How to Form a Wyoming LLC (5 steps)

Wyoming LLC names must end with "LLC", "L.L.C.", "Limited Liability Company", or one of the variations accepted by the Wyoming SoS. The name must be distinguishable from any other Wyoming-formed entity on the SoS database. Restricted words include "Bank", "Insurance", "University", "Trust", and similar terms that suggest regulated industries; these require additional state-level approval.

Provide three name alternatives during your intake. We check availability with the Wyoming Secretary of State at wyobiz.wyo.gov before filing. If your first choice is unavailable, we move to your second alternative without contacting you (so the 24-hour filing window is not affected). If all three are unavailable, we contact you for new options.

Some tactical naming tips. (a) Keep it under 30 characters where possible; long names create issues with bank application UIs and Stripe legal-entity fields. (b) Avoid names that contain another brand's trademark; you can be sued by the trademark holder. (c) Check the USPTO Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) if you plan to file a trademark later for Amazon Brand Registry. (d) Pick a name that translates and pronounces well in your home language.

Pay $397 via Stripe. The $397 is the WyomingLLC service fee. The Wyoming Secretary of State filing fee is included in that price - you are not billed for it separately, and there is no extra charge at checkout.

After payment, you receive an email with a link to the intake form. The form takes about 20 minutes and collects:

• Three LLC name alternatives
• Member structure: single-member or multi-member, with ownership percentages
• Management structure: member-managed (each member can act for the LLC) or manager-managed (designated manager has authority)
• Responsible party for the EIN (almost always you, the owner)
• Business description: 2 to 3 sentences for the bank application later
• Anticipated annual revenue (rough estimate, used for bank prep)
• Country of residence and passport details
• Whether you need ITIN ($297 add-on, only for PayPal or US personal taxes)
• Whether you want the Form 5472 + 1120 annual filing add-on ($99/year)

Submit the form and we move to Step 3 within hours.

We prepare and file your Articles of Organization with the Wyoming Secretary of State under Wyoming Statutes Section 17-29-201. The filing includes:

• LLC name (verified available)
• Registered agent name and Wyoming address (our service)
• Mailing address (typically the registered agent address)
• Principal office address
• Effective date (immediate by default)
• Signature of the organizer (us, on your behalf)

Members are not listed on the Articles. This is the core of Wyoming's privacy advantage. The operating agreement (drafted next) identifies members privately between you and the LLC.

The Wyoming SoS processes most online filings within hours during business days. The filing receipt (a PDF with the SoS stamp and Wyoming SoS ID) is delivered to you within 24 hours of intake. The formally filed Articles document arrives shortly after.

We also send you a draft custom operating agreement for your signature. The operating agreement is not filed with the state; it is a private contract between members. Sign and store it; banks occasionally request a copy during KYC.

The Employer Identification Number is required for banking, Amazon, Stripe, and IRS Form 5472. Non-residents cannot use the IRS online EIN application because it requires an SSN or ITIN. The reliable path is Form SS-4 by fax to the IRS international EIN unit.

We complete Form SS-4 with your LLC legal name (exact match to the Articles of Organization), Wyoming registered agent address, responsible party (you), and the correct entity type checkbox (LLC, single-member or multi-member). The SSN/ITIN field is left blank with country code specified; entering "0", "0000-00-0000", or "N/A" in that field auto-rejects.

We fax to the IRS international EIN unit. The fax number changes occasionally; we track the current one. The IRS faxes back your CP575 EIN letter in 8 to 10 business days during normal periods. During IRS busy periods (early April, late September), turnaround can stretch to 15 business days.

We forward the CP575 to you as PDF. Save it in multiple places. The IRS does not reissue the CP575; if you lose it, you can request a 147C confirmation letter which takes 2 to 4 weeks. Mercury, Relay, Wise, Stripe, and Amazon Seller Central all request the CP575 during onboarding.

With your LLC formed and EIN issued, you can apply for a US business bank account. WyomingLLC introduces you to three options: Mercury, Relay, and Wise Business (the broadest-coverage fallback). Approval at any of them is never guaranteed and depends on your documents and country.

Each bank requires the same core documents: Articles of Organization, EIN letter (CP575), passport scan, business description (2 to 3 sentences), anticipated transaction volume, and source of funds. We prepare a country-specific packet with what each reviewer is looking for, since rejection patterns vary by country.

The standard approach: apply to Mercury first. Mercury offers the best banking features (Treasury yield, up to 50 debit cards, API access, large sub-account capacity). If Mercury rejects, we move to Relay. Relay has a different reviewer pool and sometimes approves applicants Mercury rejected. If Relay also rejects, Wise Business has the broadest country coverage and is the usual fallback - though approval still depends on your documents and country.

Most founders open an account at one of the three, but approval is never guaranteed. The most consistent rejections are OFAC-sanctioned countries (Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba) and certain restricted business categories (gambling, adult content, crypto exchanges).

If you are still deciding where to incorporate, here is why Wyoming is the most common choice for non-resident founders who are not raising US venture capital:

• No state income tax and no franchise tax. Wyoming charges neither, so your only recurring state cost is the $60 minimum annual report. Delaware, by contrast, levies an annual franchise tax on top of its registered-agent fee.
• Privacy by default. Members and managers are not listed on the public Articles of Organization (Wyoming Statutes Title 17, Chapter 29). Ownership stays in your private operating agreement. See the Wyoming anonymous LLC guide for exactly how this works.
• Strong charging-order protection. Wyoming Section 17-29-503 makes a charging order the exclusive creditor remedy against a member's interest - and Wyoming extends this to single-member LLCs, which many states do not.
• Low, flat, predictable cost. Formation plus year-2 upkeep is among the cheapest of any US state, with no surprise compliance bills.

Delaware still makes sense if you intend to raise US venture capital (investors expect a Delaware C-Corp), and your home country may be simpler if you only sell domestically. For almost everyone else - Stripe, Amazon FBA, SaaS, freelancing, and holding structures - Wyoming wins on cost and privacy. Compare them head to head in Wyoming vs Delaware, or read the best state to form an LLC as a non-resident.

Your intake form asks two structural questions. Both affect how your LLC is taxed and how strong its liability shield is, so it is worth understanding them before you order.

Single-member vs multi-member. A single-member LLC (SMLLC) has one owner and is the default for most non-resident founders. The IRS treats a foreign-owned SMLLC as a disregarded entity: the LLC itself pays no federal income tax, but it must file IRS Form 5472 plus a pro forma Form 1120 every year (the penalty for not filing is $25,000 - see the Form 5472 guide). A multi-member LLC (MMLLC) has two or more owners and is taxed as a partnership by default, filing Form 1065 and issuing a Schedule K-1 to each member. If you have genuine co-founders or investors, form multi-member and define each owner's percentage in the operating agreement. If it is just you, single-member is simpler and cheaper to maintain. There is no price difference either way.

Member-managed vs manager-managed. In a member-managed LLC, every member can sign contracts and bind the company - the right default for a solo founder or a small team who all run the business. In a manager-managed LLC, only a designated manager has that authority, which suits passive investors who hold a stake but do not run day-to-day operations. Most non-resident e-commerce and SaaS founders choose member-managed. You can switch later with an operating-agreement amendment - no state filing required.

Not sure which fits? Pick single-member, member-managed during intake - it is the right answer for the large majority of founders and is easy to amend. The operating agreement guide shows how each structure is documented.

The full package list is short on purpose. The Wyoming Secretary of State does not require notarized documents, apostilles, or in-person verification. We file everything on your behalf.

• A valid passport with at least 12 months until expiration. The biographic page is what we and the bank will use for identity.
• Two or three business name alternatives. The Wyoming SoS rejects names that conflict with existing entities or contain restricted words. Having alternatives prevents delays.
• Personal email address that you control. The IRS sends correspondence to the address you provide on Form SS-4, and Stripe sends your receipt to your payment email.
• (Optional) A draft business description of 2 to 3 sentences. We refine it during intake. This helps with bank applications later.
• (Optional) Names and ownership percentages if you are forming a multi-member LLC. Single-member is the default and works for most use cases.

• Articles of Organization with the Wyoming Secretary of State under Wyoming Statutes Title 17, Chapter 29.
• Wyoming registered agent appointment. Our registered agent address appears on public filings, not yours.
• IRS Form SS-4 for your EIN. We submit by fax (the only method that works for non-residents without an SSN). The IRS returns your CP575 letter.
• Custom operating agreement drafted to your structure (single-member or multi-member, member-managed or manager-managed) with Wyoming-specific charging-order language under Section 17-29-503.
• Bank introduction packets for Mercury, Relay, and Wise Business with the prep we know each bank reviewer looks for.

• US phone number. Most founders use Google Voice (free) or a virtual SIM like OpenPhone or JustCall ($3 to $15/month). Banks accept these.
• ITIN. $297 separate add-on, only required if you sell on PayPal (which uses ITIN for personal verification) or file a personal US 1040-NR. Amazon, Stripe, Shopify, Mercury, and Wise do not require ITIN.
• Year 2+ compliance. Wyoming annual report ($60 minimum) and IRS Form 5472 plus pro forma 1120 (mandatory annual filing for foreign-owned single-member LLCs, penalty $25,000 for non-filing). Available as a $99/year add-on, or we refer to partner CPAs.
• Sales tax registration. Required if you have nexus in states where you sell. FBA inventory creates physical nexus in warehouse states. TaxJar or Avalara automate this.
• Trademark filing. Recommended before Amazon Brand Registry. $250 to $350 per class at USPTO. We refer to USPTO-experienced attorneys.

1. Trying the IRS online EIN application without an SSN. It rejects with an unhelpful error. The IRS does not advertise that fax is the workaround. We use the fax pipeline by default for every customer.
2. Putting "0" or "N/A" in the SSN field on Form SS-4. The IRS rejects this without explanation. The correct entry is the country code specified and the SSN field left blank or marked "FOREIGN". We handle the field-by-field correctness.
3. Using a generic operating agreement. Templates that look like Delaware boilerplate weaken Wyoming charging-order protection. Our agreement uses Wyoming-specific provisions referencing Section 17-29-503.
4. Bank application with a vague business description. Unclear descriptions are a leading reason Mercury declines non-resident applications. We coach you to be specific: products, customers, fulfillment, revenue projection.
5. Skipping Form 5472. The $25,000 IRS penalty is the most expensive failure for non-resident LLC owners. We send annual reminders and offer a filing add-on.
6. Mismatched name across documents. LLC name on Articles, EIN letter, bank application, and operating agreement must all match exactly. We sync them.
7. Forgetting the Wyoming annual report. Due first day of the anniversary month. We email a reminder 30 days before due date.

1. Stripe US. Apply at stripe.com with your LLC name, EIN, and Mercury (or Relay/Wise) account. Approval is usually instant for clean profiles.
2. Bookkeeping. QuickBooks Online ($30+/month) or Wave (free). Most founders start with Wave and graduate to QuickBooks at $5K+ monthly revenue.
3. Amazon Seller Central. Use LLC as seller of record, EIN as tax ID, Mercury for payouts. Brand Registry requires a USPTO trademark.
4. PayPal Business. Requires ITIN ($297 add-on) for personal verification. Most founders do not need PayPal.
5. Shopify + Shopify Payments. Shopify Payments accepts Wyoming LLC + EIN + US bank. No PayPal required for Shopify checkout.
6. Upwork tax form. Submit W-8BEN-E with your EIN to reduce US withholding from 30% to your country's treaty rate.
7. USPTO trademark. File at uspto.gov via TEAS. $250 to $350 per class. 6 to 12 months for full registration. Required for Amazon Brand Registry.
8. Year 2+ calendar reminders. Wyoming annual report (first day of anniversary month). IRS Form 5472 plus pro forma 1120 (April 15, or October 15 with Form 7004 extension).