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Guide: the yearly IRS form
A US single-member LLC wholly owned by a foreign person is treated as a corporation for Form 5472 and files it with a pro forma Form 1120 by that return's due date. The IRS assesses a $25,000 penalty for failing to file it when due.
IRS Instructions for Form 5472, read Oct 7, 2026. See source
Corporations file Form 5472 when reportable transactions occur with a foreign or domestic related party1. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2017, a US disregarded entity wholly owned by a foreign person is treated as a separate corporation for these rules2.
In plain terms: a single-member US LLC owned by someone outside the US files Form 5472 for any year in which money or property moves between the LLC and its owner or other related parties.
Part V of the form is for a foreign-owned disregarded entity. It covers amounts paid or received in connection with the formation, dissolution, acquisition and disposition of the entity, including contributions to and distributions from it, described on an attached statement2. Money you put in to pay the LLC's formation costs is one of these.
Keep records of every such transfer: the $25,000 penalty also applies to a failure to maintain the records the regulations require2.
| Item | What the IRS instructions say | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Attach to2 | A pro forma Form 1120 | Not a full corporate return: the 1120 carries the LLC's name and address and the few items the instructions list |
| When2 | By the due date of that return, including extensions | Put it in the calendar the day the LLC is formed |
| Extension2 | Form 7004, filed by the regular due date | An extension must be filed on time to count |
| Fax2 | 855-887-7737, 300 DPI or higher | Keep the fax confirmation |
| Mail2 | Internal Revenue Service, 1973 Rulon White Blvd, M/S 6112, Attn: PIN Unit, Ogden, UT 84201 | Use a tracked service from abroad |
Read October 7, 2026, from the IRS Instructions for Form 5472 (12/2024). Check irs.gov for the current revision before you file.
The IRS assesses a $25,000 penalty on any reporting corporation that fails to file Form 5472 when due and in the manner prescribed; filing a substantially incomplete form counts as failing to file2.
If the failure continues for more than 90 days after the IRS notifies you, an additional $25,000 applies for each related party, for each 30-day period (or part of one) that the failure continues2. Criminal penalties may also apply for failing to submit information or for filing false or fraudulent information2.
Step 2
Money in, money out and formation costs paid, with dates and amounts.
Step 3
Part V and the attached statement describe the transactions.
Step 4
Or file Form 7004 by the regular due date for more time.
doola's Tax and Compliance plan adds federal (IRS) and state tax filing, but its pricing page does not name Form 54724. For anything beyond the filing itself, use a US tax professional you choose.
Good for a $0 formation; tax preparation is a separate service
Good for founders abroad who want IRS filings in the same yearly plan
Also on Bizee's site
Also on ZenBusiness's site
The duty follows reportable transactions, not income. Paying the formation costs or putting money in counts2.
No. Form 5472 goes to the IRS. BOI goes to FinCEN, and companies created in the US are now exempt from BOI3.
The instructions give fax and mail for a foreign-owned disregarded entity2.
No. Use a US tax professional for your own filing.
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Prices and state fees are what the named source published on the date we read it. The state's own filing office and the provider's own page are the final word on fees and terms.