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From United Arab Emirates · Middle East and North Africa

Start a US company from the United Arab Emirates

For UAE-based founders who want to sell to US customers as a US vendor, hold a US-facing brand or raise from US investors. You already have Stripe and no personal income tax. The UAE's corporate tax is the catch: it can reach a US company that's effectively managed from the Emirates.

Start from the United Arab Emirates 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 the United Arab Emirates. Wise gives no USD account details there.

The banks, in detail
US tax treaty
None
Local Stripe
Yes
Mercury
Yes
Currency
AED
Our fee
from $249
Wyoming's fee
$102.40
Until we file
Refunded in full

You can form a US LLC while living in the UAE, without an SSN or a US visit, and founders here can apply to Mercury, which decides each application. Launch starts at $351.40 in Wyoming, including our plan and state filing fee. There's no personal income tax, and Stripe already serves the UAE. The catch is corporate tax: a foreign company effectively managed and controlled in the UAE is a UAE resident, taxed on worldwide income.

Before you form

Start with whether you need a US company, and where it's run.

  • You may not need a US company

    Card payments from customers worldwide

    Stripe already supports UAE businesses. A US company adds US filings, and one run from Dubai can be caught by UAE corporate tax, so it needs a reason.

    Getting access to Stripe
  • A Wyoming LLC may fit

    Selling to US customers as a US vendor

    Some US buyers and platforms want a US contracting party. Founders here can apply to Mercury, which decides each application. Plan where decisions are made, because that decides UAE corporate tax.

    US companies for SaaS
  • A Delaware C-Corp

    Raising from US investors

    US investors usually want a Delaware C-Corp. Where its management and control sits decides whether the UAE taxes it as resident.

    Raising from US investors
  • Review the US footprint

    Holding a US brand or US assets

    A US company can hold US-facing brands and contracts. Inventory, staff or premises in a state can add registration and sales-tax obligations there.

    US holding companies

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

Wyoming LLC

Owner-run business selling to US customers as a US vendor.

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 decisions will be made, because UAE corporate tax asks where it's managed and controlled.
  • 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, and an Emirates ID if the provider asks.
  • 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

  • Records of where the company's management and control is exercised.
  • Your own business turnover in the UAE, if you trade in your own name.
  • Any corporate tax registration and return the adviser says the company needs.
You and your tax adviser

For UAE corporate tax

You don't need a UAE company or licence to form a US LLC. 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 the UAE to a maintained US company.

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

You and your tax adviser

Check the UAE side first

Decide whether you need a US company at all, where it will be managed and controlled, and whether UAE corporate tax reaches it.

You leave this stage with: A management and tax plan that fits the UAE'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 the UAE

  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 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 the United Arab Emirates 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: None

There's no US income tax treaty with the UAE.

US-source dividends, interest and royalties paid to you are withheld at 30% unless a US exemption applies. Pay for work you do in the UAE generally isn't US-source income, so nothing is withheld on it.

UAE corporate tax

No personal income tax, but corporate tax can reach a company run from the UAE.

These come from PwC's summaries of the UAE's Corporate Tax Law and tax residence rules, and they run alongside the US steps below.

  1. When you decide who runs it

    You and your tax adviser

    A foreign company that's effectively managed and controlled in the UAE is a UAE resident for corporate tax, taxed on its worldwide income.

  2. If the company is UAE-resident

    The company, with your tax adviser

    It registers with the Federal Tax Authority and files one return within nine months of its year end. Tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it.

  3. If you trade in your own name

    You and your tax adviser

    A person doing business in the UAE pays corporate tax at 9% once business turnover is above AED 1 million a year. Wages and personal investment income don't count.

  4. On what the company pays you

    You

    There's no personal income tax and no individual return in the UAE.

  5. If you need a residence certificate

    You

    You're a UAE tax resident if your usual home and centre of interests are there, after 183 days in 12 months, or after 90 days with a residence permit and a home or work there.

Worked example

A worked year, if the company is UAE-resident

This is an illustration, not a quote. Small Business Relief and other rules can change the figure.

  1. The US company is run from Dubai and has AED 500,000 of taxable income for the year.

  2. The first AED 375,000 is taxed at 0%.

  3. The remaining AED 125,000 is taxed at 9%, which is AED 11,250.

  4. Any relief that applies, and how the US company's income is measured, are for your adviser to confirm.

What the United Arab Emirates expects

Owning a US company doesn't take you out of the United Arab Emirates' tax system.

The UAE has no personal income tax, but its corporate tax treats a foreign company effectively managed and controlled in the UAE as resident, taxed on worldwide income. Plan where the US company is run before you order.

No personal income tax

There's no personal income tax in the UAE, so there's no individual tax return to file. Wages and personal investment income aren't taxed.

Sources

Corporate tax · Where it is run

A foreign company that's effectively managed and controlled in the UAE is a UAE resident for corporate tax, and is taxed on its worldwide income. A US company one founder runs from Dubai can be caught.

Sources

Corporate tax · Rate and return

Corporate tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it. A taxable company registers with the Federal Tax Authority and files one return within nine months of its year end.

Sources

Corporate tax · Doing business yourself

A person who does business in the UAE pays corporate tax at 9% once business turnover is above AED 1 million a year. Wages and personal investment income don't count toward it.

Sources

Tax residence

You're a UAE tax resident if your usual home and centre of interests are in the UAE, or after 183 days there in 12 months, or after 90 days with a residence permit and a home or work there.

Sources

On the record

We form US companies. We aren't Emirati 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 the United Arab Emirates 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, UAE and ownership checks

Keep the registered agent active and track the state's yearly charge. In the UAE there's no personal return, but a company effectively managed and controlled there can owe corporate tax filings.

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.
UAE corporate taxYou 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 and managers, where each lives, where decisions will be made and the business activity. Agree who handles each filing in the UAE and in the US.

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

    Would the US company be effectively managed and controlled in the UAE, making it a UAE resident for corporate tax?

  2. 02

    If it is, what must it register and file with the Federal Tax Authority, and which reliefs could apply?

  3. 03

    Does my own business turnover in the UAE pass the AED 1 million threshold for corporate tax?

  4. 04

    How is a US LLC that's disregarded in the US treated under UAE corporate tax?

  5. 05

    Do I meet the UAE's tax residence tests, and do I need a tax residence certificate?

  6. 06

    Without a US treaty, how is any US tax on the company treated in the UAE?

  7. 07

    How should I keep records for the US return and any UAE filing?

Questions

Questions from the United Arab Emirates.

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

Can a UAE resident own a US LLC?

Yes, as far as US law goes. It 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 UAE side, there's no personal income tax, but corporate tax can apply to the company. Owning a US company doesn't give you a US visa.

Can UAE corporate tax apply to my US company?

It can. A foreign company that's effectively managed and controlled in the UAE is a UAE resident for corporate tax, taxed on its worldwide income at 0% up to AED 375,000 and 9% above. A single founder running the company from Dubai should have a tax adviser look at this before ordering.

Do I pay tax in the UAE on what the company pays me?

There's no personal income tax on wages or personal investment income. If you do business in the UAE in your own name, corporate tax applies at 9% once that business turnover is above AED 1 million a year.

Do I need a US company for Stripe in the UAE?

No. Stripe supports businesses in the UAE. A US company is for selling as a US vendor, US contracts, US investors or platforms that need one.

How much does a US company from the UAE 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 UAE corporate tax filing 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 the UAE?

A Wyoming LLC usually suits an owner-run business selling to US customers. A Delaware C-Corp suits raising from US investors. Either way, where it's managed and controlled decides UAE 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 the UAE?

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 the UAE?

Usually you can apply. The UAE 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 for the US company?

Not for USD account details. Wise says it can't give USD account details to founders living in the UAE. Relay doesn't bar the UAE, but it asks every owner for a physical US address.

Do I pay US tax on work I do from the UAE?

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

No. US-source dividends, interest and royalties paid to you are withheld at 30% unless a US exemption applies.

Am I a UAE tax resident?

You are if your usual home and centre of interests are in the UAE, or after 183 days there in 12 months, or after 90 days with a residence permit and a home or work there. Residence matters for treaties with other countries and for a tax residence certificate.

Does BaseAcross file the US and UAE 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 UAE corporate tax registration and return 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.

United Arab Emirates

United States (IRS, Treasury and FinCEN)

Banks and payments

States

The UAE's rules are read from PwC's Worldwide Tax Summaries, a professional summary of the Corporate Tax Law and Cabinet Decision No. 85 of 2022, not the texts themselves. Confirm the current position with your adviser before acting.

Middle East and North Africa

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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Dubai

United Arab Emirates

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Wyoming

LLC · Cheyenne, WY

Plan
Launch
First year
$351.40
To order
10 steps
Start from the United Arab Emirates

Launch · $249 + $102.40 Wyoming · Same day