US Accounting and Compliance for Your US Entity

Why US compliance deserves attention

Even when no US tax is due, filing and reporting duties remain. Penalties for missed information returns are steep and get assessed automatically. Knowing the obligations and meeting them is what keeps a structure quiet and defensible.

What is included

Included are ongoing bookkeeping, document preparation, the annual Form 5472 with pro forma Form 1120 and the annual report in your state of formation. We also review further duties such as FBAR or withholding forms where they apply to you. You receive a deadline calendar and the list of required documents well in advance.

Form 5472 and pro forma 1120

Foreign-owned single-member LLCs report their transactions with the owner on Form 5472, filed together with a pro forma Form 1120. Reportable items include capital contributions, distributions and other transfers between you and the entity. The filing is mandatory even if the company made no profit.

Annual report and state fees

Every state requires an annual filing and a fee to keep the company in good standing. Deadlines and requirements differ substantially between states. Miss the filing and the entity can lose its status, which puts bank accounts and contracts at risk.

FBAR and further reporting

If your US entity holds accounts outside the United States, an FBAR filing can be required once the thresholds are exceeded. Whether it applies in your case is checked together with the US partner. The same goes for withholding questions on payments into or out of the US.

What you need to supply

We need bank statements, sales invoices, expense receipts and an overview of contributions and distributions. The cleaner your input, the faster and cheaper the process. A digital document workflow is set up at the start.

Who this is not for

Not suitable for entities with US staff, a US permanent establishment or complex group structures that need full US tax advisory with ongoing planning. Also pointless if no records are kept at all. We build order, but we do not invent bookkeeping after the fact.

Frequently asked questions

Do I file even if the LLC had no revenue?

Yes. Form 5472 with pro forma Form 1120 and the state annual report fall due for a dormant entity too, as soon as reportable transactions or the registration exist.

What happens if I miss a deadline?

For information returns the authority assesses penalties automatically, and they far exceed the cost of filing on time. Late filing is possible but rarely without consequences.

When is Form 5472 due?

For calendar year entities it falls due in spring of the following year, with an extension available. You get the exact date for your fiscal year in the deadline calendar.

Can you handle prior years as well?

In many cases yes. We first assess how many years are open and agree with the US partner on how to bring the filings up to date.

Do I still need a US accountant?

Filings go through licensed US partners in any case. Apatridus coordinates and runs the bookkeeping, while professional responsibility sits with the US-licensed specialists.

Does this apply to a multi-member LLC?

Different rules apply there, generally a partnership return with allocations to the members. We clarify the correct route before your first fiscal year closes.