How to Register Your Company Step by Step | USA

Registering a company in the USA comes down to five core moves: pick a legal structure (usually an LLC), choose a state, appoint a registered agent, file your formation documents, and get a free EIN from the IRS. Budget roughly $150–$800 for the setup and one to two weeks of waiting. You do not need to be a US citizen — or ever set foot in the country — to own a US company. This guide walks through every step with real 2026 costs and timelines, including the parts most guides skip: getting an EIN without a Social Security Number, opening a bank account from abroad, and what your company will actually cost you every year after formation.

The 7 Steps at a Glance

1. Choose a business structure — LLC for most founders, C-Corp if you plan to raise venture capital.
2. Select a state — your home state if you operate there; Delaware or Wyoming if you run an online or non-resident business.
3. Appoint a registered agent — a legal requirement in every state; $100–$300 per year for a service.
4. File formation documents — Articles of Organization (LLC) or Incorporation (C-Corp) with the state; $50–$500.
5. Get an EIN from the IRS — free, instant online with an SSN, about a week by fax without one.
6. Open a business bank account — remote-friendly fintechs make this possible without a US visit.
7. Handle licenses and ongoing compliance — sales tax permits, annual reports, bookkeeping.

Step 1: Choose Your Business Structure

For roughly nine out of ten new founders, the answer is a Limited Liability Company (LLC). It protects your personal assets, involves minimal paperwork, and its profits “pass through” to your personal tax return — no corporate-level tax. Pass-through owners also benefit from the Qualified Business Income deduction of up to 20%, which US tax law made permanent in 2025.

Choose a C-Corporation instead if you plan to raise money from venture capital funds or issue stock options to employees — US investors overwhelmingly prefer investing in Delaware C-Corps. The trade-off is double taxation (the company pays corporate tax, then you pay tax on dividends) and heavier formalities.

A sole proprietorship requires no registration at all, but it gives you zero liability protection and is not a practical option for non-residents. If you are serious enough to read a registration guide, you are serious enough for an LLC.

• Pick an LLC if: you are bootstrapping, freelancing, running e-commerce or an agency, or testing a market.
• Pick a C-Corp if: venture capital, US employees with equity, or a startup you intend to sell are in the plan. Not sure your idea is fundable yet? Validate the business idea first — it is cheaper than restructuring later.

Step 2: Select a State

The rule that saves founders the most money: if you physically operate in a state — office, warehouse, employees — register there. Registering in Delaware while working from Texas means you must also register in Texas as a “foreign entity” and pay fees in both states, for zero benefit.

If your business is online-only or you live outside the USA, two states dominate for good reasons:

• Delaware — about $110 to file an LLC, $300 flat annual franchise tax. Filings can be processed in 24 hours with expedite. The gold standard if investors are in your future: US venture funds know Delaware law inside out.
• Wyoming — about $100 to file, and an annual report from just $60. Strong privacy protections (member names stay off the public record) and the lowest ongoing costs. The pragmatic pick for bootstrapped and non-resident founders.

Nevada gets mentioned in older guides, but its roughly $350 annual business license erases its appeal for small companies. When in doubt: Wyoming for keeping costs down, Delaware for raising capital.

Step 3: Get a Registered Agent

Every US company must name a registered agent — a person or company with a physical address in the formation state, available during business hours to receive legal and government mail. This is not optional, and a PO box does not qualify.

If you live in the state, you can be your own agent (your home address becomes public record — most founders prefer not to). Everyone else hires a registered agent service for $100–$300 per year. For non-residents this service quietly solves a second problem: it gives your company a real US street address that banks and the IRS will accept on forms.

Step 4: File Formation Documents

This is the step that legally creates your company. You file Articles of Organization (for an LLC) or Articles of Incorporation (for a C-Corp) with the Secretary of State — online in almost every state. You will need: your company name (check the state’s business-name search first, and the USPTO trademark database if the brand matters), your registered agent’s details, and the organizer’s name.

Filing fees run $50–$500 depending on the state, and standard processing takes 1–5 business days; most states sell same-day or 24-hour expedite for an extra fee. Once approved, you receive a stamped certificate — the document every bank will ask for.

One more document nobody files but everyone needs: an operating agreement (LLC) or bylaws (C-Corp). It lives in your drawer, defines who owns what and who decides what, and banks routinely ask for it when opening accounts — single-member LLCs included.

Step 5: Apply for an EIN — Free, Even Without an SSN

The Employer Identification Number (EIN) is your company’s federal tax ID. You need it to open a bank account, pay taxes, and hire anyone. Two things to know before anything else: the IRS issues EINs completely free, and the “$250 EIN filing services” you will see advertised are reselling a free government form.

• With an SSN or ITIN: apply on the IRS website — the EIN is issued immediately online.
• Without an SSN (non-residents): you do not need one, and you do not need an ITIN either. Fill out Form SS-4, write “Foreign” on line 7b, and fax it to the IRS — expect your EIN in one to two weeks (mail takes up to four). International applicants can also call the IRS directly at +1-267-941-1099 and receive the number during the call.

Keep the confirmation letter (CP 575) safe — banks ask for the original document, and the IRS does not simply reissue it.

Step 6: Open a US Business Bank Account

Gather four things: the stamped formation certificate, the EIN confirmation letter, your passport, and the operating agreement. What happens next depends on the kind of bank:

• Traditional banks (Chase, Bank of America) usually require an in-person branch visit — the single biggest obstacle for founders abroad.
• Fintech business accounts (Mercury, Relay, Wise Business) onboard fully online, accept non-resident founders with exactly the documents above, and typically approve accounts in days, not weeks.

Open the account before you invoice your first client, and never run business money through a personal account — “commingling funds” is the fastest way to lose the liability protection you just paid for (more on that in the mistakes section below).

Step 7: Licenses, Permits and Ongoing Compliance

There is no general federal business license. What you may actually need:

• A sales tax permit — if you sell physical or taxable digital goods, register in states where you have “nexus” (a presence or significant sales volume).
• Industry or local licenses — food, finance, health, and some city-level permits.
• Annual report + state fee — nearly every state requires one; miss it repeatedly and the state administratively dissolves your company.
• Beneficial ownership (BOI) reporting — the rules changed in 2025: companies formed in the US are currently exempt, while foreign-registered companies doing business in the US still report to FinCEN. Check fincen.gov for the current requirements before you skip this.

Set up bookkeeping in month one, not at tax time. A cloud accounting tool plus a CPA who files your annual returns costs far less than untangling a year of mixed transactions.

How Much Does It Really Cost in 2026?

• State filing fee: $50–$500, one-time ($100–$110 in Wyoming and Delaware).
• Registered agent: $100–$300 per year.
• Annual report / franchise tax: $60 (Wyoming) to $300 (Delaware) to $800 (California) per year.
• Formation service (optional): $0–$300 on top of state fees — worth it mainly for non-residents who want the agent, address, and filings bundled.
• EIN: $0. Always $0.

Realistic first-year total: $300–$1,000 for a lean LLC, before accounting.

How Long Does It Take?

• Name search: same day.
• State filing: 1–5 business days (24-hour expedite available in Delaware and most states).
• EIN: instant online with an SSN; 1–2 weeks by fax without one.
• Bank account: days at a fintech; weeks at a traditional bank.

A non-resident founder doing everything remotely should plan for about two weeks end to end — the EIN fax queue is usually the long pole.

Registering from Abroad: What Non-US Founders Should Know

You can own 100% of a US LLC or C-Corp with no visa, no green card, and no US trip — every step above works remotely. The distinction that trips people up: owning a company is not the same as working in it. Managing your business from your home country is fine; moving to the US to work in it requires a work visa (the E-2 investor and L-1 transfer visas are the usual routes — a topic for an immigration lawyer, not a blog).

On taxes, ignore the “0% tax US LLC” myths on social media. Whether the US taxes your profits depends on whether your income is effectively connected to a US trade or business, and your home country will usually want its share of what the US does not take. One consultation with a CPA who works with non-resident founders costs $200–$400 and pays for itself immediately.

Registering the company is also just the paperwork half of entering the market — research the market before you commit, and if the US is one of several targets, here is how to expand a business internationally online without burning cash.

Common Mistakes That Cost Founders Money

• Delaware by default. If you operate from one state, registering in Delaware doubles your fees and filings. Delaware is for raising capital, not for prestige.
• Paying for a free EIN. The IRS charges nothing. Anyone charging you is charging for filling in a form.
• Mixing personal and business money. Commingling funds can let a court “pierce the corporate veil” and reach your personal assets — the exact thing the LLC was for.
• Ignoring the annual report. A $60 report skipped twice can end in administrative dissolution and a costly reinstatement.
• Skipping the operating agreement. Fine — until a co-founder dispute or a bank asks for it.
• Forgetting sales tax nexus. E-commerce sellers can owe back taxes in states they have never visited once sales volume crosses the threshold.

Your First US Contacts Matter More Than Your Paperwork

Registration is a solved problem — you just read the whole playbook. What actually decides whether your US company makes money is who you know in the market: the first client who takes a chance on you, the founder two steps ahead who tells you which CPA to call, the partner who opens a distribution channel. That network is buildable before you ever land. MYBZZ matches you with entrepreneurs by goals and skills — including founders who have already registered and grown US companies — so start the conversations now and let the paperwork process in the background. And when the company is live and you are ready to grow it, here is how to find an investor for your startup.

Frequently Asked Questions