Form 5472 for foreign-owned single-member LLCs
If you are a non-US person owning a US single-member LLC, you must file Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 every year. Penalty: $25,000.
This is the federal filing requirement most foreign LLC owners don't know about until the penalty notice arrives.
Who must file
A single-member LLC owned by a non-resident alien individual or foreign corporation is treated as a "25%-foreign-owned" reporting corporation for purposes of IRC 6038A. You must file Form 5472 annually, attached to a pro forma Form 1120, regardless of whether the LLC has any US income or activity.
This includes LLCs with zero revenue, no US bank account, no US presence. If the LLC exists and has a foreign owner, the filing is required.
What Form 5472 reports
Transactions between the LLC and the foreign owner: capital contributions, distributions, loans, sales of services or property. Even if the only transaction was the original capital contribution, the form must be filed reporting that.
Deadline + penalty
Due April 15 (same as Form 1040). Extension to October 15 available via Form 7004.
Late filing penalty: $25,000 per form per year, with additional penalties if the IRS notices in a later year and assesses retroactively. There is a first-time abatement process but it requires a clean filing history.
If you have not filed for prior years
Multiple paths depending on your specific situation: simplified foreign offshore procedures, delinquent international information return submission procedures, or voluntary disclosure. Talk to a tax professional with international experience. Our accountant directory has 12 specialists in foreign-owned LLC compliance.
Need help filing?
Our accountant directory has specialists who handle this exact form across foreign-owned LLCs, S-Corps, and high-volume single-member LLCs.
Find a specialistAt a glance
- What is it
- Form 5472 for foreign-owned single-member llcs is a regulated business process governed by federal or state agencies. File.Business handles the paperwork, filings, and tracking for you.
- Why it matters
- Doing this correctly the first time avoids penalties, late fees, and personal liability exposure for owners.
- Who needs it
- Any US business that has triggered the relevant requirement - usually based on entity type, state, or business activity.
- When it is due
- Deadlines vary by agency and state. We track your specific dates and remind you ahead of any filing window.
- How it works
- Tell us what you need, review the prepared filing, and we submit through the agency's official channel.
- What it costs
- Pricing is shown on this page with state and federal fees disclosed separately from our service fee.
- Risks of skipping
- Penalties, administrative dissolution, loss of liability shield, blocked transactions, or audit triggers depending on the filing.
- Alternatives
- File directly with the agency yourself, hire a law firm, or use a competing service. File.Business is the fastest premium option.