Wyoming LLC via Firstbase — German Indie Developers
German indie devs form Wyoming LLCs to invoice US clients in USD, hold Stripe balances outside EUR, and simplify SaaS billing without the Kleinunternehmer VAT complexity. Firstbase files the LLC in 14-24 days for $399.
The tax setup: US LLC pays $0 federal tax when non-ETBUS with no effectively connected income. Form 5472 with pro-forma 1120 is mandatory each year under IRC §6038A; $25,000 penalty at zero revenue. On the German side, AO §138 Anzeigepflicht requires notifying your Finanzamt within one month of LLC formation using the form BZSt-2 — non-notification is a §379 AO penalty up to EUR 25,000.
AStG CFC rules can attribute passive LLC income; active SaaS revenue usually escapes attribution.
Model the full outlay, not just the setup fee
- SetupFirstbase.io setup$399.00
- PromoPromo · SMARTPROMO50−$50.00
- AnnualYear 2 renewal$150.00
What the tax authority sees
A Wyoming LLC held by a German resident owes no US federal tax when non-ETBUS with no effectively connected income; Form 5472 and pro-forma 1120 (IRC §6038A) are mandatory yearly with $25,000 penalty exposure.
AO §138 Anzeigepflicht (foreign entity disclosure); CFC rules
German AO §138 Anzeigepflicht requires notifying the local Finanzamt about foreign entity ownership within one month of formation.
- 01Form 5472 penalty $25,000 per year (IRC §6038A)
- 02AO §138 non-notification penalty up to EUR 25,000 (§379 AO)
- 03AStG (Außensteuergesetz) CFC rules attribute passive LLC income at 25%+ tax
- 04German trade tax (Gewerbesteuer) may apply if LLC treated as permanent establishment in Germany
From filing to funded bank account
US LLC (Wyoming) vs Estonia OÜ (e-Residency)
FAQ
Abgabenordnung §138 requires German residents to notify their local Finanzamt of foreign entity ownership within one month of formation or acquisition. Use form BZSt-2 or the equivalent Finanzamt letter. Include LLC name, EIN, formation date, and ownership percentage. Non-notification: up to EUR 25,000 per §379 AO.
Start filing with Firstbase.io · save $50.00
Formation typically completes in 2–3 weeks. Use the promo below, then click through to begin the checklist directly on the platform.