System Status
PlaybookUS Business for Founders AbroadJourneyForm · Bank · RunNo SSNEIN without a Social Security NumberFormdoola · Firstbase · GlobalfyBankMercury · Wise · RelayComplianceForm 5472 handledAuthorDanilo Candido · did it as a non-residentAffiliateDisclosed per 16 CFR 255PlaybookUS Business for Founders AbroadJourneyForm · Bank · RunNo SSNEIN without a Social Security NumberFormdoola · Firstbase · GlobalfyBankMercury · Wise · RelayComplianceForm 5472 handledAuthorDanilo Candido · did it as a non-residentAffiliateDisclosed per 16 CFR 255
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About

Written by a founder
who actually did it.

Most guides on starting a US company are written by people who never had to do it as an outsider. This one is the opposite — it’s the path I walked myself, as a non-resident.

Author

Danilo Candido

I’m a Brazilian founder based in Boston. I started with the same wall a lot of international founders hit: I wanted a real US company — to invoice US clients, hold USD, look legitimate — but every guide assumed I already had a Social Security Number, a US address, and a credit history I didn’t have.

So I did it the hard way and learned every step in practice: which state to form in, how to get an EIN without an SSN, which banks actually accept a non-resident, and the compliance filing (Form 5472) that quietly carries a $25,000 penalty if you miss it. Today I form and operate US companies and run real businesses from here.

This site is that knowledge, written down cleanly — so the next founder abroad doesn’t lose the months I lost figuring out what nobody explains simply.

What you can trust here

  • Lived, not aggregated. Every step is one I actually went through as a non-resident — including the parts that went wrong.
  • Honest about cost. When the DIY route for the state fee is the right move, I say so — even when a paid service would earn me a commission.
  • Not legal or tax advice. Practical playbooks from experience. Your facts may differ — confirm with a qualified cross-border professional.

The full method: review methodology.

The journey

Stage 01

Form Your Company

Form a US LLC from anywhere — best state, the right service, and the paperwork a non-resident actually needs.

Stage 02

Banking & EIN

Get an EIN without an SSN and open US business banking as a non-resident founder.

Stage 03

Run It

Stay compliant and operate — Form 5472, bookkeeping, and the tools that run the business.

Affiliate Disclosure

Some articles contain affiliate links (formation services, banking, and tools). When you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you — disclosed at the top of every article that contains them, per 16 CFR Part 255. Read the full Affiliate Disclosure.

Contact

Questions, corrections, or partnership inquiries: hello@jcilinc.com

JCIL INC (North Shore MA): jcilinc.com ↗