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US LLC for Guatemalan Business Owners: Price, EIN, Stripe
Short answer: Owning a US LLC is open to Guatemalan business owners who hold no US citizenship or residence. All State Tax Resolution forms it in Wyoming and requests the EIN with no SSN, while its Enrolled Agent, Sabih Shafi, handles the IRS forms every year. Stripe's country list leaves Guatemala out, and so does the IRS treaty list; the prices are $795 USD for formation, $695 USD a year to keep the LLC compliant and $1,395 USD for the two together.
Key takeaways
Stripe's list leaves Guatemala out, so there is no Guatemalan Stripe account to open. A US account requires the business itself to be registered in the US, with papers that carry one exact company name.
PayPal lists Guatemala. Its Guatemala help page opens with a general note on cross-border-only services in some countries, and it does not say which.
No Guatemala entry appears on the IRS list of treaties.
The EIN comes by fax and needs no SSN; the IRS gives 4 business days as the usual wait.
Stripe, PayPal and the banks have the final word, and we assemble the paperwork.
Facts about Stripe, PayPal and the IRS on this page were checked on their official pages on October 6, 2026.
Can a Guatemalan business owner hold a US LLC?
Yes. In IRS language you are a foreign person when you have no US citizenship and no US residence, and an LLC with a single foreign owner has its own rules. You can form one without traveling.
Anyone with US citizenship or a green card should skip this page and read about US expat tax services instead.
Stripe and Guatemala: the list, then the paperwork
Stripe's global page lists where Stripe is supported, and Guatemala does not appear. Anything outside the list is marked payments not supported yet. Opening an account in another country, Stripe adds, requires a legal entity registered there and Stripe's support for payments there.
So a Guatemalan business looking at Stripe is really looking at a US account. Stripe's page on those accounts asks that a registered business hold its registration in the US, wherever it operates, and lists what Stripe verifies: the legal name and type of the entity, the business address, the EIN, and an SSN or ITIN. It may ask for official documentation as well.
For a business with an EIN, Stripe's documents page sets these terms:
IRS Letter 147C, an SS-4 confirmation letter, an IRS fax transmission letter or an EIN assistance letter.
A business name on the document that matches the name registered with the IRS exactly.
No expired identity or entity documents, plus a passport if you live somewhere other than the account's country.
The SS-4 application you send is not the confirmation letter; the IRS sends that after you apply. For a single-member LLC, Stripe's list puts you with the SSN group and looks at you as the individual owner. If you are a non-US individual with no SSN or ITIN, its tax ID page expects your local tax ID plus documents showing you are not a US taxpayer. We line up the name on your Articles, your EIN letter and your operating agreement so all three read the same. Stripe decides.
PayPal in Guatemala
Guatemala is on PayPal's list of countries. PayPal Pte. Ltd., a Singaporean company, is the other party to the agreement, which admits a business that is organized, operating or resident in a listed country. Signing up for a Business account takes your legal name, an email address and a password, then the business registration number, a description of the business and the bank account details.
The Guatemala help page begins with a general note: availability varies by market, and in some countries services may be cross-border only, with receiving money tied to a licensed local partner. It names no country, so we do not treat it as a Guatemalan rule. For transfers to a bank, the page gives standard timing: typically 1 business day, though depending on your bank's clearing process it may take 3-5 business days. PayPal decides what applies to your account.
Guatemala and the US tax treaty
The IRS list of income tax treaties has no entry for Guatemala, and the IRS table of treaties in effect has none either. For a country without a treaty, the IRS says the income is taxed by the book: the method and rates in the instructions of the applicable US return. That page concerns income from US sources. What that means for your LLC depends on its income.
A local professional handles home-country reporting, and we coordinate with them. No Guatemalan rules or numbers are given here.
Guatemalan businesses that sell to the US
The fit is a business that bills US customers or plans to: specialty coffee roasters, sellers of handwoven textiles and crafts, bilingual customer-service and software teams, and tour or language-school operators. Your customer pays a US company, and the money is deposited in a US bank account held by the LLC, subject to the bank's approval.
Keeping stock in a US warehouse changes the picture. Start with our guide for foreign sellers, which explains why the IRS calls profit from inventory sold in the US effectively connected income.
What it costs
Formation, $795 USD. A 30-minute call with me, Wyoming's filing fee, the first year of registered agent service, your EIN, an operating agreement in either language and a set of documents for banks and Stripe.
Annual compliance, $695 USD a year. Form 5472 with the pro forma Form 1120, a Form 7004 extension if needed, the Wyoming annual report and its license tax, plus the agent's renewal and reminders.
Both together, $1,395 USD.
The fee is flat and given in writing before we start. Wyoming requires every LLC to have a registered agent, so year one is included. These packages assume one owner; partners change the filing, so tell me early. We default to Wyoming, and a request for Delaware or another state may change the price. See our pricing page for the scope.
The fax and the yearly report
After the Wyoming filing, normally a matter of one business day once your documents are complete, we fax Form SS-4. With no SSN or ITIN, and no way to get one, the IRS online application is not for you, so line 7b reads "foreign" or N/A.
A year in which the LLC and its owner exchanged money, a contribution in or a distribution out, is a year for Form 5472, filed with a pro forma Form 1120. Missing that filing carries a $25,000 USD IRS penalty.
How we help
As an IRS Enrolled Agent, I can represent taxpayers before the IRS in all 50 states, and my name is Sabih Shafi. I speak Spanish, and my wife is Venezuelan, so I know what it means to build something from Latin America. You can reach me by phone or video, in English or Spanish.
I set up the LLC and fax the EIN request; an SSN is not needed.
I handle your yearly Form 5472 and the pro forma Form 1120 behind it.
I prepare the Stripe, PayPal and bank papers with matching names. They decide; I cannot promise an approval.
Should the IRS write to you about the LLC, I can step in as an Enrolled Agent.
One flat fee, in writing.
Call or text (323) 900-0305, or book your free 20-minute tax review.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a US LLC cost in Guatemala?
Where you live does not change the price. Formation costs $795 USD once, compliance costs $695 USD each year and the bundle costs $1,395 USD. Inside formation sit the Wyoming fee and a first registered agent year.
Does Stripe work for a business in Guatemala?
Stripe's global page does not list Guatemala, and it labels everything beyond the list payments not supported yet. For a US account, the registration must be American, and an LLC has one. Stripe makes the decision.
Which EIN documents does Stripe accept?
Stripe's page lists IRS Letter 147C, an SS-4 confirmation letter, an IRS fax transmission letter and an EIN assistance letter. The business name must match the IRS record exactly.
How long does PayPal take to pay out to a bank in Guatemala?
PayPal's help page says a standard transfer to your bank typically completes in 1 business day, or 3-5 business days depending on your bank. All transfers are subject to review.
Is there a tax treaty between Guatemala and the United States?
Not on the IRS list. Without a treaty, the IRS directs you to the instructions that come with the applicable US return.
Do I need to visit the United States?
Not to form the LLC or to get the EIN, since we work by phone and video. A bank sets its own rules for opening an account, and the bank decides.
General information, not tax advice for your situation.
Related Reading
Talk to an Enrolled Agent
This article is general information, not individual tax advice. If you want to talk through your own IRS or state balance, book a free 20-minute review or call or text us directly.
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