馃嚥馃嚱 For founders in Mexico
Form a US company from Mexico
Mexico shares a 3,000-kilometre border and the USMCA trade bloc with the United States, yet a Mexican-registered business still meets friction the moment it sells north. American clients and marketplaces prefer to pay a domestic entity, payment processors and banks want a US EIN and address, and enterprise procurement moves faster with a Delaware C-Corp or a US LLC on the other side of the contract. Forming a company across the border lets a Mexican founder invoice in USD, plug into American banking and card rails, and present as a local vendor without leaving Mexico.
The entity choice depends on the goal. A single-member US LLC is a common, low-overhead vehicle for freelancers and agencies billing American clients. For federal tax purposes it is disregarded, so the profit flows to the owner rather than sitting in a second corporate layer, but Mexico may treat the LLC differently: the SAT may view it as a foreign transparent entity or as a controlled foreign entity under the REFIPRES rules, and that characterisation is not settled by the US tax election. A Delaware C-Corp is the standard if you intend to raise from American venture investors, and is often the cleaner choice where the LLC form is tax-disadvantaged. Either way the founder remains a Mexican tax resident and owes Mexican tax on the income; the American entity is a billing and banking front end, not a way to reduce Mexican tax.
Once the American entity earns, the money still has to reach a founder living in Mexico. The good news is that Mexico runs a fully floating, freely convertible peso with no exchange controls or repatriation permits, so bringing funds home is a banking-and-reporting exercise rather than a permissions one. StableCorp settles to your US entity in USD, EUR or INR; in select markets (Mexico among them) local-currency (MXN) payout can be enabled on request through licensed regional partners on compliant rails, so the final leg into the founder's hands stays documented and predictable.
General information about forming a US company. Not legal, tax, or investment advice. Rules and figures cited are current as of July 2026 and change frequently. Consult qualified local and US advisers before acting.
The process, end to end
Form the entity
Pick a Wyoming LLC (solo/bootstrapped) or a Delaware C-Corp (VC-track) and file the formation remotely, with no US visit needed.
Read the guideGet an EIN
Apply for the company's federal tax ID. You can get an EIN without an SSN, and you need it to open a US business account.
Read the guideOpen a US business account
Open a US business account remotely with the EIN and formation documents. No US address or SSN required. Banking is provided through our licensed partner; StableCorp is not a bank.
Read the guideGet paid
Invoice US and global clients as a US entity and settle in USD, EUR, or INR, or in USDC on supported chains. Local-currency payout is available in select markets through StableCorp's licensed regional partners on compliant rails.
Read the guideMexico-specific considerations
You still pay Mexican tax: the US entity doesn't change that
A Mexican tax resident is taxed on worldwide income. Income earned through a US LLC (disregarded for US federal tax) or distributed from a US C-Corp must be reported on your annual ISR return (due 30 April for individuals). The US company changes how you bill and bank, not whether Mexico taxes you. Use the US-Mexico treaty's foreign tax credit to avoid being taxed twice, and get local advice on characterising the income as salary, professional fees, or a foreign dividend.
The peso is free, but individuals can't easily hold USD accounts
Mexico has no exchange controls and no repatriation permit, so moving funds home is straightforward in principle. The practical constraint is that retail banks rarely offer USD checking accounts to individuals, and dollar wires into a personal account are usually converted to pesos on receipt. AML caps on US-dollar CASH deposits (around USD 4,000/month per account holder) exist but do not apply to wires or electronic transfers. Many founders keep dollars in the US entity and remit through a licensed payments rail; where supported, MXN payout can be arranged on request via licensed regional partners.
Watch how the SAT characterises the US LLC (REFIPRES / CFE rules)
A US LLC that is disregarded for US federal tax is not automatically transparent in Mexico. The SAT may treat it as a foreign transparent entity or as a controlled foreign entity under the REFIPRES rules (ISR Law, Title VI, reg铆menes fiscales preferentes), which can attribute the entity's income to a Mexican resident owner as it is earned (before any distribution) where the foreign income is passive and lightly taxed. A normally-taxed US C-Corp usually falls outside this, but the analysis depends on the entity's actual tax profile and income mix, so confirm the characterisation with a Mexican tax adviser before assuming deferral.
Stablecoin income is taxed, and Mexico's fintech rules are specific
Mexico has no special crypto tax code; the SAT applies general ISR (and possibly VAT) and most advisers treat crypto-assets as intangible property. Stablecoin received as payment is income at its peso value on receipt, and converting it is a taxable disposal. On regulation, the Ley Fintech (2018) creates authorised ITFs (IFPE/IFC), not a 'VASP' licence, and Banxico Circular 4/2019 restricts regulated Mexican institutions from offering crypto services; the March 2025 LFPIORPI reform (effective 27 March 2026) extends AML duties to foreign providers serving Mexican residents. StableCorp is a US company holding no ITF authorization; keep peso-value records and use a compliant USD/EUR/INR rail that documents each movement.
Getting your money home to Mexico
Mexico imposes no foreign-exchange controls: the peso floats freely and is fully convertible, and there is no central-bank (Banxico) approval or repatriation permit needed to receive USD from your US company. Profits, dividends and fees can be moved and converted at market rates. Two practical wrinkles are specific to Mexico. First, retail banks generally do not let a persona f铆sica (individual) hold a US-dollar checking account; a USD wire into a personal account is typically converted to pesos on arrival, so many founders keep the dollars in the US entity's account and remit as needed, or route settlement through a licensed payments provider. Second, there are anti-money-laundering caps on US-dollar cash deposits (broadly around USD 4,000 per month for individual account holders), but these apply to physical cash, not to wires, ACH or electronic transfers, which are the normal way earnings arrive. As a Mexican tax resident you are taxed on worldwide income and must report the US earnings on your annual ISR declaration (due by 30 April for individuals); salary or contractor fees are ordinary income, and a distribution from a US C-Corp is a foreign dividend. If you control a foreign entity, check Mexico's REFIPRES / controlled-foreign-entity rules (Title VI of the ISR Law), which can accelerate Mexican tax on certain passive income earned through a low-taxed foreign vehicle.
If you receive stablecoins from third parties, Mexico has no dedicated crypto tax regime. The SAT applies the general ISR (income tax) and, potentially, VAT rules, and most practitioners treat crypto-assets as intangible property, so receiving stablecoin as payment is taxable income at its peso value on receipt, and later selling or converting it is an enajenaci贸n de bienes (disposal) that can produce a further taxable gain. Individual ISR rates run on a progressive scale up to 35%. On the regulatory side, note that Mexico's Ley Fintech (2018) creates authorised financial-technology institutions (ITFs, the IFPE and IFC figures), not a dedicated 'VASP' licence, and Banxico Circular 4/2019 restricts regulated Mexican institutions from offering crypto services to the public. Separately, the March 2025 reform to the LFPIORPI anti-money-laundering law (effective 27 March 2026) extends AML duties to foreign virtual-asset service providers serving Mexican residents. StableCorp is a US company and holds no ITF authorization in Mexico; its offramp is B2B settlement in USD, EUR or INR to your US entity, with local MXN payout available on request via licensed regional partners. Keep peso-value records at each receipt and conversion so settlement stays clean and documented rather than an untracked wallet balance.
Mexico & US taxes
Yes. The United States and Mexico have a comprehensive income tax treaty in force: the Convention signed on 18 September 1992, effective 1 January 1994, amended by a 1994 protocol and a 2003 second protocol. Mexico appears on the IRS 'United States income tax treaties A to Z' list. For a founder the treaty does two useful things. First, it caps US withholding tax on cross-border payments: treaty dividend withholding drops to 5% where a Mexican company beneficially owns at least 10% of the voting stock of the US payer (and 10% otherwise), versus the 30% statutory default, with reduced rates on interest and royalties too. Second, it provides a framework to relieve double taxation, which Mexico gives effect to through foreign tax credits (acreditamiento) on the annual ISR return. Two caveats: to claim the reduced US rate the beneficial owner must give the US payer a Form W-8BEN (individual) or W-8BEN-E (entity); and the treaty contains the standard 'saving clause,' so it does not shelter a Mexican resident from Mexico's own tax on the same income; it coordinates the two systems rather than exempting the money.
StableCorp helps founders in Mexico form a US company, get an EIN and a US business account, and get paid on compliant rails, both sides.
Get startedFrequently asked questions
Is there a US-Mexico tax treaty, and how does it help me?
Yes. A comprehensive income tax treaty signed in 1992 and in force since 1 January 1994 (amended by 1994 and 2003 protocols). It caps US withholding tax on cross-border payments (for example, dividend withholding as low as 5% for a 10%+ corporate owner, versus a 30% default) and provides a framework to relieve double taxation, which Mexico applies through foreign tax credits on your ISR return. To claim the reduced US rate you give the US payer a Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E. A 'saving clause' means the treaty coordinates the two tax systems rather than exempting you from Mexican tax.
Do I need Mexican government approval to bring USD earnings home?
No. Mexico has no foreign-exchange controls, the peso floats freely and is fully convertible, and there is no Banxico permit to receive USD from your US company. The practical points are Mexican, not regulatory: individuals generally can't hold a USD checking account, so dollar wires into a personal account are usually converted to pesos on arrival, and AML caps apply only to US-dollar cash deposits (not wires or electronic transfers). You still report the income to the SAT.
Should a Mexican founder form a US LLC or a C-Corp?
It depends on the goal. A single-member US LLC is the simpler, lower-overhead choice for freelancers and agencies billing US clients. For US federal tax it is disregarded, so profit flows to you rather than a second corporate layer. But Mexico may not mirror that: the SAT may treat a US LLC as a foreign transparent entity or a controlled foreign entity under the REFIPRES rules, so the US election does not settle the Mexican treatment. A Delaware C-Corp is the standard if you plan to raise from US venture investors, and often the cleaner choice where the LLC form is tax-disadvantaged. Either way you remain a Mexican tax resident and owe Mexican tax; confirm the characterisation with a local adviser.
How is getting paid in stablecoin taxed in Mexico?
Mexico has no dedicated crypto tax regime. The SAT applies general income tax (ISR) and possibly VAT, and most practitioners treat crypto-assets as intangible property, so stablecoin received as payment is taxable income at its peso value on receipt, and later selling or converting it is a taxable disposal (enajenaci贸n de bienes). Individual ISR rates run up to 35%. On regulation, the Ley Fintech (2018) creates authorised ITFs (IFPE/IFC) rather than a 'VASP' licence, Banxico Circular 4/2019 restricts regulated Mexican institutions from offering crypto services, and the March 2025 LFPIORPI reform (effective 27 March 2026) extends AML duties to foreign providers serving Mexican residents. StableCorp is a US company that settles B2B in USD, EUR or INR, with MXN payout available on request via licensed regional partners. Keep peso-value records at each step.