U.S. company formation
I did this myself from Turkey — the company, the EIN, the ITIN, Wise, Mercury, Stripe. This page is everything I learned doing it, including the part almost nobody warns you about until it is too late.
Not sure whether you need one? Tell me what you sell and where your customers are. If a U.S. company is the wrong answer for you, I will say so — that happens more often than you would think.
Good reasons
Bad reasons
United States launch
I did this myself from Turkey — the company, the EIN, Stripe, Wise, the lot. I know which steps matter, which ones people get wrong, and which ones simply take time. Three ways to do it, depending on how far you want to get.
Everything to exist and get paid
Company
The company, both tax numbers, and an account that can receive dollars.
$1,700one-time
All you need to give me is a passport scan and a recent bill or invoice showing your name and home address. That is genuinely it.
Stripe, Mercury and Wise each decide for themselves. I prepare and support every application and I know what they look for, but nobody can promise you approval. Stripe also wants to see a live website describing what you sell — if you do not have one yet, that is the next package.
Company + online presence
Ready to take money
Everything in Company, plus the website and the presence that make people trust you enough to pay.
$3,200one-time
Everything
Complete launch
The company, the full website, the payments, and the first customers.
from $7,500
Final price depends on state, ownership, platform, languages and integrations. We agree it before anything starts.
How long each part takes
Need the ITIN on its own?
$395. Application prepared and submitted, then tracked until there is an answer. Subject to eligibility, and the IRS decides both the timing and the outcome — nobody can promise you one.
Racha Digital Studio is a trading name of Design Club Studio LLC. I am not a law firm and not a tax adviser: I prepare and submit applications and walk you through the process, but I do not advise on your U.S. tax position — for that you need a qualified U.S. tax professional, and I am happy to point you to one. Bank and payment-gateway approval is always decided by the provider, never by me.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Days 1–2 | You send a passport scan and a recent bill or invoice showing your name and home address. We agree the company name and the state. |
| Week 1 | The LLC is filed and formed. You get the formation documents and your Operating Agreement. Registered agent and U.S. address go active. |
| Weeks 2–3 | EIN issued. Wise and Mercury applications submitted with the documents they ask for. |
| Weeks 3–4 | Accounts open. Stripe set up and connected. First call with me to get payments working end to end. |
| Weeks 4–12 | ITIN submitted and tracked. The IRS decides this timing, not me. Everything else is already running by then. |
You are not waiting three months to start trading. The company, the accounts and Stripe are usually live inside a month. The ITIN lands later and you carry on in the meantime.
People mix these up constantly and it costs them months. They do completely different jobs.
EIN
The company’s number
ITIN
Your personal number
You can run a company on the EIN alone — invoice clients, take bank transfers, pay contractors, buy ads. Where it usually stops is a card checkout on a website. That is the moment people wish they had done the ITIN at the start.
| What it is | What it needs | |
|---|---|---|
| Wise Business | USD account details so clients can pay you in dollars. Not a U.S. bank — an account with U.S. details. | Passport, proof of your home address, company documents, EIN |
| Mercury | A real U.S. business bank account, with a card. The usual choice for Stripe payouts. | EIN, formation documents, Operating Agreement, passport. Mercury rejects some applicants and does not explain why. |
| Stripe | Taking card payments from a website. | EIN, a U.S. bank account to pay into, and a live website describing what you sell |
All three decide for themselves. I prepare every application and I know what each one looks for, but anyone who guarantees you an account is lying to you.
Does a U.S. company mean I pay no tax?
No, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you something. A U.S. LLC can be efficient depending on where you live and where the work is done, but it is not a way to pay nothing. You also still have obligations in your own country. Talk to a tax professional where you live before you decide.
Which state should I choose?
Wyoming, in most cases. It costs $50 more to file than New Mexico and it is the one banks are most comfortable with, which matters more than the $50 when you are trying to get an account approved. New Mexico is the cheapest and is fine if you are not opening U.S. banking. Delaware only earns its extra cost if you plan to raise investment. We decide together, but if you want a bank account I will steer you to Wyoming.
Do I need to travel to the U.S.?
No. Not for the company, not for the EIN, not for Wise, not for Mercury, not for Stripe. I did all of it from Turkey.
How long until I can take payments?
Usually three to four weeks — company, EIN, accounts and Stripe. The ITIN takes longer but you are trading before it arrives.
What if Mercury or Stripe says no?
It happens, and nobody can prevent it. If Mercury declines, Wise still gives you USD details so you can be paid. If Stripe declines, we look at why — it is usually the website or the business description, and both of those can be fixed.
Can you do my U.S. taxes?
No. I am not a tax adviser and I will not pretend to be. I coordinate the formation and the applications. Anything to do with your tax position needs a qualified U.S. tax professional, and I am happy to point you to one.
What happens after the first year?
Registered agent and address renew annually, and the state has its own annual fee. There are also annual filing obligations with the IRS. I will tell you every amount in writing before you buy, so there is nothing waiting for you in month thirteen.
Start here
Tell me what you sell. I will tell you what you actually need.
Half the people who message me about this do not need a U.S. company yet, and I tell them so. The other half need it badly and have been putting it off for a year because the whole thing sounds complicated. It is not complicated — it is just unfamiliar, and I have done it before.
The legal bit, in plain words
Racha Digital Studio is a trading name of Design Club Studio LLC, a New Mexico company. I am not a law firm and I am not a tax adviser. I prepare and submit applications, coordinate formation through a U.S. agent, and walk you through the process. I do not give legal advice and I do not advise on your tax position in the United States or anywhere else.
No outcome is guaranteed. Company formation depends on the state. The EIN and the ITIN are decided by the IRS. Wise, Mercury and Stripe each approve or decline at their own discretion. I will prepare every application properly and tell you honestly what I think your chances are, but I cannot promise you a result that somebody else decides.
Prices are in USD and include any applicable tax. State fees are included in the package price. Annual renewals — registered agent, address and the state fee — are separate, and I will tell you the amounts before you buy anything.