A US company
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Stripe doesn't take Panamanian businesses. A US company can apply for US Stripe, and Mercury serves founders living here.
From Panama · The Americas
Start a US company from Panama
For founders living in Panama who need Stripe, sell into the US as a US vendor or raise from US investors. Stripe doesn't take Panamanian businesses, so a US company is a common route, and Mercury serves founders living here. Panama taxes only Panamanian-source income, so the question is where yours comes from.
Launch + Wyoming filing; the tax return is separate.Checked by Saais Patel, compliance reviewer.
At a glance
Mercury takes applications from founders living in Panama. Wise gives no USD account details there.
The banks, in detailYou can form a US company while living in Panama, 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 Panamanian businesses, so a US company is a common route to it. The Panamanian points: only Panamanian-source income is taxed, there are no CFC rules, and a US citizen is still taxed by the US.
Before you form
Start with whether you need a US company, and where your income comes from.
BaseAcross's Wyoming LLC and Delaware C-Corp options for founders in Panama
Wyoming LLC
Owner-run business with US Stripe.
- 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 and where clients are, because Panama taxes Panamanian-source income only.
- 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 and for whom.
- Any Panamanian return your adviser says you owe.
- Your US return too, if you're a US citizen.
You and your tax adviser
For the tax office (DGI)
You don't need a Panamanian 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 Panama to a maintained US company.
The state approves the company, the IRS issues the EIN and each provider approves its own account. In Panama, your tax adviser handles the tax office; we don't file there.
You and your tax adviser
Check the Panamanian side first
Decide whether you need a US company at all, and whether the work you do here is Panamanian-source income.
You leave this stage with: A structure and tax plan that fits Panama'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 Panama. 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 and for whom. Put Form 5472 and any Panamanian filings 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 Panama
- 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 Panama 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 Panama
What a Wyoming LLC costs from Panama, 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 Panama, 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 responsibilitiesPanamanian tax advice
Quote from your tax adviser
Whether your income is Panamanian-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, Panama's own currency. Check your card's fees.
Get started from Panama
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–Panama 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 Panama generally isn't US-source income, so nothing is withheld on it.
How Panama sees it
Panama taxes Panamanian-source income, and nothing else.
The territorial rule, the rates and residence come from PwC's summary. They run alongside the US steps below.
On Panamanian-source income
The companyOn income from elsewhere
The company and youThe company and you
Not taxed in Panama.
If you're a US citizen
You
Worked example
This is an illustration, not a quote. Panama uses the US dollar, so the example is in dollars.
Your Wyoming LLC makes US$80,000 of profit, from work you do in Panama City for clients abroad.
If Panama treats it as foreign-source income, Panama taxes none of it.
If it counts as Panamanian-source, the 25% company rate is US$20,000.
Which way it falls is the question to settle with your tax adviser before you order.
What Panama expects
Owning a US company doesn't take you out of Panama's tax system.
Panama taxes only Panamanian-source income, at 25% for companies, and has no CFC rules; whether your work counts is the question.
Panamanian-source income only
Panama taxes Panamanian-source income, whoever earns it. Income from elsewhere isn't taxed here, and residence matters only for withholding tax.
The rates
Companies pay 25% on Panamanian-source income. Individuals pay nothing up to US$11,000, 15% to US$50,000 and 25% above.
No CFC rules
Panama has no CFC provisions, so profit kept in a foreign company isn't taxed to you through them.
Residence
You're resident after more than 183 days in Panama in a year while earning income here. A company is resident only if incorporated here with its central management here.
US citizens
A US citizen living in Panama is still taxed by the US on worldwide income.
On the record
We form US companies. We aren't Panamanian 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 Panama 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 Panamanian checks
Keep the registered agent active and track the state's yearly charge. In Panama, keep a record of where the work is done and for whom, and file what your adviser says you owe on Panamanian-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. |
| Panamanian filings, if any | 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 and their citizenship, 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 Panama for clients abroad Panamanian-source income?
ES¿El trabajo que hago en Panamá para clientes en el extranjero es renta de fuente panameña?
- 02EN
Does my US LLC need to register with the tax office or file anything in Panama?
ES¿Mi LLC estadounidense debe inscribirse ante la DGI o presentar algo en Panamá?
- 03EN
How does Panama class my US LLC: as a company or as transparent?
ES¿Cómo califica Panamá a mi LLC estadounidense: como sociedad o como entidad transparente?
- 04EN
Are dividends or payments from the US company taxed in Panama?
ES¿Los dividendos o pagos de la empresa estadounidense tributan en Panamá?
- 05EN
Would a Panamanian company serve me better than a US company?
ES¿Me convendría más una sociedad panameña que una empresa estadounidense?
- 06EN
With no US–Panama treaty, how is US tax withheld on payments to me?
ESSin un tratado entre Estados Unidos y Panamá, ¿cómo se retiene el impuesto estadounidense sobre los pagos que recibo?
- 07EN
How should I keep records for the US return and any Panamanian filings?
ES¿Cómo debo llevar los registros para la declaración en Estados Unidos y cualquier declaración en Panamá?
Questions
Questions from Panama.
If yours is not here, email us at hello@baseacross.com before you order.
Can a Panama 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 Panamanian question is whether the work you do here is Panamanian-source income.
Does Panama tax my US company's income?
Only Panamanian-source income. Panama taxes income from Panamanian sources whoever earns it, at 25% for companies. Whether work you do here for clients abroad counts is the question to settle with your tax adviser.
Is Panama a tax haven for U.S. citizens?
No. The US taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live, so a US citizen in Panama still files a US return. Panama's territorial rules help founders who aren't US citizens.
Does Panama have CFC rules?
No. Panama has no CFC provisions, so profit kept in a foreign company isn't taxed to you through them.
How is my own income taxed in Panama?
On Panamanian-source income: nothing up to US$11,000, 15% to US$50,000 and 25% above.
How much does a US company from Panama 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 any Panamanian 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 Panama?
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 Panama?
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 Panama?
Usually you can apply. Panama 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. Panama 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 Panama?
For Stripe itself, usually yes. Stripe doesn't list Panama 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 Panama?
Generally not, unless you're a US citizen. Pay for work you do in Panama is generally not US-source income, so a US LLC owned by someone who isn't a US person 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–Panama tax treaty?
No. There's no US–Panama 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 Panamanian 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. Any Panamanian 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.
Panama
United States (IRS, Treasury and FinCEN)
Banks and payments
The territorial rule, the rates and residence come from PwC's Worldwide Tax Summaries; US citizens' worldwide tax from the IRS. 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.
Compare the plansYour company's route
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Panama City
Panama
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Wyoming
LLC · Cheyenne, WY
- Plan
- Launch
- First year
- $351.40
- To order
- 10 steps
Launch · $249 + $102.40 Wyoming · Same day