U.S. LLC Formation for Non-U.S. Founders · U.S. Founders Welcome
An LLC Deserves a Better Beginning.
FilingOak is a founder-led Online LLC Formation Service built to help you form your U.S. LLC. It doesn't matter where you live. FilingOak's doors are open to you, and you receive the same standard of service, the same care, and the same transparent pricing as every other founder I serve.
Your formation includes EIN application assistance, your first year of Registered Agent service, a state-specific Operating Agreement, and a private workspace where you can start, review, and follow your application. I handle the specialist filing work, while Maya helps you through the process.
$349 + Applicable State Filing Fee
One-time FilingOak service fee. No mandatory annual formation subscription.
Create your account for free. Explore how FilingOak works before you pay.
COMPLETE FORMATION
What Do You Actually Get for $349?
When you pay FilingOak $349, you're not just paying someone to submit your LLC formation documents to the state. Your formation also includes the services and documents you'll need to establish your LLC, including EIN application assistance, your first year of Registered Agent service, and a state-specific Operating Agreement.
I've kept these essentials together because I don't believe you should have to discover halfway through checkout that something important requires another purchase. FilingOak's Online LLC Formation Service has one service fee, regardless of whether you're forming your LLC from inside or outside the United States.
Everything Included in Your LLC Formation
| Included service | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| LLC Formation Filing | I prepare and submit your LLC formation to your chosen state. |
| EIN Application Assistance | I handle the applicable IRS EIN application process after formation, including Form SS-4 preparation and authorized follow-up. |
| First-Year Registered Agent | Your first year of Registered Agent service is included, covering the applicable legal-mail responsibilities. |
| State-Specific Operating Agreement | You receive an Operating Agreement prepared for your LLC's formation state. |
| Public-Record Address Privacy | I help protect your home address from unnecessary exposure on public LLC records as far as legally possible. |
| FounderVault | Your private workspace for applications, documents, progress, and ongoing company information. |
| Maya AI Assistant | Multilingual assistance with supported application steps, explanations, and customer communication. |
| Compliance Reminders | FounderVault helps you track supported, verified state compliance dates and reminds you when action may be required after formation. Included with your formation service; paying FilingOak to handle a report is optional. |
| Legal-Mail Handling | Applicable legal mail received through your Registered Agent service is handled and made available through FilingOak's customer workflow. |
Compliance Reminders Don't End When Your LLC Is Formed
Getting your LLC approved is the beginning, not the end of keeping it in good standing. Different states have different reporting requirements and deadlines, and remembering every applicable date shouldn't depend on searching through old emails. FounderVault helps keep supported, verified compliance dates connected to your company and reminds you when something may need your attention.
Compliance reminders are included with your FilingOak formation service. They aren't another subscription you have to buy. A reminder doesn't file a government report or pay a state fee for you. You can handle an obligation yourself, use another provider, or choose FilingOak's separately priced filing service when available.
What Will You Pay Now, and What About Next Year?
Your FilingOak formation service costs $349 one time, plus the actual government filing fee charged by your chosen state. State fees vary, so you'll see the applicable amount and your total before making a payment.
There is no mandatory annual FilingOak formation subscription.
Your first year of Registered Agent service is already included. After that, continuing the service costs $149 per year. Other state obligations, such as annual or periodic reports, may involve separate government fees and, if you choose FilingOak to handle them, a separate service charge.
Services outside your formation package are optional and priced separately. You won't be required to purchase them to receive the formation services you've already paid for.
The idea is simple: you should know what you're purchasing, what is included, and what may cost you money later, before you decide to pay.
CLEAR COMPARISON · NO MANDATORY FORMATION SUBSCRIPTION
FilingOak vs. doola vs. Firstbase: Two-Year Pricing Comparison
| Pricing | FilingOak | doola Starter | Firstbase Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formation pricing | $349 one-time | $297/year (recurring) | $399 one-time |
| First-year Registered Agent | Included | Included | $299 |
| Year 1 total | $349 | $297 | $698 |
| Year 2 | $149 | $297 renewal | $299 |
| Two-year total | $498 | $594 | $997 |
Based on the stated standard prices. State government filing fees are additional for FilingOak and doola; Firstbase advertises its Start package with state filing fees included. Optional services excluded. Prices and availability may change.
FilingOak's $349 formation fee is paid once. Its $149 second-year cost is Registered Agent renewal, not another formation charge. doola Starter renews at $297 annually.
Illustration assumes you keep FilingOak as your Registered Agent for all three years. Excludes formation state fees, ongoing state charges, tax obligations, and separately purchased services. This is not the full cost of maintaining an LLC.
You stay in control after formation.
- No mandatory annual formation plan. The $349 formation service is paid once.
- Registered Agent choice. Continue at $149/year or appoint another eligible provider.
- State reports are your choice. File yourself, use another provider, or hire FilingOak for $149 per report plus the state fee when applicable.
- Applicable verified reminders are included. You don't need to purchase the annual-report filing service to receive them.
- Federal tax work is separate. Eligible Form 5472 and pro forma 1120 preparation is an optional $599-per-tax-year service, not part of formation.
THE FOUNDER
Why I Built FilingOak
I didn't start FilingOak because I woke up one morning and decided to enter the LLC formation industry. It started with my own company, Enterobiz LLC, which I formed in New Mexico while living outside the United States. I paid someone $600 to help me establish it, and at that time, I barely understood how the U.S. LLC formation process worked. I thought that once my LLC was registered, most of the difficult work would be behind me. I was wrong. Getting my EIN turned into an entirely different experience. I had to understand Form SS-4, deal with rejected applications, learn how to communicate with the IRS, and figure out why something that looked straightforward on a service provider's website could become so confusing when you were actually going through it yourself.
Eventually, I obtained my EIN. I also learned how IRS correspondence worked, including the 147C letter and the original CP575 confirmation. Later, when I prepared Enterobiz for Stripe, I focused on getting the business documentation right rather than looking for shortcuts. My application was approved, but the experience taught me something important: forming an LLC is one part of establishing a business. Understanding what comes afterward matters just as much.
When I started helping other founders form their LLCs, I discovered that knowing the process didn't mean everything would always go smoothly. My first customer filing came with complications, and I lost money on a state filing fee because of a mistake on my side. I absorbed that cost instead of passing it to the customer. It wasn't a pleasant experience, but it taught me to take responsibility for the work I accepted. I kept learning the state filing systems, handling corrections, preparing EIN applications, and dealing with the administrative details that come with this work. Somewhere along the way, I realized I genuinely enjoyed doing it.
And if you knew me through Enterobiz, yes, I'm the same Rehan. I've rebranded the service as FilingOak, but I'm still the same founder operating from one room. I haven't suddenly acquired a huge team or moved into some impressive corporate office. What has changed is the way I've built the service around the actual work. The problem that eventually pushed me to build FilingOak wasn't the filing work itself. It was everything surrounding it. A payment notification arriving late at night, another message asking whether an application had been submitted, documents moving between email and WhatsApp, signatures that needed following up, and customers having no single place to see what was happening with their company. I could handle the work, but I kept thinking about how unnecessarily complicated the experience had become, both for me and for the person who had trusted me with their business.
That is where FounderVault came from. I wanted you to have one place where you could start your application, save your information, review documents, sign what genuinely requires your signature, and see what is happening without having to chase me for routine updates. Maya became part of that same idea. You should be able to ask questions in a language you're comfortable speaking, understand what needs your attention, and receive help without having to learn how my internal systems work.
Today, FilingOak combines those lessons with FounderVault, Maya, and the specialist work I still handle myself. Maya doesn't pretend to be a human filing specialist, and FounderVault doesn't replace the judgment required to handle government paperwork. They're there to make the experience easier for you, not to put more distance between us.
I know what it feels like to be treated differently simply because you don't live in the United States. I've been through that maze of requirements, unfamiliar systems, conflicting explanations, and obstacles that can make you wonder whether you're even allowed to establish a legitimate business there. I made numerous mistakes while trying to find my way through it, but I eventually broke through that cage. Not by inventing a U.S. identity, using shortcuts, or pretending the rules didn't apply to me. I learned how things actually worked and what I needed to do to meet those requirements honestly. And that's experience I can now use to help you navigate the same maze without making you repeat every mistake I made.
I'm not going to tell you that I understand every difficulty you've faced or pretend to feel something I haven't experienced. But I do know what my own journey was like, and I know how much difference a clear explanation and someone taking responsibility can make. Whether you're forming your LLC from within the United States or from somewhere else, you deserve the same care, transparency, and standard of service. That's the thinking behind FilingOak, and it's the standard I intend to keep building around.
Who Is Behind FilingOak, and Who Handles Your Formation?
You already know my story, but I also want you to know exactly who you're dealing with. FilingOak is operated by Enterobiz LLC, a company legally formed in New Mexico, United States. I'm Rehan Anjum, the founder behind both Enterobiz and FilingOak, and I continue to operate the business from Pakistan.
I don't have a large filing department or a collection of offices across America, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. FilingOak uses legitimate U.S.-based infrastructure where the service requires it, including Registered Agent coverage, but that doesn't mean I own an office in every state. What matters is that you know who's responsible for your formation, how the work is handled, and where to turn when something genuinely needs attention.
Who Actually Prepares and Submits Your LLC Documents?
I handle the specialist work that belongs to FilingOak, including preparing and submitting state formation filings, reviewing the information required for your application, preparing Form SS-4 for your EIN, handling authorized IRS follow-up, and dealing with filing corrections or exceptions when necessary.
Your responsibility is to provide accurate information, review the documents, and personally sign or authorize anything that legally requires your approval. I won't sign on your behalf or invent information to make an application easier.
Maya helps with routine explanations, application guidance, and communication. FounderVault keeps your work, documents, and verified progress together. Neither replaces my responsibility for the actual filing work, and neither controls whether a state or the IRS approves an application.
You Can See How FilingOak Works Before You Pay
I don't expect you to trust FilingOak simply because I say the service is reliable. You can enter FounderVault without purchasing anything, start an application, communicate with Maya, and see how the system works before deciding whether to proceed.
You can also watch the FounderVault walkthrough, which demonstrates the application, document review, signature, and checkout experience using test-mode payment. It's a demonstration of the working system, not something I'm presenting as a real customer transaction.
Where appropriate, I'll also show genuine business registration records and carefully redacted examples of documents from my own experience. I believe evidence should demonstrate what it actually proves, rather than being used to create an impression that something happened when it didn't.
I'm not asking you to take my word for everything. I'd rather give you enough information to understand the service, inspect what you can, and make your own decision.
Documents from Enterobiz and earlier customer work
Articles of OrganizationPublic New Mexico company filingView document
Client CP575 · 01Redacted original IRS letterView document
Client CP575 · 02Redacted original IRS letterView document
Client CP575 · 03Redacted original IRS letterView documentLegal company: Enterobiz LLC
Registered in: New Mexico, United States
Service brand: FilingOak
Founder and sole owner: Rehan Anjum
Operating location: Pakistan
How Does FilingOak Form Your U.S. LLC?
You shouldn't have to become an expert in state filing systems or IRS procedures just because you want to start a business. That's part of the reason I built FilingOak the way I did. Your job is to provide accurate information about yourself and your business, review what needs your approval, and complete the steps that genuinely require you. The preparation, filing, and specialist administrative work you hire me to handle are my responsibility.
Here's how the process works.
Start Your Application, Review Your Details, and Sign
You begin inside FounderVault, where you can choose your formation state, enter your proposed LLC name, and provide the information required for your application. If you're unsure what a field means, Maya can explain it and help collect supported information through a conversation. You can also enter or edit everything yourself.
You don't have to finish the application in one sitting. Your progress is saved, so you can return later without starting again.
Before paying, you can review your information, see FilingOak's $349 service fee alongside the applicable state filing fee, and understand the total you're being charged. Where a document requires your signature, you sign it yourself. FounderVault supports signing within the workspace and, where permitted, downloading a document, signing it separately, and uploading it again.
Once you've reviewed the necessary information and completed checkout, your formation becomes active work for FilingOak.
I Handle the Filing Work. The State Makes the Decision.
I review your application, prepare the required formation documents, and handle the actual state submission. If something requires clarification or correction, I'll deal with the work that falls within FilingOak's responsibility and let you know when your participation is genuinely needed.
But there's an important distinction I want you to understand. FilingOak handles your formation work; the state government controls the acceptance, processing, and approval of your LLC. Paying for an Online LLC Formation Service does not give any company the authority to override a state's procedures or guarantee its processing time.
How Long Does LLC Formation Take?
Different states process LLC applications at different speeds. These are estimated processing times, not guaranteed approval dates. I've verified these estimates directly against the relevant state information so you have a practical idea of what to expect before choosing where to form your company.
| State | Estimated processing time |
|---|---|
| Wyoming | 2–3 business days |
| California | 5–7 business days |
| New Mexico | 5–7 business days |
| Florida | 5–10 business days |
| Montana | 7–10 business days |
| Delaware | Approximately 10 business days |
| Arizona | 14–16 business days |
These estimates describe state processing, not a promise that your complete LLC and EIN documentation will arrive within the same period. State workloads, application issues, and government procedures can affect actual processing.
I also don't believe in charging you an invented priority filing fee simply to make the service sound faster. If a state offers a genuine expedited filing option, that is different from a company claiming it can magically move your application ahead of everyone else's.
What Happens With Your EIN After Formation?
Once your LLC is formed, I handle the EIN application process included in your formation package. For international founders who don't have an SSN or ITIN, the appropriate Form SS-4 procedure can allow an EIN application without inventing a U.S. taxpayer number or appointing a fictional U.S. responsible party.
I prepare the applicable information, you review and personally sign where required, and I handle the authorized submission and follow-up work.
For international applications using this workflow, the estimated EIN processing period is approximately 3–4 weeks. That is an estimate, not an IRS-guaranteed deadline.
There's another detail worth understanding: receiving an EIN and receiving the original IRS confirmation letter are not necessarily the same event.
After the IRS issues the EIN, the original CP575 confirmation letter must still travel through the postal system. My working estimate for that separate mailing stage is approximately 7–10 business days to reach FilingOak's correspondence address. Postal delays can extend that period.
I learned the importance of these distinctions while dealing with Enterobiz's own EIN application and IRS correspondence. That's why I would rather explain the stages properly than give you an attractive delivery promise that depends on decisions and timelines outside my control.
Throughout the process, FounderVault keeps your customer-visible work, available documents, and verified progress connected to your company. Maya can help you understand what is happening, and if something genuinely needs my attention, I'm still the person responsible for handling it.
You should know when something requires your action, when the work is with me, and when we're waiting for a government decision. You shouldn't have to guess.
FOUNDERVAULT & MAYA · BUILT WITH INTERNATIONAL FOUNDERS IN MIND
Meet FounderVault. Your LLC Doesn't Disappear Into an Email Thread.
Quiero vender productos en Amazon.
Amazon e-commerce sales.
The saved details stay yours to review.MAYA / FILINGOAK
English by default. More than 80 languages available for international founders. You review your saved application.
I didn't build FounderVault because FilingOak needed another impressive-looking dashboard. I built it because I was tired of the way LLC formation was being handled, including the way I used to handle it myself. A customer pays for a service, provides their information, and then spends the next several days wondering what's happening. Has the application been submitted? Did the state approve it? Where are the documents? Is there something they need to sign? And why should someone who has already paid for professional help have to keep chasing answers to questions the service provider should already know?
I had been handling those conversations through email and WhatsApp, sending documents manually, following up on signatures, and explaining the same administrative steps over and over again. The filing work wasn't what frustrated me. It was realizing that customers were depending on me for updates they should have been able to see themselves. I knew there had to be a better way, and that's why FounderVault exists.
FounderVault is your private FilingOak workspace. You can create an account for free, start an application, explore how things work, and decide whether you want to continue without paying anything upfront. You aren't forced to purchase a service just to see what you're getting into.
Your Application, Documents, and Progress Stay Together
When you start your LLC application, you can provide your information directly or let Maya help you through the supported fields. You can leave halfway through, come back tomorrow, correct something you entered, or maintain separate applications for more than one company. Your work stays saved under your account.
Before you pay, you can review your information, see the applicable fees, and sign the documents that require your signature. I don't believe convenience should mean surrendering control over your own paperwork. You can sign inside FounderVault or, where permitted, download a document, sign it yourself, and upload it again.
Once your order is active, you should be able to understand exactly where things stand. If I have the work, you should know that. If the state or IRS is processing something, you should know that too. If I need a signature or clarification from you, it should be obvious what you need to do. And if nothing is required from you, why should you spend your day wondering whether you've missed something?
Your company information, released documents, verified dates, and supported services remain connected to your account after formation. If you have multiple companies, they remain separate without forcing you to maintain different FilingOak accounts.
That's what I wanted from FilingOak's Online LLC Formation Service: a customer shouldn't have to understand how my business operates internally just to know what's happening with their own company.
Meet Maya, Your Multilingual AI Assistant
The multilingual support didn't come to me in a dream one night. It came from a problem I kept running into while operating Enterobiz, and I had no good answer for it.
I can communicate in English, but not everyone who wants to form a U.S. LLC speaks English. Someone would contact me in Spanish, someone else in French, German, Mandarin, or Japanese. And there I was, running my business from one room, trying to figure out what they were asking. Sometimes all I could reply was, "English, please?" And then they were gone.
Think about that for a moment. Someone had taken the time to contact my business because they needed help, and I couldn't even have a proper conversation with them. Not because I didn't want to help, but because I couldn't understand their language. And asking them to switch to English wasn't really solving the problem. I was simply putting the difficulty back on the person who had come to me for help in the first place.
I couldn't hire a team of translators for every language. I still can't. I'm not some mighty corporation with departments and offices around the world, and I'm not going to pretend I am. But I also didn't want to keep turning people away because they couldn't communicate with me in English. Why should you have to make English your native language just to form a U.S. LLC?
That's one of the reasons Maya became part of FilingOak.
Maya is an AI assistant, and I'm not going to pretend she's a human employee. But she isn't there merely to greet you with a scripted message and direct you to a support page either. You can ask her about FilingOak's services, have her explain application fields, get help completing supported information, understand verified progress, or find out what genuinely needs your attention.
She supports more than 80 languages across supported text and voice experiences. You can communicate in a language you're comfortable with, whether you're typing, speaking through FounderVault's supported voice experience, or using FilingOak's WhatsApp text and supported voice-note communication.
And here's something I consider particularly important: Maya doesn't simply translate her replies. Where the application allows it, you can explain your business information in your language, and she can help place the appropriate information into the English application fields while continuing the conversation in your preferred language. You can inspect and correct those details yourself. If something is unclear, she should ask rather than invent an answer. Your name, identity, address, and legal information are not things an AI assistant gets to guess.
I can't promise that every language, accent, or expression will always be understood perfectly. But I've built this capability because the language you speak shouldn't become another unnecessary obstacle between you and the formation service you need.
Maya Can Help You. But I'm Still Here.
I want to make this distinction clear because I have no interest in replacing personal accountability with the appearance of automation.
Maya can help you understand the service, navigate FounderVault, explain verified account information, and handle supported routine administrative tasks. She cannot sign for you, make government submissions independently, approve refunds, or take over the filing decisions that belong to me.
If something needs my judgment, a correction, IRS follow-up, or actual government filing work, I handle it. That's not Maya's responsibility, and I'm not going to pretend it is.
I built FounderVault and Maya because I wanted to remove the unnecessary distance between you and the work you're paying for. I didn't build them so I could disappear behind technology.
You can see the working FounderVault experience in the demonstration available on this page. It shows the application, document review, signing, and test-mode checkout, so you can understand the journey before committing your money. And if you would rather explore it yourself, creating a FounderVault account is free.
Technology should make your experience easier, not make you feel like you've been handed over to a machine and left to figure everything out yourself. That's the standard I'm building FilingOak around.
See FounderVault and Maya Working Together
Watch the application being completed in a supported language, information reviewed and corrected, and the process explored before payment.
Talk with Maya right here.
You are already on FilingOak.
If you have a question before entering FounderVault, talk with Maya through the widget on this page.
Ask about formation, the $349 service, what is included, non-U.S. founder questions, EIN service, address privacy or how the process works.
You can type or use supported voice interaction.
Use the Maya widget in the corner of this page to type or start a voice conversation. You can also use Maya inside FounderVault.
Use Maya beside your application.
Inside FounderVault, Maya can help while you are actually working through the LLC application.
Ask what a field means. Work through supported information by text or hands-free voice. When Maya helps with a field, what she saves goes into the same application you can review and edit yourself.
Maya does not create a second hidden version of your information.
Names, addresses, phone numbers and identifiers that need to remain exact are not casually translated or invented. If something important is unclear, it should be clarified rather than guessed.
Prefer WhatsApp?
You can also continue with FilingOak through WhatsApp using text and supported voice notes.
For private company information or account-specific actions, FilingOak still needs to know that it is actually dealing with the correct customer. Simply typing someone’s email address, phone number or company name into public chat does not give access to their account.
Maya can make the process easier to understand and easier to move through.
She does not sign for you, authorize payments for you, approve refunds or replace the specialist filing work that belongs to me.
Use the Maya widget in the corner of this page to type or start a voice conversation. You can also use Maya inside FounderVault.
ADDRESS PRIVACY
Your Home Address Deserves Privacy. Your Filing Deserves Accountability.
Used for the public filing when selected inside FounderVault.
Kept truthful for the purpose that legitimately requires it.
I know how confusing U.S. business addresses can become when you're forming an LLC, especially if you don't live in the United States. You're asked for a Registered Agent address, a business address, a mailing address, and sometimes information about where you actually operate. Then you discover that some of those details may become part of a public record, while banks, payment providers, and the IRS have their own requirements.
And suddenly, what looked like a simple question about your address has become another maze.
I don't believe you should have to expose your home address unnecessarily just because you want to establish a legitimate U.S. business. But I also won't tell you that using a Registered Agent address magically makes your company a U.S.-operated business. Those are two different things, and confusing them can create problems long after your LLC is formed.
Which Address Appears on Your LLC's Public Record?
FilingOak is designed to help keep your home address off public LLC formation records as far as legally possible. When you complete your application in FounderVault, you can choose the available FilingOak privacy-address option or provide your own address for the relevant public filing preference.
Here's what matters: a Registered Agent address, a public filing address, your actual business location, and an IRS mailing address don't automatically serve the same purpose.
Your Registered Agent receives applicable legal and official correspondence on behalf of your LLC. A public filing address is information the state may disclose in its business records. Your actual business location describes where your business genuinely operates, while your IRS mailing address is where applicable IRS correspondence should be delivered.
Depending on the state and the information it legally requires, some personal or business details may still need to be disclosed. I won't invent an address, an owner, or a business location simply to make an application look more convenient.
My approach is straightforward: protect what can legally remain private, and keep truthful what genuinely has to be true.
That distinction matters beyond LLC formation. A bank or payment provider may require evidence of where your business actually operates. Having a U.S. Registered Agent doesn't automatically satisfy those requirements, and I would rather explain that now than let you discover it when you're trying to open an account.
ACCOUNTABILITY
What Happens if a Filing Needs Correction?
I have made filing mistakes myself. I've already explained how my first customer filing cost me money because I had to deal with a problem on my side. I didn't pass that cost to the customer, and I haven't forgotten what that experience taught me.
When you hire FilingOak, you're paying me to take responsibility for the specialist work I agree to handle. That includes reviewing the information you've provided, preparing and submitting the applicable documents, and addressing corrections or government requests that fall within my authorized role.
If I've made a mistake, I won't pretend it was yours. If the state requests additional information, I'll explain what is needed. If something genuinely requires your participation, I'll tell you rather than leave you guessing. And if the delay belongs to the state or IRS, I won't invent a reassuring update to make it appear that something has happened when it hasn't.
There are boundaries, of course. I can't guarantee that a state will approve every proposed LLC name, overlook missing information, or process an application according to my preferred schedule. I also can't correct inaccurate personal or business information without your cooperation when your confirmation is required.
But those limitations don't excuse me from handling my own responsibilities.
Maya and FounderVault help keep the process organized, explain verified progress, and make it easier for you to know when your attention is needed. They don't erase my responsibility for the work.
You deserve privacy where the law allows it, accurate information where the law requires it, and someone who takes responsibility for the service you've paid for. I don't think those expectations are extraordinary. They're the standard I would want if I were trusting someone else with my business.
Your LLC Is Formed. Now What?
I remember thinking that once my LLC was approved and I had my EIN, I could finally concentrate on running the business. And yes, those were important milestones. But they weren't the end of the administrative work. There were still questions about keeping the company in good standing, understanding tax responsibilities, maintaining accurate records, and dealing with banks and payment providers that had their own requirements.
That's something I want you to understand before you form your LLC with FilingOak. A state-approved LLC is a legal business entity. It isn't a promise that every financial institution will accept you, that you won't have tax obligations, or that you can forget about your company until the next time you need its documents.
And I don't think a formation service should leave you believing otherwise.
What Will You Need to Maintain Each Year?
Your first year of Registered Agent service is already included in your FilingOak formation package. After that, continuing the service costs $149 per year. You can decide whether to renew with FilingOak or make other lawful arrangements for your Registered Agent coverage.
Depending on where you form your LLC, your state may also require an annual report, a periodic report, a franchise tax payment, or another filing to keep your company compliant. Not every state uses the same rules, deadlines, or fees. And not everything happens annually.
FounderVault helps keep applicable, verified compliance dates connected to your company, with reminders for the obligations the system supports. But I don't want you to confuse a reminder with the actual completion of a government filing. When something requires action, it still needs to be handled.
If you want FilingOak to take care of an available annual or periodic report service, that is a separate purchase with its applicable service charge and government fees. If you prefer to handle it yourself, you're free to do so. I don't believe forming your LLC with me should mean being locked into buying every future service from me.
Please Don't Overlook Your IRS Filing Responsibilities
There's something I need to explain here because I've seen what happens when founders don't take it seriously.
If you own a foreign-owned single-member U.S. LLC, like my own Enterobiz LLC, you may be required to file Form 5472 together with a pro forma Form 1120 when the applicable reporting conditions are met. For a calendar-year company, the normal IRS filing deadline is April 15, unless a valid extension or an applicable deadline adjustment changes it.
And the penalty for failing to file a required Form 5472 properly and on time can start at $25,000.
Yes, $25,000. Even if your business earned $0 in revenue, you may still have a filing obligation. The IRS reporting rules aren't based solely on whether your LLC made a profit. Transactions such as money you contributed to your company or distributions you received can matter too.
I'm not writing this to scare you. I'm writing it because I watched founders overlook these responsibilities while running Enterobiz. Some assumed that because their LLC wasn't earning anything, they had nothing to report. Some simply didn't understand the deadline or how serious the consequences could become. Then, after receiving penalties, they came back asking me whether I could help get those penalties removed.
I remember those conversations because by then the problem had become far more expensive and complicated than the filing they had originally neglected. Some founders ended up giving up on their LLCs altogether. Others needed professional assistance to respond to the IRS and seek penalty relief, which could cost considerably more than arranging their filing properly in the first place.
And dealing with the IRS to request penalty removal isn't like playing Super Mario on a Nintendo. You don't press a few buttons, defeat the final boss, and watch a $25,000 penalty disappear. There's correspondence, documentation, an explanation of the circumstances, and a process that may require substantial professional effort. Even after all that work, the IRS makes the decision. Nobody can honestly promise that a penalty will be removed.
That experience stayed with me.
It's also why I want you to understand that having no revenue doesn't necessarily mean having no reporting responsibility. Your actual filing requirements depend on your company's ownership, tax classification, and reportable transactions. If you're uncertain, get qualified advice before the deadline rather than assuming that $0 income means you're safe.
If You Need Form 5472 Assistance, You Have a Choice
I'm not explaining the penalty because I want to push you into purchasing another FilingOak service. You can hire any qualified accountant or tax professional you trust. You can choose someone in the United States or elsewhere who understands the applicable IRS requirements. The important thing is getting the filing right and submitting it on time.
But if you have a foreign-owned single-member LLC like Enterobiz and want assistance, I can help you access the same accountant-backed arrangement I use for my own company.
The price is $599 per applicable filing. That includes Form 5472 assistance, the accompanying pro forma Form 1120 where required, review by my accountant, and the final filing process. You'll provide the accurate information about your company and its transactions, review the prepared documents, and sign where required. I handle the authorized fax submission to the IRS and provide the successful fax transmission confirmation.
I cannot invent the contributions you've made to your company, distributions you've received, or other information that belongs in your reporting. And I cannot sign your declaration for you. Those details have to come from you because it's your business and your filing.
If you'd like to discuss whether this service fits your situation, you can contact me at rehan@filingoak.com.
I want to be equally clear about what this arrangement doesn't cover. It is not an unlimited tax advisory service, a promise to resolve existing penalties, or a guarantee that the IRS will accept every position taken on a return. If your situation requires additional filings, penalty representation, or more complicated tax work, that would need a separate assessment.
You don't have to use my accountant. You don't have to purchase this service to keep your FilingOak LLC. And I won't pretend that $599 is the only way to comply.
What I care about is that you don't learn about a $25,000 penalty after you've already missed a filing you could have handled much earlier.
Can You Open a U.S. Business Bank Account or Use Stripe?
Possibly, but your LLC and EIN alone don't guarantee either one.
I successfully established Enterobiz's own financial infrastructure, including Stripe, so I know how important this part of the journey can be. I also know that account applications involve much more than uploading an LLC certificate and an EIN letter.
Banks and payment providers make their own decisions. They may examine your identity, actual business activities, operating location, ownership, website, supporting documents, and other eligibility requirements. Those requirements can differ between providers and can change.
A Registered Agent address doesn't automatically become your genuine U.S. operating address. And having an American LLC doesn't make you a U.S. resident.
That's why I won't sell you the promise of a guaranteed bank account, guaranteed Stripe approval, or an invented shortcut through their verification processes. FilingOak's formation package establishes your LLC and includes the EIN assistance we've already discussed. It doesn't include financial account approval or make those decisions on behalf of a bank or payment provider.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to use your U.S. company to build a business from another country. I've done it myself. But I want you to approach that next stage with accurate documentation and realistic expectations rather than promises that sound attractive until someone asks you to verify them.
Your Company Remains Yours
Once your formation is complete, the LLC belongs to its lawful owner or owners. FilingOak doesn't become a business partner simply because I helped establish it.
Your company documents and available administrative records remain accessible through your FounderVault workspace, and you can return to review supported dates, records, and services as your business develops.
Some obligations will remain yours to manage. Some work you may choose to hire me for. And some matters belong with qualified professionals or the government agencies that administer them. I think you deserve to know the difference.
I want FilingOak to be the beginning of a business relationship built on useful work, not a collection of dependencies you never agreed to. If you continue using my services, it should be because they genuinely help you, not because I've made it unnecessarily difficult for you to leave.
Questions You May Still Have Before Forming Your LLC
I know how it feels to reach the end of a service page and still have questions. Sometimes it's not the price holding you back. It's wondering whether you're eligible, whether there's something you haven't understood, or whether you'll discover another requirement after paying.
Here are a few things I want you to know before making your decision.
Can I form a U.S. LLC if I'm not an American citizen or resident?
Yes. You generally don't need to be a U.S. citizen or resident to own a U.S. LLC. I've formed my own company while living outside the United States, so this isn't something I'm explaining from a distance.
Your nationality doesn't change FilingOak's $349 formation service fee. You'll still need to provide accurate information, meet the applicable state requirements, and complete any identity or authorization steps required for your application.
Owning a U.S. LLC doesn't give you U.S. immigration status, residency, or permission to work in the United States.
Does FilingOak form LLCs in all 50 states?
Yes. FilingOak provides LLC formation services in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.
You can choose the state where you want to establish your LLC, subject to its applicable formation requirements. But I don't believe in telling everyone to choose Wyoming, Delaware, or New Mexico simply because those names appear frequently in online recommendations.
The right state depends on your circumstances. If you're operating in one state, forming your LLC somewhere else may not remove your registration or other obligations where you actually do business.
I'll explain the relevant formation process and applicable state filing fee so you can make an informed choice.
Do I need to travel to the United States?
For the standard formation process FilingOak handles, you generally don't need to travel to the United States. You can complete your application remotely, review the relevant documents, and provide the required signatures through the supported process.
That doesn't mean every future business activity can be completed remotely. Banks, payment providers, and other institutions have their own eligibility and verification requirements.
Do I need an SSN or ITIN to get an EIN?
Not necessarily. The IRS provides a Form SS-4 application procedure for eligible international applicants whose responsible party doesn't have an SSN or ITIN.
Your formation package includes the applicable EIN application work and authorized follow-up. I won't invent an SSN, ITIN, responsible party, or any other information to get around the process.
If the IRS needs a clarification or correction that falls within my responsibility, I handle it. I'm not going to treat the first complication as an excuse to abandon the application.
Are my LLC, EIN, and Operating Agreement guaranteed?
Those are the deliverables I'm committing to provide through FilingOak's formation service. You're paying me to establish your LLC, handle the applicable EIN process, and provide your state-specific Operating Agreement. You're not paying $349 for me to send an application and walk away.
If the state requests a correction, I deal with the filing work within my responsibility. If the IRS needs authorized follow-up, I handle that too. I don't consider an unresolved application to be a completed service simply because some paperwork was submitted.
But I also won't mislead you about who makes the official decisions. The state approves the LLC, and the IRS issues the EIN. Both require accurate information and compliance with their rules. I cannot manufacture an approval, invent missing information, or promise an exception to government requirements.
My commitment is to carry the work through the legitimate process, address complications within my scope, and deliver the agreed documents once issued. If an application genuinely cannot proceed because of a legal restriction or unresolved eligibility issue, I'll explain the specific obstacle and the available resolution under FilingOak service terms. I won't disappear halfway through.
Your state-specific Operating Agreement is prepared as part of the formation package. That document is FilingOak's responsibility, not a separate purchase you'll discover afterward.
What if my preferred LLC name is already taken?
A proposed LLC name must satisfy the naming rules and availability requirements of your chosen state.
If your preferred name isn't available, that doesn't automatically mean your entire formation has failed. We'll need to identify a compliant alternative that you approve before proceeding.
I won't submit a different business name without your authorization or pretend that an unavailable name has been approved.
Can I use my LLC immediately after the state approves it?
Your LLC legally exists once its formation becomes effective under the applicable state's rules, but what you can do next depends on the activity.
You may still need your EIN, business licenses or permits, financial accounts, tax registrations, or other arrangements before conducting particular activities.
Receiving your LLC approval is an important milestone. It doesn't automatically mean every other business requirement has been completed.
Do I have to keep using FilingOak after formation?
No. Your LLC belongs to you.
Your first year of Registered Agent service is included. After that, you can renew with FilingOak for $149 per year or arrange another eligible Registered Agent according to the applicable state requirements.
You aren't required to purchase a permanent formation subscription or hire me for every future filing.
What if I need to speak with Rehan instead of Maya?
You can contact me when something needs personal attention. Maya is there to make communication easier, not to prevent you from reaching the person responsible for your work.
I'm still the one handling the specialist filing responsibilities I've accepted. If something genuinely requires my judgment or intervention, that's where I come in.
You can reach me at rehan@filingoak.com. I won't manufacture an instant-response promise, but I also won't pretend that an AI assistant has personally handled your government filing.
What if I change my mind after paying?
It depends on whether preparation has begun and whether any government fees have already been committed.
If you request cancellation before FilingOak begins the applicable work, the refundable amount is handled under the published refund terms. Once preparation or submission work has begun, the service fee may no longer be refundable. Government charges already committed generally cannot be recovered.
I want you to read those conditions before purchasing, not discover them after requesting a cancellation.
Can FilingOak guarantee my bank account or Stripe approval?
No, because those decisions don't belong to FilingOak.
My service is to establish your LLC and provide the formation deliverables I've agreed to handle. A bank or payment provider independently decides whether your business meets its account requirements.
I successfully established Enterobiz's own financial infrastructure, including Stripe. But my experience doesn't give me authority to guarantee approval for someone else.
I won't confuse those things just to make a sale. And I won't confuse the work FilingOak promises to deliver with decisions made by financial institutions that aren't part of our formation service.
Your LLC Deserves a Better Beginning. So Do You.
I've told you what FilingOak offers, what it costs, how the work is handled, and what you can expect from me. I've also explained what I can't control, because I don't believe earning your business requires pretending that every part of establishing a U.S. company is simple.
I've made mistakes while building my own company. I've dealt with unfamiliar systems, learned how complicated something can become when you don't know where to begin, and spent years understanding the work I now offer through FilingOak. I didn't build this service to promise you a magical shortcut. I built it because I know how much difference it makes when someone understands the process and takes responsibility for the work they've accepted.
Today, I can offer you an Online LLC Formation Service for $349 plus your state's actual filing fee, including your LLC formation, EIN application assistance, first-year Registered Agent service, and state-specific Operating Agreement. You can use FounderVault to begin without paying anything, and Maya can help you communicate in a language you're comfortable with. When the work needs my attention, I'm still here.
And if you aren't ready to purchase, that's perfectly fine. Explore FounderVault. Ask questions. Compare FilingOak with other services. Understand what you're getting and what responsibilities will remain yours after formation. I'd rather you make an informed decision than pay me because something on this page made you feel rushed.
I'm still the same Rehan who started Enterobiz from one room. I've rebranded the service, built better systems, and learned a great deal along the way, but I haven't forgotten what it feels like to be the person on the other side of an unfamiliar process, hoping that someone will simply give him a straight answer.
If you decide to trust FilingOak with your LLC, I'll take that responsibility seriously.
Create your account for free. Start your application, review your options, and decide when you're ready to proceed.
$349 one-time FilingOak service fee + applicable state filing fee.