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US LLC for Uruguayan Business Owners: Price, EIN, Stripe
Short answer: Yes, a business owner in Uruguay who holds neither US citizenship nor US residence can hold a US LLC. All State Tax Resolution, where Sabih Shafi is the IRS Enrolled Agent, forms it in Wyoming and gets the EIN without an SSN. Whether you need one depends on your platforms: Stripe does not list Uruguay, PayPal does, and setting up costs $795 USD, keeping it compliant $695 USD a year and doing both at once $1,395 USD.
Key takeaways
Stripe's global page leaves Uruguay out. A US Stripe account, open to US-registered businesses, is the route.
PayPal lists Uruguay and includes it in a note about bank transfers that can take up to 7 business days.
PayPal's US page says no LLC is required for a Business account, yet a US account still calls for a US-based business or a US-resident individual.
Uruguay is missing from the IRS treaty list.
Stripe, PayPal and banks decide for themselves; we prepare the paperwork.
Facts about Stripe, PayPal and the IRS on this page were checked on their official pages on October 6, 2026.
Can someone in Uruguay own a US LLC?
Yes. The IRS calls you a foreign person when you are not a US citizen or resident, and a single-owner LLC in your hands has its own yearly report. Forming the company does not require a stay in the United States.
This page does not cover US citizens or green card holders. If you are one, our US expat tax services page is the place to start.
Do you need an LLC to get paid from the US?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. PayPal's US page says no LLC or other formal entity is required for a Business account, and sole proprietors are welcome. The US user agreement is stricter about who can hold the account, though: an individual has to be a US resident, and a business has to be set up in the US, or operate or be resident there. A freelancer in Montevideo is neither, which is where an LLC comes in.
Stripe leaves no such choice. Its global page lists the supported countries, Uruguay is not one of them, and everything beyond the list is marked payments not supported yet. A US account is the alternative, and for it Stripe wants any registered business to be registered on US soil.
Stripe and Uruguay: what the US account asks about
Stripe's help center sets two conditions for an account in a country other than your own: a legal entity registered there, and Stripe's own support for payments in that country. For a US account, Stripe verifies:
the legal name of the entity and its type, such as an LLC;
the EIN;
an SSN or ITIN;
the address of the business.
It may ask for official documents too. When the representative is a non-US individual with no SSN or ITIN, Stripe's tax ID page expects a local non-US tax ID and documentation that the person is not a US taxpayer. A passport is required when your country of residence differs from the account's country. We go over all of this before you apply, and Stripe decides.
PayPal in Uruguay
Uruguay appears on PayPal's country list. The PayPal side of the contract is PayPal Pte. Ltd., a company in Singapore. For a Business account, PayPal wants to see your legal name, email and password, then the business registration number, a description and the business's bank account details.
The withdrawal page for Uruguay opens with a general note: availability differs by market, some countries get cross-border-only services, and receiving money can require a licensed local partner. It names no country. Further down, the page lists Uruguay with the countries where money sent to a local bank may take as long as 7 business days. It also says all transfers are subject to review.
Uruguay and a US tax treaty
Uruguay has no entry on the IRS list of income tax treaties, and the IRS table of treaties in effect omits it too. When two countries have no treaty, the IRS tells you to follow the applicable US return's instructions, rates included, for US-source income. How that plays out for your LLC turns on what it earns.
A local professional handles home-country reporting, and we coordinate with them. This page states no Uruguayan rules or numbers.
Uruguayan businesses that fit
The LLC suits owners who already bill US clients or soon will: software and IT services firms, animation and audiovisual studios, consultants and remote professionals, and makers of wool or leather goods. The client pays a US company, and the money goes to an account in the LLC's name at a US bank, assuming the bank says yes.
Stock held in the United States is a different case. Read our guide for foreign sellers first; the IRS classifies profit from selling inventory in the US as effectively connected income.
The price list
Three numbers: $795 USD for formation, then $695 USD every year of compliance, with the bundle of both at $1,395 USD.
What you receive for formation: your EIN and an operating agreement (English or Spanish), Wyoming's filing fee and a first registered agent year (Wyoming requires every LLC to have an agent), the bank and Stripe documents, and a 30-minute call with me. What compliance covers: Form 5472 and its pro forma Form 1120, the Wyoming annual report and license tax, registered agent renewal, deadline reminders, and Form 7004 when an extension is needed.
The fee is flat, in writing, before we start. Packages are for a single owner. We use Wyoming unless you ask for Delaware or another state, which may change the price. See the pricing page for the full scope.
How the EIN and the yearly form work
We collect your passport, home address and the LLC's purpose, then file in Wyoming; a business day or so after we have everything is typical. We fax Form SS-4 next. Where neither an SSN nor an ITIN is available, the IRS online application is out of reach, so line 7b is marked "foreign" or N/A, and the IRS says the fax route generally ends in an EIN within 4 business days.
Contributions you make and distributions you take are reportable transactions, and in a year with either, the LLC files Form 5472 and a pro forma Form 1120. The IRS penalty for a late or missing filing is $25,000 USD.
How we help
I'm Sabih Shafi, and the IRS Enrolled Agent license I hold lets me act for taxpayers before the IRS in the 50 states. I speak Spanish, and my wife is Venezuelan, so working with Latin American founders comes naturally. Phone or video, in English or Spanish, whichever you prefer.
I form the LLC and send the IRS your EIN request by fax; you need no SSN.
I prepare your yearly Form 5472 and its pro forma Form 1120.
I assemble the Stripe, PayPal and bank documents so the names agree. They decide; I cannot promise an approval.
If the IRS sends the LLC a letter, I can answer it for you as an Enrolled Agent.
A flat fee, set out in writing before any work starts.
Call or text (323) 900-0305, or book your free 20-minute tax review.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the price of a US LLC for a Uruguayan business?
Setting up costs $795 USD, and that already includes the Wyoming fee and the first registered agent year. Keeping the LLC compliant costs $695 USD a year, and doing both at once costs $1,395 USD.
Is Stripe available in Uruguay?
Stripe's global page does not list Uruguay, and it marks businesses outside the list as payments not supported yet. The US account is the route for an LLC, and Stripe decides.
Do I need an LLC to open PayPal in Uruguay?
No. PayPal lists Uruguay and has its own sign-up page there. A US PayPal account is different: its agreement asks for a US-resident individual or for a business that is US-based, operating in the US or resident there.
Is there a US tax treaty with Uruguay?
The IRS list does not show one. With no treaty, the IRS says to follow the instructions of the applicable US return.
Do I need an SSN to get my LLC's EIN?
No. Someone with no SSN and no ITIN, and no way to get either, signs the faxed SS-4 with "foreign" or N/A written on line 7b.
How long does the setup take?
Plan on about a business day for Wyoming, counted from complete documents. The faxed EIN generally takes 4 business days, according to the IRS.
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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