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From Denmark · Europe

Start a US company from Denmark

For Danish founders who sell into the US as a US vendor or raise from US investors. A Danish ApS already gets you Stripe, and Mercury and Wise Business both serve founders here. Denmark decides for itself whether your LLC is a company, from its operating agreement, so read that section first.

Start from Denmark 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 Denmark. Wise Business is the usual second account.

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

You can form a US company while living in Denmark, 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. A Danish ApS already gets you Stripe, so the reason is usually US customers or investors. The Danish points: Denmark classes an LLC from its operating agreement, and a company managed from Denmark is Danish-resident.

Before you form

Start with whether you need a US company, and what its operating agreement will say.

  • You may not need a US company

    Card payments from customers worldwide

    Stripe already supports Danish businesses, and an ApS is what Danish banks and the tax agency 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. How Denmark classes an LLC depends on its operating agreement.

    US companies for SaaS
  • A Delaware C-Corp

    Raising from US investors

    US investors usually want a Delaware C-Corp. Where its day-to-day decisions are made is the Danish question.

    Raising from US investors
  • A US subsidiary

    A Danish company expanding to the US

    A Danish ApS 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 Denmark

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 managed.

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's day-to-day decisions will be made, because Denmark taxes a company managed there.
  • 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

  • The operating agreement, especially how profit is shared.
  • Your return, with the LLC's income if it's transparent.
  • A record of where the company's day-to-day decisions are made.
You and your tax adviser

For the Danish tax agency

You don't need a Danish 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 Denmark to a maintained US company.

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

You and your tax adviser

Check the Danish side first

Decide whether you need a US company at all, how its operating agreement will make Denmark class it, and where it will be managed.

You leave this stage with: A structure and tax plan that fits Denmark'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 Denmark

  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 Denmark 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–Denmark income tax treaty is in force.

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

How Denmark sees it

Denmark reads your operating agreement before it decides.

Classification comes from the Tax Council's own 2023 binding answer; residence and the rate from PwC's summary. They run alongside the US steps below.

  1. Before you sign the operating agreement

    You, with your tax adviser

    How it shares profit decides whether Denmark sees a company or a transparent LLC.

  2. If it's a company managed from here

    The company

    Danish-resident, with corporate tax at 22%.

  3. If it's transparent

    You

    Its income is taxed to you on your own return.

Worked example

A one-person LLC run from Copenhagen, worked through

This is an illustration, not a quote. How Denmark classes your LLC, and how its income is split on your return, are for your tax adviser.

  1. Your Wyoming LLC makes DKK 500,000 of profit, and you make its day-to-day decisions in Copenhagen.

  2. If Denmark classes it as a company, its actual place of management is here, so it's Danish-resident.

  3. Corporate tax at 22% is then DKK 110,000.

  4. If Denmark classes it as transparent instead, the DKK 500,000 is taxed to you on your own return.

What Denmark expects

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

Denmark classes a US LLC from its operating agreement, treats a company managed from Denmark as resident at 22%, and taxes a transparent LLC's income to you.

How the LLC is classed

Denmark makes its own call. A foreign company is taxed as a company if no member is personally liable and it shares profit in proportion to the capital put in, judged from its operating agreement as a whole.

Sources

What the Tax Council said

In a 2023 binding answer, a Delaware LLC whose manager decided distributions at its own discretion was transparent, so its income was taxed to its Danish members.

Sources

Where it is managed

A foreign company is Danish-resident if its actual place of management is in Denmark: where decisions on its day-to-day operations are made. Corporate tax is 22%.

Sources

Residence

You're fully liable to Danish tax once you take up residence in Denmark, or stay more than six months in a row.

Sources

On the record

We form US companies. We aren't Danish 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 Denmark 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 and Danish tax checks

Keep the registered agent active and track the state's yearly charge. In Denmark, keep the operating agreement your classification rests on, declare a transparent LLC's income, and expect corporate returns if it's a company managed 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.
Danish returnsYou and your tax adviserWe 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 tax adviser before you order.

Bring the owners, where each lives, the draft operating agreement, where decisions will be made and the business activity. Each question is also in Danish.

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

    Will Denmark tax my US LLC as a company or treat it as transparent, given its operating agreement?

    DA

    Vil mit amerikanske LLC blive anset som et selvstændigt skattesubjekt eller som transparent efter danske regler, ud fra dets vedtægter?

  2. 02
    EN

    Does the profit-sharing clause in the operating agreement change that answer?

    DA

    Ændrer bestemmelsen om overskudsfordeling i vedtægterne svaret?

  3. 03
    EN

    Would its actual place of management be in Denmark, making it resident and taxed at 22%?

    DA

    Vil ledelsens sæde være i Danmark, så selskabet bliver skattepligtigt her med 22 %?

  4. 04
    EN

    Should I ask the Tax Council for a binding answer before I start?

    DA

    Bør jeg søge om et bindende svar fra Skatterådet, før jeg går i gang?

  5. 05
    EN

    How are payments from the company to me taxed?

    DA

    Hvordan beskattes udbetalinger fra selskabet til mig?

  6. 06
    EN

    Would a Danish ApS serve me better than a US company?

    DA

    Vil et dansk ApS passe mig bedre end et amerikansk selskab?

  7. 07
    EN

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

    DA

    Hvordan skal jeg føre regnskab til den amerikanske selvangivelse og min danske selvangivelse?

Questions

Questions from Denmark.

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

Can a Danish 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 Danish questions are how Denmark classes the LLC and where it's managed.

Does Denmark treat my LLC as transparent?

It depends on the operating agreement. A foreign company is taxed as a company if no member is personally liable and it shares profit in proportion to the capital put in. LLC members aren't personally liable, so the profit-sharing terms usually decide it.

Has Denmark ruled on a US LLC?

Yes. In a 2023 binding answer, the Tax Council found a Delaware LLC transparent because its manager decided distributions at its own discretion. That answer bound only that case, but it shows what Denmark looks at.

Can Denmark tax my US company as Danish?

It can. A foreign company is Danish-resident if its actual place of management is in Denmark: where decisions on its day-to-day operations are made. It then pays corporate tax at 22%.

How much does a US company from Denmark 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 tax adviser's fees, US return preparation and Danish 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 Denmark?

A Wyoming LLC suits an owner-run business selling to US customers, once you know how Denmark 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 Denmark?

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 Denmark?

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

Do I need a US company for Stripe in Denmark?

No. Stripe supports businesses in Denmark, and an ApS 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 Denmark?

Generally not. Pay for work you do in Denmark 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–Denmark tax treaty?

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

Does BaseAcross file the US and Danish 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 Danish returns are for you and your tax adviser.

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.

Denmark

United States (IRS, Treasury and FinCEN)

Banks and payments

States

Classification is read from the Tax Council's binding answer as Retsinformation publishes it. Residence and the rate come from PwC's Worldwide Tax Summaries. Confirm the current position with your tax adviser 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.

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Copenhagen

Denmark

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Wyoming

LLC · Cheyenne, WY

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

Launch · $249 + $102.40 Wyoming · Same day