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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Methodology

How I test, pick, and earn.

Most affiliate sites recommend software the writer has never opened. This page exists so you know exactly how these recommendations are made — and why a commission never buys a better review.

Experience first

I formed and run US companies as a non-resident. The guides here are the path I actually walked — the state I chose, the way I got an EIN without an SSN, the banks that accepted me, the compliance filing I almost missed. Not a rewrite of someone else's blog.

When I recommend a service I haven't personally used for a given step, I say so and tell you what it's based on. I don't pretend first-hand experience I don't have.

What I evaluate

Every service recommendation is judged on the same criteria:

  • Fit for a non-resident — does it actually work without a US SSN, address, or credit history?
  • Does it remove real friction — EIN without an SSN, non-resident-friendly banking, Form 5472 compliance?
  • Honest total cost — including the renewals and add-ons that don't show up on the first screen.
  • Reliability — does it hold up in practice, not just in the sales page?

How this site makes money

Some links here are affiliate links. If you sign up or buy through one, the company may pay us a commission — at no extra cost to you, and often at the same or a better price than going direct. This is what keeps the site free. See the full Affiliate Disclosure.

Commission does not change what I recommend. When a cheaper tool, a free tier, or the DIY route is the better choice for you, that's what the guide says — even when it earns me nothing. A recommendation I can't stand behind isn't worth the click.

When I'm wrong

Tools change — pricing shifts, features get cut, better options appear. When that happens, the guide changes. If you spot something out of date or think I've gotten a call wrong, tell me and I'll look at it.