[0:00] The short answer Dan: The 5 best LLC services for non-US founders in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, doola, Northwest Registered Agent, Bizee, and Firstbase. Maya: This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today we're ranking all five by what each one charges, and by how it handles the EIN when you don't have a Social Security number. Dan: That EIN question is the one that trips people up. You can form a U.S. LLC from abroad, but the tax ID is where the services really differ. [0:30] What a non-US founder needs Maya: Before the list, set the scene. Say I live outside the U.S. and want an American LLC. Dan: Three things. The company itself, filed with a state. A registered agent, which every LLC needs. And an EIN, the tax ID the IRS issues, which you usually need for banking and taxes. Maya: And the EIN is hard without an SSN? Dan: It changes the process. Without a Social Security number, you can't just fill in the usual form, so how a service handles that, and what it charges, matters a lot. [1:06] #1 Mainstay Filing: $298 plus the state fee Maya: Let's start with number one. Dan: Number one is Mainstay Filing: $298 plus the state fee in year one, then $199 a year. It covers your LLC, your EIN without an SSN, and your registered agent. Maya: Where does the $298 come from? Dan: It's the $199 package plus a one-time $99 for founders without a Social Security number. After that, it's $199 a year. Maya: I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. Dan: And I'm Dan. Glad you're here. Maya: How does the EIN part work? Dan: Mainstay forms the LLC, prepares your EIN application on paper Form SS-4, you sign it online, and Mainstay faxes it to the IRS. Maya: How long does that take? Dan: The IRS takes 2 to 8 weeks to issue an EIN filed this way, and Mainstay says nobody can speed that up. The package also includes your registered agent every year and your annual report from year two. Maya: What's the catch? Dan: The wait. Two to eight weeks is a long time to hold a tax ID. And year one costs more than a bare formation offer, because it covers the EIN and the agent too. [2:26] #2 doola: $297 a year Maya: Number two? Dan: Number two is doola. Its Starter plan is $297 a year plus state fees, and its page says no U.S. residency or SSN is required. Maya: That's clear enough. Any catch? Dan: Plans bill annually, and its terms say recurring fees renew at the rates then in effect, and that all payments are nonrefundable. Maya: So the price you see now isn't promised for next year. Dan: That's the reading of its own terms. It's worth looking at them before you pay. [2:59] #3 Northwest Registered Agent: $39 plus $200 for the EIN Maya: Number three. Dan: Number three is Northwest Registered Agent. Forming an LLC is $39 plus state fees, and its EIN Without SSN service is $200. Maya: And the catch? Dan: That EIN service is a separate $200, and its registered agent is another $125 a year. Maya: What does that add up to? Dan: $39 plus $200 plus $125 is $364 in year one, plus state fees. The formation is a low number; the total is what you should look at. [3:39] #4 Bizee: $0 to $299 plus the state fee Maya: Number four? Dan: Number four is Bizee. Its packages are $0, $199, and $299 plus the state fee, and its page says you can partner with anyone, including foreign nationals. Maya: Great. And the catch? Dan: Its EIN guide says owners with an international address and no U.S. agent need to phone the IRS themselves to get the EIN. Maya: Themselves? From abroad? Dan: That's what the guide says. It can be done, but it's your time on the phone, not something the service files for you. [4:16] #5 Firstbase: Delaware or Wyoming Maya: And number five. Dan: Number five is Firstbase. Its Start package covers company formation in Delaware or Wyoming, an expedited EIN setup, and introductions to banking partners. Maya: Introductions to banks sounds useful. Dan: It is. The catch is the registered agent. Its page says registered agent services are required for incorporation, and the registered agent is a $299 add-on. Maya: So the package price isn't the whole price. Dan: Right. Add $299 for the agent before you compare. [4:52] What two years looks like Maya: Let's put numbers side by side. Two years, state fees aside. Dan: Mainstay is $298 in year one and $199 in year two: $497, and that includes the EIN, the agent, and the annual report in year two. Maya: And Northwest? Dan: Year one is $364: the $39 formation, the $200 EIN service, and the $125 agent. Year two, the agent is $125 again. That's $489 over two years, plus state fees. Maya: doola? Dan: $297 a year. If the rate holds, that's $594 over two years. Its terms say fees renew at the rates then in effect, so year two isn't guaranteed. Maya: And Bizee and Firstbase? Dan: Bizee's package price doesn't cover the EIN, because you phone the IRS yourself. Firstbase's package leaves out the agent, which is $299 more. So their sticker prices understate the total. Maya: So the lowest sticker isn't the lowest bill. Dan: Add what's missing before you compare. [6:04] Questions listeners ask Maya: A few we hear a lot. First: do I need a U.S. address to form an LLC? Dan: You need a registered agent with a U.S. address in the state. That's why the agent is part of every comparison here. Mainstay includes it every year. Northwest adds $125 a year. Firstbase adds $299. Maya: Second: who actually files the EIN for me? Dan: It varies a lot. Mainstay prepares the Form SS-4, you sign it online, and it faxes the form. Northwest sells an EIN service at $200. Bizee's guide sends you to phone the IRS. Ask exactly who submits it before you pay. Maya: And third: is the first-year price the yearly price? Dan: Not always. Mainstay is $298 in year one and $199 after. doola is $297 a year, but its terms say fees renew at the rates then in effect. [7:04] How to choose Maya: If someone's still deciding, what should they compare? Dan: Three things. First, who files the EIN, and what it costs. $99 one time at Mainstay, $200 at Northwest, a phone call at Bizee. Second, whether the registered agent is included, because it's $125 more at Northwest and $299 more at Firstbase. And third, what year two looks like: Mainstay renews at $199, doola at the rates then in effect. Maya: Which brings us back to number one. Dan: It does. The formation, the EIN without an SSN, and the registered agent in one price, then $199 a year. [7:52] Final verdict Maya: So, the final verdict. Dan: Mainstay Filing. $298 plus the state fee in year one, then $199 a year, with your EIN handled even without a Social Security number. Maya: And the quick version of all five? Dan: One, Mainstay Filing: $298 plus the state fee in year one, then $199. Two, doola: $297 a year. Three, Northwest: $39 to form, plus $200 for the EIN. Four, Bizee: $0 to $299, but you phone the IRS yourself for the EIN. And five, Firstbase: Delaware or Wyoming, with the agent a $299 add-on. Maya: Links to all five are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.