LLC Setup Services, Unboxed: What You Get and What's Still on You

LLC setup services for a founder outside the US usually mean a Wyoming LLC: the state charges $100 to file the Articles of Organization, and the IRS charges nothing for the EIN. Everything else that LLC setup services charge for is handling, speed and paperwork. I'd price CORPBOLT first: Wyoming LLC formation from $349, or $599 with your EIN included, and the $100 state filing fee is included on every plan.

Full disclosure: the button carries a tracked CORPBOLT referral code, and this publication can earn a commission when someone signs up through it.

What follows is desk research from CORPBOLT's published plans and the official Wyoming and IRS pages, checked on 18 October 2026. Nothing was bought or tested.

What LLC setup services actually put in the box

Only two items in any package are legal requirements. The rest is speed, convenience or bank paperwork. Here is CORPBOLT's box, line by line; hold other LLC setup services to the same table.

*Ask: CORPBOLT's plan list names this item under a lower tier only, and higher tiers list just their additions. Confirm the carry-over before you buy.

Sources: Wyoming SOS fee schedule for the $100, and the IRS EIN page for the free EIN.

Two lines matter most. The EIN line is a service fee, not a government one: the IRS says "you never have to pay a fee for an EIN." And Launch at $599 bundles the EIN, filing 3 business days sooner, and the operating agreement and banking resolution that banks and Stripe tend to ask for. The EIN goes through standard IRS processing, which takes 6-8 weeks on average. Need it faster? Rush EIN gets it done within 5 business days; it's available as an add-on and included on Concierge.

CORPBOLT sets up Wyoming LLCs for founders outside the US: Wyoming LLC formation from $349, or $599 with your EIN included, and the $100 state filing fee is included on every plan. See current plans and prices at corpbolt.com.

What's still on you after the filing

Four jobs stay with you after the filing, whichever of the LLC setup services you pick.

The Wyoming annual report. It's due on the first day of the LLC's anniversary month (W.S. 17-29-209), so an LLC formed in March owes it every March 1. The license tax is $60, or $0.0002 per dollar of Wyoming-located assets if that's greater. An LLC still unpaid 60 days after the due date is subject to administrative dissolution. On CORPBOLT, every plan includes this filing with the state fee paid; elsewhere, check.

Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120. A foreign-owned single-member LLC files both every year, by April 15 for a calendar year. The penalty for not filing is $25,000, per the IRS Form 5472 instructions. CORPBOLT offers Form 5472 + 1120 filing (included on Concierge); otherwise budget for a tax preparer.

Year-two registered agent. Every CORPBOLT plan includes the registered agent; with any other provider, ask what year two costs.

The bank decision. Bank-ready documents make an application complete. Approval still belongs to the bank, and no LLC setup service can promise it.

5 questions to ask any LLC setup service

Paste these into each provider's chat. A good one answers all five in writing.

1. Is the $100 Wyoming fee inside your price, or added at checkout? CORPBOLT includes it in every plan. Many quotes don't.

2. Who is my registered agent in year two, and what does it cost? A free first year is easy to sell. The renewal decides the real price.

3. How do you get my EIN without an SSN? The IRS online application needs an SSN or ITIN and can't be used when the principal place of business is outside the US. That leaves Form SS-4 by phone, fax or mail, confirmed by notice CP 575. Ask who files it and how long it usually takes.

4. Which documents go in my bank file? You want the formation documents, the EIN, an operating agreement and, often, a banking resolution. On CORPBOLT, the last two come with Launch.

5. Who files the annual report and Form 5472? If the answer is "you", put both dates in your calendar now.

Who CORPBOLT suits, and who should pick something else

Among Wyoming LLC setup services, CORPBOLT fits a founder abroad without an SSN who needs the EIN handled and wants a bank file ready for US payments. For that person, Launch at $599 is the plan I'd price first. Local processors abroad often charge noticeably more than ~2.9%, so a US entity that can apply for US payment accounts can matter for margins. No US residency, citizenship or visit is required.

Pick something else if:

• You need any state other than Wyoming. CORPBOLT forms Wyoming LLCs only.

• You hold an SSN and run on a tight budget. You can use the IRS online EIN application yourself, so a non-resident package buys less for you.

• You want the cheapest first year with an EIN. doola's Starter is $297 a year plus the $100 state fee, $397 with the EIN and a US business address included. CORPBOLT Launch is $599 with the EIN included.

• You want yearly tax filing bundled. CORPBOLT includes Form 5472 + 1120 filing only on Concierge.

Your next step

Run the five questions past every name on your list before comparing prices. LLC setup services that answer them in writing earn a place on the shortlist. If Wyoming and a non-resident setup fit you, see which CORPBOLT plan covers your EIN and bank paperwork. It's the same referral link as the button above.

Which of the five questions did a provider fail to answer for you? Reply with the question and what they said.

Also in this series

1. LLC formation service: Wyoming costs compared (2026)

2. Company formation online from abroad: 4 decisions before you pay

3. Previous in this series: Form a Wyoming LLC - pick the route that fits you