A U.S. LLC for freelancers working from anywhere
Last verified: 4 min read
A U.S. LLC for freelancers is a company you own that signs your contracts, sends your invoices and receives your payments, while you keep working from wherever you live. Developers, designers, writers and marketers use one to sell to U.S. clients as a business, not as an individual abroad. With EXNNA you form it in New Mexico (NM), a U.S. state, in about two minutes.
Why do freelancers form a U.S. LLC?
Because clients, platforms and payment providers treat a company differently from a person in another country:
- Contracts. The client signs with your LLC. Its obligations stay with the company, within the limits of the law.
- Invoices. You bill as a U.S. company, in U.S. dollars, with a company name on the header.
- Accounts. The LLC holds its own business bank and payment accounts, separate from your personal money.
- Privacy. In New Mexico your name stays off the public record.
Taxes depend on where you live and what the LLC does, not on the State where you form it.
Who can form an LLC for freelancers?
Anyone, from anywhere, with or without a passport, except people in the few countries under U.S. sanctions. You don't need a visa, an SSN or a U.S. address, and no ID documents are needed. Freelancers in India and Brazil follow exactly the same steps, and so do people who move between countries as digital nomads.
LLC or freelancing in your own name?
Working in your own name is simple, but the contracts, the debts and the accounts are all yours personally. An LLC adds a separate company with its own name, records and accounts. The trade-offs are side by side in LLC vs sole proprietorship.
| Freelancing in your own name | Freelancing through a U.S. LLC |
|---|---|
| Clients contract with you | Clients contract with the company |
| Personal accounts receive money | Business accounts in the LLC's name |
| Your name on every invoice | The company's name on every invoice |
| Nothing to form | Formed once, kept with an agent |
What does an LLC for freelancers need to get paid?
An EIN, the LLC's tax ID with the IRS. Banks, Stripe and freelance platforms ask for it. You can get one without an SSN: see how to get an EIN without an SSN. With EXNNA it's $50 with your formation, and your LLC documents never wait for it.
After that, the LLC opens its business accounts. Each bank and fintech runs its own checks, including on the owners, and makes its own call. The options are in a U.S. bank account for a non-resident LLC, and card payments in Stripe for non-residents.
How do you form an LLC for freelancers with EXNNA?
- Enter a company name, two backups, the number of members and an email.
- Sign the service agreement online.
- Pay the total in U.S. dollars or your local currency, where available, by card, online.
- Follow each step in your dashboard. The State usually approves in 1–3 business days.
You get the Articles of Organization, filed with the State, and an Operating Agreement in PDF and editable DOCX, the internal rulebook of your company. Member details are optional.
What does an LLC for freelancers cost to keep?
Little. A New Mexico LLC files no annual report and pays no annual State fee. It needs a registered agent, the official U.S. contact that receives legal mail, which is included for the first 12 months and renews at $99 a year only if you renew. Basic mail is 3 letters a year, scanned to your dashboard. Every option is on our pricing, or you can form your LLC online now.
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FAQ
- Can a freelancer outside the U.S. form a U.S. LLC?
- Yes. You don't need to live in the U.S., hold a visa or have a Social Security Number. The order is online and takes about two minutes.
- Does a U.S. LLC help me get paid on Upwork or Fiverr?
- It lets you work and get paid as a company, with the LLC as the account holder. Each platform runs its own verification and decides what it accepts.
- Do I need an EIN as a freelancer with an LLC?
- To open business and payment accounts, yes. EIN assistance is $50 with your formation, or $79 later on its own.
- Will my clients see my name on the public record?
- No. In New Mexico the Articles of Organization don't list owners, and EXNNA signs as organizer, so the record shows us and the registered agent.
General information, not legal or tax advice.