Guides
The founder's ledger: what running an American LLC from abroad actually involves
No sales pages in disguise. Each guide below covers one job in the life of a US LLC owned from overseas — what it is, what it costs in time or money, where people get hurt, and exactly which parts Sethhost does and does not do. Facts are stated with their sources; where a topic belongs to a CPA or an attorney, the guide says so.
| No. | Guide | The question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Getting an EIN without a Social Security number | Why the IRS online form is closed to you, how the Form SS-4 fax workflow actually runs, and what the realistic timeline is. |
| 02 | Form 5472, explained before it costs you $25,000 | The annual filing most foreign founders discover late — who files it, what counts, when it is due, and who prepares it. |
| 03 | Pennsylvania, Wyoming, or Delaware: the facts, side by side | Filing fees, annual costs, and ongoing obligations for the three states Sethhost files in. Facts only — we never recommend a state. |
| 04 | What a registered agent actually does — and what happens to your mail | The legal job of a registered agent, and the real journey of a piece of official mail from a US office to your screen overseas. |
| 05 | Website hosting types, explained honestly | Shared, WordPress, VPS, dedicated, and managed build-and-care hosting compared — including the kinds Sethhost does not sell, and how to judge speed, security, and uptime claims. |
How to use this ledger
Read in order if you are starting from zero: the EIN and state guides are pre-formation reading, Form 5472 is first-year reading, and the registered agent and hosting guides explain the two services you will rely on every month after that. Read out of order if one deadline is already close — Form 5472 first, in that case.
Every guide ends with the same two things: what Sethhost does about the topic, stated within the limits of the service agreement, and what remains yours or your advisers'.
Reading is step one. The paperwork is the rest.
Sethhost handles formation paperwork, the EIN workflow, registered agent service, official mail handling, your website, a US number, and a compliance calendar — one company, one bill. Launch is $499 one-time; Hosted is $79 per month; the state filing fee is always shown separately.