A Wyoming LLC may fit
Card payments from customers abroad
Stripe doesn't serve South Korea. A US LLC with a US bank account can apply for a US Stripe account. Report the investment to your bank first.
From South Korea · Asia-Pacific
Start a US company from South Korea
For Korean founders who need Stripe, US customers or US investors. Stripe doesn't take Korean businesses, and Mercury and Wise Business both open for founders here. Korea asks for a report to your bank before you invest abroad, 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 South Korea. Wise Business is the usual second account.
The banks, in detailYou can form a US company while living in South Korea, 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. Stripe doesn't serve Korea, so a US company is the usual way in. Two Korean rules come first: report the investment to your designated bank before you invest, and know that the CFC rule can reach a company that pays little tax.
Watch
The first year from South Korea, in 5 minutes
Forming a US company from South Korea? Tell your bank first. Under Korea's Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, a resident who takes 10% or more of a foreign company reports it to their designated foreign exchange bank before investing, even for USD 1, and owning your own LLC outright is well over that line.
Before you form
Start with whether you need a US company, and report it to your bank.
BaseAcross's Wyoming LLC and Delaware C-Corp options for founders in South Korea
Wyoming LLC
Owner-run business with US Stripe, reported to your bank.
- State filing
- $102.40
- Yearly state charge
- From $60
Delaware C-Corp
Raising from US investors; plan where it's managed.
- 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 and your bank
Before you send money
- The overseas direct investment report to your designated foreign exchange bank.
- Your bank's confirmation, before any money goes.
- Your proposed company name, business activity and chosen structure.
- Owners' names exactly as on their passports, ownership shares, managers and home addresses.
- How you'll fund the company and where it will be managed, because your bank and the NTS ask.
You provide
Before state filing
- 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 remittance report, and the foreign securities acquisition report within six months.
- Your return, with worldwide income in it.
- The company's accounts and US tax paid, for the CFC test.
You and your tax adviser
After investing, and each year
You don't need a Korean company to form a US company. Report the investment to your bank before you fund it. 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 South Korea to a maintained US company.
The state approves the company, the IRS issues the EIN and each provider approves its own account. In Korea, your bank takes the investment report and your tax adviser handles the NTS; we don't file there.
You and your tax adviser
Check the Korean side first
Decide whether you need a US company at all, report the investment to your designated bank, and check the CFC rule.
You leave this stage with: A reported investment and a tax plan that fits Korea'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 or Wise Business, which both serve founders living in South Korea. Send capital only through your designated bank. 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
Record every payment between you and the company. Put Form 5472, the six-month securities report and your Korean 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 South Korea
- 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 South Korea 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 South Korea
What a Wyoming LLC costs from South Korea, 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 South Korea, 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 responsibilitiesKorean tax and foreign exchange advice
Quote from your tax adviser
Which reports you file, and whether the CFC rule reaches the company, 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. Paying from South Korea, check your card's exchange rate and fees.
Get started from South Korea
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: In force
The US–Korea income tax treaty is in force.
It caps US withholding on interest at 12%, on dividends at 15%, or 10% for a qualifying company shareholder, and on royalties at 15%, or 10% for copyrights and films. Pay for work you do in Korea generally isn't US-source income, so the treaty matters less for a services business.
Bank report and tax
Report to your bank before you invest. Then check the CFC rule.
The reporting steps come from the Financial Supervisory Service's own pages, in Korean; the tax rules from PwC's summaries. They run alongside the US steps below.
Before you send money
You and your bankYou and your bank
Report the overseas direct investment to your designated foreign exchange bank, even for USD 1. Up to USD 100,000, within a year of the contract.
After investing
YouYou
A remittance report at once; a foreign securities acquisition report within six months.
Each year, above USD 3 million
YouYou
An annual business report within five months of the year end.
If it pays little tax
You and your tax adviserYou and your tax adviser
With 10% or more of a company taxed at 17.5% or less on average, its undistributed earnings count as your dividend.
When you decide where it's run
You and your tax adviserYou and your tax adviser
A place of effective management in Korea makes it a Korean corporation.
Worked example
This follows the FSS's guide. Your bank confirms which reports it needs and when.
You put USD 5,000 into a new Wyoming LLC that you own outright.
It's 10% or more, so it's an overseas direct investment. You report it to your designated bank; under USD 100,000 you have up to a year from the contract.
You file the remittance report when you send the money, and the securities acquisition report within six months.
No annual business report is due until your total investment passes USD 3 million.
Good to know
The FSS says the USD 100,000 allowance for other capital transactions doesn't cover direct investment, and warns against splitting remittances across staff names.
What South Korea expects
Owning a US company doesn't take you out of South Korea's tax system.
Korea asks for a report to your bank before you invest abroad, taxes residents on worldwide income, and treats a low-taxed company you hold 10% of as paying you a dividend.
Report before you invest
Under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, a resident who takes 10% or more of a foreign company reports it to their designated foreign exchange bank before investing, even for USD 1. Up to USD 100,000, the report can follow within a year of the contract.
Reports after
After investing, you file a remittance report at once and a foreign securities acquisition report within six months. An annual business report is due within five months of the year end once the total invested passes USD 3 million.
Controlled foreign company
If a Korean holds 10% or more of a foreign company whose average effective tax rate over three years is 17.5% or less, its undistributed earnings are treated as a dividend to them.
Where it is run
A company with its head office or its place of effective management in Korea is a Korean resident corporation.
Residence and credit
You're resident with a domicile in Korea or 183 days there in a tax year, and from 2026 also after 183 days in a row across two years. Foreign tax is credited up to the Korean tax on that income, with ten years to carry the excess.
On the record
We form US companies. We aren't Korean 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 South Korea 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, bank reports and ownership checks
Keep the registered agent active and track the state's yearly charge. In Korea, file the foreign exchange reports your bank needs, and your return with worldwide income in it.
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. |
| Overseas direct investment reports | You and your bank | We provide the formation documents the bank asks for. |
| Korean tax returns | 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, how you'll fund the company, where it will be managed and the business activity. Each question is also in Korean.
Download the checklist for your tax adviser (.txt)- 01EN
Is my US company an overseas direct investment I report to my designated bank before investing?
KO미국 회사 설립이 투자 전에 지정거래외국환은행에 신고해야 하는 해외직접투자에 해당하나요?
- 02EN
Which reports follow, and by when?
KO투자 후에는 어떤 보고서를 언제까지 제출해야 하나요?
- 03EN
Could the CFC rule treat the company's undistributed earnings as my dividend?
KO특정외국법인 유보소득 배당간주 규정이 적용될 수 있나요?
- 04EN
Would the company's place of effective management be in Korea, making it a Korean corporation?
KO회사의 실질적 관리장소가 국내에 있어 내국법인으로 볼 수 있나요?
- 05EN
How do I report the company's income on my return and credit any US tax?
KO종합소득세 신고 시 회사 소득을 어떻게 신고하고 미국 세금을 공제받나요?
- 06EN
Do I need to report overseas financial accounts?
KO해외금융계좌 신고 대상인가요?
- 07EN
How should I keep records for the US return and my Korean return?
KO미국 신고와 국내 신고를 위해 기록을 어떻게 보관해야 하나요?
Questions
Questions from South Korea.
If yours is not here, email us at hello@baseacross.com before you order.
Can a Korean 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. On the Korean side, owning 10% or more of a foreign company is an overseas direct investment you report to your bank.
Do I have to report the US company to my bank?
Yes, before you invest. A resident who takes 10% or more of a foreign company reports it to their designated foreign exchange bank in advance, even for USD 1. Up to USD 100,000, the report can follow within a year of the contract, but the FSS says the split-remittance allowance doesn't apply to direct investment.
What do I file after investing?
A remittance report at once, and a foreign securities acquisition report within six months of paying in. An annual business report is due within five months of the year end once your total investment passes USD 3 million.
Will Korea tax the company's profits before I take them out?
It can. If a Korean holds 10% or more of a foreign company whose average effective tax rate over three years is 17.5% or less, its undistributed earnings are treated as a dividend. A single-owner LLC that pays no US tax is below 17.5%.
How much does a US company from South Korea 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 Korean 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 South Korea?
A Wyoming LLC usually suits an owner-run business selling to US customers. A Delaware C-Corp suits raising from US investors. Either is an overseas direct investment to report. 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 South Korea?
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. Your bank, payment providers and Stripe each set their own review times. These are estimates, not promises.
Can I open a Mercury account from South Korea?
Usually you can apply. South Korea 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. South Korea is on Wise's list of places where people can hold money, so a US company run from Korea can get USD account details. Wise reviews each business.
Do I need a US company for Stripe in South Korea?
For Stripe itself, usually yes. Stripe doesn't list South Korea 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 South Korea?
Generally not. Pay for work you do in Korea is generally not US-source income, so a single-owner LLC with no US office or staff often owes no US income tax on it. It still files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 when it has reportable transactions with you.
Is there a US–South Korea tax treaty?
Yes, it's in force. It caps US withholding on interest at 12%, on dividends at 15%, or 10% for a qualifying company shareholder, and on royalties at 15%, or 10% for copyrights and films.
Can Korea treat my US company as Korean?
It can. A company with its place of effective management in Korea is a Korean resident corporation, whatever its place of formation.
Does BaseAcross file the US and Korean 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. The foreign exchange reports and your Korean 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.
South Korea
United States (IRS, Treasury and FinCEN)
Banks and payments
The reporting rules are read from the Financial Supervisory Service's own pages, in Korean. The tax rules come from PwC's Worldwide Tax Summaries, a professional summary of Korean law. Confirm the current position with your bank and 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
Nothing charged yetFrom
Seoul
South Korea
To
Wyoming
LLC · Cheyenne, WY
- Plan
- Launch
- First year
- $351.40
- To order
- 10 steps
Launch · $249 + $102.40 Wyoming · Same day