Country guide · United Kingdom
Form a US LLC as a British citizen
Last updated: August 2026
Bottom line
Form a US LLC as a British citizen is straightforward once the United Kingdom paperwork is in order. As a Hague Convention member, United Kingdom issues a single apostille that the US recognizes without further legalization. Tax treaty: US-UK treaty (2001) reduces dividend withholding to 0·15% and royalty withholding to 0%, among the most favorable treaties for non-resident LLC owners.
HMRC is comfortable with US LLCs but specific guidance on the disregarded-entity treatment is uneven across HMRC officers. Keep clean records. This is the country-specific guide for British citizens to form a us llc, apostille, banking, and treaty notes that change by jurisdiction. For the canonical procedural sequence (the steps everyone follows regardless of citizenship), see the main US LLC formation page.
A Wyoming or Delaware LLC is the cleanest holding entity for a non-resident founder. No state income tax, no minimum capital, no resident director requirement. The whole setup runs remote: file Articles online, fax Form SS-4 for the EIN, open Mercury for banking. The catch is the annual Form 5472 filing, miss it and the penalty is USD 25,000.
What British citizens need to form a US LLC
Apostille
FCDO Legalisation Office (Milton Keynes)
~1·2 weeks, ~USD 40. As a Hague Convention member, United Kingdom issues a single apostille that the US recognizes without further legalization.
Banking flow
UK residents open Mercury remotely with passport + proof of UK address. GBP outbound from Mercury via Wise to Monzo/Starling is the standard flow.
Timezone
UTC+0 (GMT), 5 hours ahead of IRS Austin. IRS Austin is on UTC-6 / Asunción Migración on UTC-3.
Country-specific note
Common: UK creators and SaaS founders selling to US customers who need an ITIN for Form 1040-NR filings + Mercury onboarding.
Tax treaty: US-UK treaty (2001) reduces dividend withholding to 0·15% and royalty withholding to 0%, among the most favorable treaties for non-resident LLC owners.
Questions British citizens ask about us llc formation
How long does the apostille take for British citizens? +
1·2 weeks through FCDO Legalisation Office (Milton Keynes), at roughly USD 40. As a Hague Convention member, United Kingdom issues a single apostille that the US recognizes without further legalization.
How do British-resident clients usually handle banking with their US LLC? +
UK residents open Mercury remotely with passport + proof of UK address. GBP outbound from Mercury via Wise to Monzo/Starling is the standard flow.
Do British citizens get US tax treaty benefits on an LLC? +
US-UK treaty (2001) reduces dividend withholding to 0·15% and royalty withholding to 0%, among the most favorable treaties for non-resident LLC owners.
Form your LLC, British citizen
See the full procedural sequence on the canonical US LLC formation page, or jump straight to the apply form.
Form your LLCKeep going
The rest of the playbook
Most BCA clients stack two or three of these.
Residency
Get Paraguay permanent residency in 21 days
Reasonable tax base, no minimum stay requirement, and a path to cédula + RUC for international banking and contracts.
US Credit
Build US credit with an ITIN. No SSN required
Form W-7 → ITIN → Capital One Quicksilver Secured → 5 months → unsecured Discover. The decoded path most CPAs miss.
Real Estate
Invest in Bali leasehold real estate safely
Why leasehold beats nominee freehold for foreigners, the due-diligence checklist, and realistic 4·9% net yields.
Stay Compliant
Stay compliant with Form 5472, BOI, and annual filings
The annual cadence that keeps your non-resident LLC out of USD 25,000 IRS penalties and in good standing.
Banking
Open bank accounts in Georgia and Panama, 100% remotely
Official SOLO (Bank of Georgia) and Towerbank partner. Passport to start, video call to activate, tax ID added later, no flights required.