A US company, after advice
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Stripe doesn't take Salvadoran businesses, and Mercury serves founders here. Work done here is still taxed here.
From El Salvador · The Americas
Start a US company from El Salvador
For Salvadoran founders who need Stripe, sell into the US as a US vendor or raise from US investors. Stripe doesn't take Salvadoran businesses, and Mercury serves founders living here. El Salvador taxes activities carried out here, including your own work, so read that section first.
Launch + Wyoming filing; the tax return is separate.Checked by Saais Patel, compliance reviewer.
At a glance
Mercury takes applications from founders living in El Salvador. Wise gives no USD account details there.
The banks, in detailYou can form a US company while living in El Salvador, without an SSN or a US visit, and founders here can apply to Mercury, which decides each application. Wise gives no USD account details to them. Launch starts at $351.40 in Wyoming, including our plan and state filing fee. Stripe doesn't take Salvadoran businesses, so a US company is a common route to it. The Salvadoran points: only Salvadoran-source income is taxed, but work done here is Salvadoran-source.
Before you form
Start with whether you need a US company, and where the work will be done.
BaseAcross's Wyoming LLC and Delaware C-Corp options for founders in El Salvador
Wyoming LLC
Owner-run business with US Stripe, after advice.
- State filing
- $102.40
- Yearly state charge
- From $60
Delaware C-Corp
Raising from US investors; pays US corporate tax.
- State filing
- $110
- Yearly state charge
- $450 for the model shown
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 work will be done, because El Salvador taxes activities carried out here.
- 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
- A record of where the work is done.
- Your return, if the company pays you for work done here.
- Any filings for a permanent establishment here.
You and your tax adviser
For the Ministry of Finance
You don't need a Salvadoran 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 El Salvador to a maintained US company.
The state approves the company, the IRS issues the EIN and each provider approves its own account. In El Salvador, your tax adviser handles the Ministry of Finance; we don't file there.
You and your tax adviser
Check the Salvadoran side first
Decide whether you need a US company at all, and how El Salvador will tax the work you do here.
You leave this stage with: A structure and tax plan that fits El Salvador's rules.
01 / 07
You choose; BaseAcross checks
Choose the name and registered agent
We check the proposed name and provide the registered agent in the formation state. The registered office is for legal papers, not your operating address.
You leave this stage with: Confirmed filing details and a registered agent.
02 / 07
BaseAcross files; the state approves
File the company with the state
We submit the formation filing and send you the state's documents once it's approved. The company exists from that approval.
You leave this stage with: State-approved formation documents.
03 / 07
BaseAcross
Prepare the operating documents
We draft the LLC Operating Agreement or corporate bylaws. Check every name and share against your passport before you sign.
You leave this stage with: Operating documents for your records, your bank and US providers.
04 / 07
BaseAcross prepares; the IRS issues
Apply for the EIN
The EIN is a separate application after formation. Without an SSN or ITIN, it goes on Form SS-4 rather than the IRS's online tool.
You leave this stage with: The IRS's EIN confirmation once it's issued.
05 / 07
You apply; the providers review
Apply for banking and payments
Start with Mercury, which serves founders living in El Salvador. Wise gives no USD account details there. Use the same names, addresses and business description everywhere.
You leave this stage with: An approved account, if a provider accepts the application.
06 / 07
You, your US preparer and your tax adviser
Keep records and file in both countries
Keep the company's books, and a record of where the work is done. Put Form 5472 and your Salvadoran return on one calendar.
You leave this stage with: A yearly calendar with someone responsible for each filing.
07 / 07
Plan the wait
Formation, the EIN and banking have separate timelines.
Published service estimates and prerequisites for a Wyoming company from El Salvador
- Wyoming formationSame day
- Ordinary EINsix to eight weeks
- Expedited EINtwo to three weeks
- Bank and payment accountsProvider review
- US Stripe accountStripe's review
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 El Salvador 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.
The full cost from El Salvador
What a Wyoming LLC costs from El Salvador, line by line, and what to budget for outside our plans.
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
The registered agent renews with the plan. Operate adds its published business tools and bookkeeping. Neither plan files your tax returns in either country.
What a Wyoming LLC costs from El Salvador, on each plan
Launch
To start, before optional extras
$351.40
- Our feeFor the first year; the plan renews each year
- $249
- Wyoming filing feePaid to the state, passed through at cost
- $102.40
- Recurring subtotal, fromPlan renewal + minimum state charge, before extras
- $309
OperateBilled yearly
To start, before optional extras
$2,490.40
- Our feeFor the first year; the plan renews each year
- $2,388
- Wyoming filing feePaid to the state, passed through at cost
- $102.40
- Recurring subtotal, fromPlan renewal + minimum state charge, before extras
- $2,448
Optional extras are priced before you order, such as filing ahead of our next batch for $39. See full pricing.
Budget for the work outside that subtotal
Managed annual state compliance
$149 service fee / year
Optional on both plans. The state's charge is separate, and a reminder alone doesn't file the report.
State filing serviceUS federal return preparation
Arrange separately
You or your accountant handle Form 5472 and any other US returns on Launch and Operate. Ask the preparer for their scope and fee.
Federal filing responsibilitiesSalvadoran tax advice
Quote from your tax adviser
Whether your work is Salvadoran-source, and how the LLC is classed, depend on your circumstances.
Optional tools after free periods
Published in full pricing
Check domain renewals and when Launch's email, phone and site trials end. Operate includes its stated tools while subscribed.
Plans, trials and add-onsWhat the totals assume
The $309 Launch renewal example is the $249 plan renewal plus Wyoming's $60 minimum license tax. Wyoming charges the greater of that minimum or 0.0002 of the company's assets located and employed in the state, and paying online can add a processor fee. The Operate example uses the same minimum.
Prices are in US dollars, El Salvador's own currency. Check your card's fees.
Get started from El Salvador
Use the first-year cost calculator to compare plans and optional tools. Then add your tax adviser's fees and US return preparation to that budget.
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: None
There's no US–El Salvador income tax treaty.
US-source dividends, interest and royalties paid to you are withheld at 30% unless a US exemption applies. Pay for work you do in El Salvador generally isn't US-source income, so nothing is withheld on it.
How El Salvador sees it
Territorial, but your work here is Salvadoran.
The source rule, the rates and residence come from PwC's summary. They run alongside the US steps below.
When the work is done here
The company, with your tax adviserThe company, with your tax adviser
Salvadoran-source income; 25% up to US$150,000 of taxable income, 30% above.
On what it pays you
YouOn profit kept in the company
You
Worked example
This is an illustration, not a quote. Whether there's a permanent establishment, and how the LLC is classed, are for your tax adviser.
Your Wyoming LLC makes US$60,000 of profit, from work you do in San Salvador for clients abroad.
If El Salvador treats it as Salvadoran-source income of a permanent establishment, the 25% rate applies, since it's under US$150,000: US$15,000.
Work done outside El Salvador would be foreign-source, and outside Salvadoran tax.
El Salvador uses the US dollar, so the example is in dollars.
What El Salvador expects
Owning a US company doesn't take you out of El Salvador's tax system.
El Salvador taxes only Salvadoran-source income, including work done here: 25% or 30% for companies and up to 30% for individuals.
Where the work is done
El Salvador taxes Salvadoran-source income: activities carried out here, and services rendered or used here.
Company tax
Corporate tax is 30%, or 25% on taxable income up to US$150,000. A foreign company's permanent establishment here is taxed on its Salvadoran-source income.
Your own income
Domiciled individuals pay 0% to 30% on Salvadoran-source income. Pay for work done in El Salvador counts, wherever it's paid.
No CFC rules
El Salvador has no CFC rules, so profit kept in a foreign company isn't taxed to you through them.
Residence
You're resident after more than 200 consecutive days here in a calendar year, or if your main source of income is in El Salvador.
On the record
We form US companies. We aren't Salvadoran 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 El Salvador 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 1120State and Salvadoran checks
Keep the registered agent active and track the state's yearly charge. In El Salvador, keep a record of where the work is done, and file what your adviser says you owe on Salvadoran-source income.
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.
| Task | Who handles it | Where the responsibility ends |
|---|---|---|
| Formation and EIN application | BaseAcross prepares and submits | The state approves formation; the IRS issues the EIN. |
| Bank and payment applications | You, with our guidance | The provider verifies the information and decides. |
| Salvadoran filings | You and your tax adviser | We provide the US company records they need. |
| Annual state filing | You, or our optional filing service | Reminders are included; managed filing and the state charge are separate. |
| US federal returns | You and your US tax preparer | Launch 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 operating agreement, where the work will be done and the business activity. Each question is also in Spanish.
Download the checklist for your tax adviser (.txt)- 01EN
Is work I do in El Salvador for my US LLC Salvadoran-source income, taxed here?
ES¿El trabajo que hago en El Salvador para mi LLC estadounidense es renta de fuente salvadoreña y tributa aquí?
- 02EN
Does my US LLC have a permanent establishment here, taxed at 25% or 30%?
ES¿Mi LLC estadounidense tiene un establecimiento permanente aquí, gravado al 25 % o al 30 %?
- 03EN
How is what the company pays me taxed, and at which rate?
ES¿Cómo tributa lo que la empresa me paga, y a qué tasa?
- 04EN
Are dividends from a foreign company taxed here?
ES¿Los dividendos de una sociedad extranjera tributan aquí?
- 05EN
How does El Salvador class my US LLC: as a company or as transparent?
ES¿Cómo califica El Salvador a mi LLC estadounidense: como sociedad o como entidad transparente?
- 06EN
Would a Salvadoran company serve me better than a US company?
ES¿Me convendría más una sociedad salvadoreña que una empresa estadounidense?
- 07EN
How should I keep records for the US return and my Salvadoran return?
ES¿Cómo debo llevar los registros para la declaración en Estados Unidos y mi declaración en El Salvador?
Questions
Questions from El Salvador.
If yours is not here, email us at hello@baseacross.com before you order.
Can a Salvadoran 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 Salvadoran question is how work you do here is taxed.
Is income from my US company taxed in El Salvador?
If the work is done here, it can be. El Salvador taxes Salvadoran-source income, and that covers activities carried out here and services rendered or used here.
What does a company pay in El Salvador?
30%, or 25% on taxable income up to US$150,000. A foreign company's permanent establishment here is taxed on its Salvadoran-source income.
How is my own income taxed in El Salvador?
Domiciled individuals pay 0% to 30% on Salvadoran-source income. Pay for work done in El Salvador counts, wherever it's paid.
When am I resident in El Salvador?
After more than 200 consecutive days here in a calendar year, or if your main source of income is here. El Salvador has no CFC rules.
How much does a US company from El Salvador 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 Salvadoran 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 El Salvador?
A Wyoming LLC suits an owner-run business that needs Stripe or sells to US customers. A Delaware C-Corp suits raising from US investors, though it pays US corporate tax. 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 El Salvador?
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 El Salvador?
Usually you can apply. El Salvador 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?
Not for USD account details. El Salvador isn't on Wise's list of places where people can hold money, so Wise gives none to founders living here. Mercury is the one to check first.
Do I need a US company for Stripe in El Salvador?
For Stripe itself, usually yes. Stripe doesn't list El Salvador among the countries it supports. A US LLC with an EIN and a US bank account can apply for a US Stripe account, and Stripe can decline.
Do I pay US tax on work I do from El Salvador?
Generally not. Pay for work you do in El Salvador 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–El Salvador tax treaty?
No. There's no US–El Salvador income tax treaty in force. US-source dividends, interest and royalties paid to you are withheld at 30% unless a US exemption applies.
Does BaseAcross file the US and Salvadoran 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 Salvadoran filings 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.
El Salvador
United States (IRS, Treasury and FinCEN)
Banks and payments
The source rule, the rates and residence come from PwC's Worldwide Tax Summaries. Confirm the current position with your tax adviser before acting.
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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- Launch
- First year
- $351.40
- To order
- 10 steps
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