A foreign-owned LLC is a US limited liability company owned, fully or partly, by one or more non-US persons. A single-member version is usually a disregarded entity that pays no US federal income tax but must file Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 each year.
How a foreign-owned LLC works
You do not need to live in the US, hold a visa, or have an SSN to own one.
A non-resident forms the LLC in a state such as Wyoming, gets an EIN from the IRS, and opens a US business bank account. A single-owner LLC is treated as a disregarded entity, so its income usually flows to the owner rather than being taxed at the US corporate level — but the IRS still requires an annual Form 5472 attached to a pro forma Form 1120, even if the LLC had zero activity. Skipping it carries a $25,000 penalty per form. You can get an EIN without an SSN and then handle the Form 5472 filing for a foreign-owned LLC.
Why it matters for a global or India-based founder
For an Indian or other non-US founder, a foreign-owned LLC is the simplest way to invoice US clients in USD and get paid like a US business.
It gives you a US entity, a US bank account, and clean payment rails without relocating. The two things people underestimate are the annual US compliance (the EIN and Form 5472 are not optional) and the path to move money home. When you bring funds into India — including stablecoins like USDC — you need a compliant off-ramp through proper RBI purpose codes, not the grey-area direct-wallet route. See the FEMA and RBI rules for receiving USDC in India.
Where it fits with StableCorp
StableCorp forms your foreign-owned LLC (Wyoming LLC for solo/bootstrapped founders, or a Delaware C-Corp if you are VC-track) and covers the full path — EIN, US bank account, then USD and USDC/USDT payments on compliant rails. When you receive USDC from US clients, you off-ramp to INR through approved purpose codes with a real paper trail, and the annual filings like Form 5472 stay on track. See pricing or how to receive USDC payments from US clients.
This is general information, not tax or legal advice.
Sources
IRS — Limited Liability Company (LLC) — https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/limited-liability-company-llc
IRS — About Form 5472 — https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-5472