Federal, state and the forms foreign owners always miss.
US tax is a federal return, a state return for each state you have nexus in, and, for foreign-owned companies, a set of information returns with five-figure penalties attached. We prepare all of them from one set of books.
The whole job, not the visible half.
Everything below is in scope on the plan that includes us business tax. Nothing on this list is an add-on.
- Form 1120, 1120-S or 1065 with the K-1s that go with them
- Form 5472 and pro-forma 1120 for foreign-owned single-member LLCs
- State income and franchise tax returns in every state where you have nexus
- Quarterly estimated tax computed and reminded
- Entity classification: default, S election or C-corp, modelled for your situation
- FBAR, Form 8938 and other information returns for cross-border owners
Three situations we see every week.
UK and UAE founders with a US LLC
A foreign-owned single-member LLC files Form 5472 every year even with no income. The penalty for missing it is $25,000 per form.
Amazon and Shopify sellers incorporated in Delaware or Wyoming
The state of formation is rarely the only state you owe tax to. Inventory in an FBA warehouse creates nexus.
Startups deciding between LLC, S-corp and C-corp
The election changes how profits are taxed, how owners are paid and whether investors can invest at all. It is easier to choose right than to convert.
Four steps, then a rhythm.
Entity and nexus review
We confirm the classification, the states where you have income or physical presence, and the information returns that apply to your ownership.
Quarterly estimates
Federal and state estimated taxes are computed from the management accounts and reminded before each due date.
Year-end preparation
The return is prepared from the closed ledger with depreciation, QBI and state apportionment applied.
File and confirm
E-filed federally and in each state, with acknowledgements and the K-1s delivered to owners.
The rules differ. So does the work.
The same service, applied to each jurisdiction's law. Figures checked September 2026.
Federal corporate rate 21 percent flat. Pass-through income is taxed at the owners' individual rates, from 10 to 37 percent, with the 20 percent qualified business income deduction made permanent by the 2025 tax legislation, which also restored 100 percent bonus depreciation. Form 1120 is due 15 April for calendar-year filers; 1120-S and 1065 by 15 March. Estimated payments fall on 15 April, 15 June, 15 September and 15 January. Checked September 2026.
Everything about the USA ↗One senior accountant. One flat fee. Three countries.
Group figures are Shaazford Global LLC's published numbers across all its service lines.
I am not a US citizen and my LLC made no money. Do I have to file anything?
Yes. A foreign-owned single-member LLC files Form 5472 with a pro-forma Form 1120 every year, reporting transactions with its owner. Zero income does not remove the obligation, and the penalty is $25,000.
Which state should I form in?
Delaware if you will raise venture capital, Wyoming for a simple holding or ecommerce entity, otherwise the state you actually operate in. Forming out of state does not avoid the tax in the state where you work.
Should I elect S-corp?
Only if you are a US person. Non-resident aliens cannot own S-corp shares. For eligible owners with profit above roughly $60,000, the payroll tax saving usually outweighs the extra filing.
Do you handle BOI reporting?
US-formed companies are currently exempt from beneficial ownership reporting after the March 2025 rule change. Foreign companies registered to do business in a US state still report, and we prepare that filing.
Talk to us about us business tax.
Thirty minutes, no pitch deck. Tell us the entities and the countries, and we will tell you honestly what applies and what it costs.