current rule, effective 14 August 2026. Banks and payment providers still verify who owns the company.

Who handles each formation, banking and filing responsibility
TaskWho handles itWhere the responsibility ends
Formation and EIN applicationBaseAcross prepares and submitsThe state approves formation; the IRS issues the EIN.
Bank and payment applicationsYou, with our guidanceThe provider verifies the information and decides.
Austrian returnsYou and your SteuerberaterWe provide the US company records they need.
Annual state filingYou, or our optional filing serviceReminders are included; managed filing and the state charge are separate.
US federal returnsYou and your US tax preparerLaunch and Operate remind you; they don't file the return.

Prepare the conversation

Take these questions to your Steuerberater before you order.

Bring the owners, where each lives, the operating agreement, where the company will be run and the business activity. Each question is also in German.

Download the checklist for your Steuerberater (.txt)
  1. 01
    EN

    Does my US LLC compare with a GmbH or with a partnership, given its operating agreement?

    DE

    Ist meine US-LLC nach ihrem Operating Agreement mit einer GmbH oder mit einer Personengesellschaft vergleichbar?

  2. 02
    EN

    Would its place of effective management be in Austria, making it resident and taxed at 23%?

    DE

    Läge der Ort der Geschäftsleitung in Österreich, sodass sie hier mit 23 % Körperschaftsteuer steuerpflichtig wäre?

  3. 03
    EN

    How are payments from the company to me taxed, and does the 27.5% rate apply?

    DE

    Wie werden Zahlungen der Gesellschaft an mich besteuert, und gilt der Sondersteuersatz von 27,5 %?

  4. 04
    EN

    What analysis of the LLC's structure do I need to keep, and who prepares it?

    DE

    Welche Analyse der Struktur der LLC muss ich aufbewahren, und wer erstellt sie?

  5. 05
    EN

    Do I owe social insurance contributions on this income?

    DE

    Schulde ich auf diesem Einkommen Sozialversicherungsbeiträge?

  6. 06
    EN

    Would an Austrian GmbH serve me better than a US company?

    DE

    Wäre eine österreichische GmbH für mich besser geeignet als eine US-Gesellschaft?

  7. 07
    EN

    How should I keep records for the US return and my Austrian return?

    DE

    Wie sollte ich die Unterlagen für die US-Steuererklärung und meine österreichische Steuererklärung führen?

Questions

Questions from Austria.

If yours is not here, email us at hello@baseacross.com before you order.

Can an Austrian resident own a US LLC?

Yes. US law doesn't require an LLC's owners to be US citizens or residents, and formation, the EIN and the bank applications all happen remotely. The Austrian questions are how Austria classes the LLC and where it's run day to day.

Does Austria treat my LLC as transparent, like the US does?

Not automatically. The Finance Ministry compares a US LLC with Austrian company forms, case by case, from its structure and operating agreement. How the US taxes it doesn't decide the answer, and you have to supply the analysis.

Can Austria tax my US company as Austrian?

It can. A company is Austrian-resident if its place of effective management is in Austria: where it's actually run day to day, not where single board decisions are formally made.

What would an Austrian-resident company pay?

Corporate tax at 23%. Profit it pays out to you as a shareholder is then taxed at 27.5%.

How much does a US company from Austria cost?

Launch starts at $351.40: $249 for the plan plus $102.40 for the Wyoming filing. The plan and Wyoming's minimum yearly charge then total $309 a year. Your Steuerberater's fees, US return preparation and Austrian filings are separate. Wyoming's license tax can be more than its $60 minimum.

Should I form a Wyoming LLC or a Delaware C-Corp from Austria?

A Wyoming LLC suits an owner-run business selling to US customers, once you know how Austria will class it. A Delaware C-Corp suits raising from US investors. Nonresident aliens can't hold shares in an S-corporation.

Can I get an EIN without an SSN or ITIN?

Yes. Without an SSN or ITIN, the application goes on Form SS-4 instead of the IRS's online tool. We prepare it after the company is formed, and the IRS issues the number.

How long does it take from Austria?

Each stage has its own clock. Wyoming's published turnaround is same day once a complete filing is accepted. Our ordinary EIN estimate is six to eight weeks after the application, or two to three weeks with the $199 expedited option. Banks, payment providers and Stripe each set their own review times. These are estimates, not promises.

Can I open a Mercury account from Austria?

Usually you can apply. Austria isn't on Mercury's list of countries it doesn't serve, and the list goes by where you live. Mercury still reviews each company and can decline.

Can I use Wise Business for the US company?

Usually, yes. Austria is on Wise's list of places where people can hold money, so a US company run from Austria can get USD account details. Wise reviews each business.

Do I need a US company for Stripe in Austria?

No. Stripe supports businesses in Austria, and a GmbH gets you Stripe too. A US company is for selling as a US vendor, US contracts, US investors or platforms that need one.

Do I pay US tax on work I do from Austria?

Generally not. Pay for work you do in Austria is generally not US-source income, so a US company with no US office or staff often owes no US income tax on it. A single-owner LLC still files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 when it has reportable transactions with you.

Is there a US–Austria tax treaty?

Yes, it's in force. It exempts interest and most royalties from US withholding, and caps dividends at 15%, or 5% for a qualifying company shareholder.

Does BaseAcross file the US and Austrian returns for me?

On Launch and Operate, we add deadlines and reminders; you or your accountant file the federal returns. Managed annual state compliance is an optional $149 service fee a year, with the state's charge separate. Your Austrian returns are for you and your Steuerberater.

Does my new US LLC need a BOI report?

US-created companies are exempt under FinCEN's current BOI rule, effective 14 August 2026. A company formed outside the US and registered to do business there is a different case. Banks still collect ownership details for their own checks.

Sources and editorial scope

Check the published rules behind the explanation.

Prepared by the BaseAcross team and reviewed by Saais Patel, compliance reviewer. Sources checked . This is general formation information, with source links for the tax and banking context. An individual tax or legal review remains with your qualified advisers.

Austria

United States (IRS, Treasury and FinCEN)

Banks and payments

States

Classification and the rates are read from the Finance Ministry's own pages. Residence comes from PwC's Worldwide Tax Summaries. Confirm the current position with your Steuerberater before acting.

Europe

Other countries in the region.

Every country

Ready when you are

Answer the questions. We do the filing.

It takes about four minutes. You see the whole order, state fee included, before anything is charged.

Compare the plans

Your company's route

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From

Vienna

Austria

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Wyoming

LLC · Cheyenne, WY

Plan
Launch
First year
$351.40
To order
10 steps
Start from Austria

Launch · $249 + $102.40 Wyoming · Same day