You do not need a US visa or a plane ticket to own a US company. This guide walks you through why founders in Vietnam form US LLCs, which state to pick, how the EIN works without a Social Security number, and what you file every year to stay compliant.
Why Vietnamese founders form a US company
Most founders in Vietnam who form a US LLC are chasing one of these:
- US clients who want to pay a US entity and see a US address on the invoice.
- Access to Stripe, PayPal, and other payment rails that work best with a US business.
- Marketplaces such as Amazon or Etsy that favor sellers with a US entity and US bank account.
- Investors who expect a Delaware C-Corp before they write a check.
None of this requires you to live in the US or hold a US visa. You can form the company, get its tax ID, and open its bank account while staying in Vietnam the whole time.
Wyoming or Delaware: which state to pick
For most solo founders and small teams, Wyoming is the simpler and cheaper choice. It has low state fees, no state income tax on the LLC itself, and fast formation. If you plan to raise venture capital, Delaware is the standard choice, mainly because US investors and their lawyers are used to Delaware C-Corp paperwork.
| Situation | Suggested structure |
|---|---|
| Freelancing, agency, e-commerce, SaaS with no VC plans | Wyoming LLC |
| Planning to raise from US or international VCs | Delaware C-Corp |
| Not sure yet | Wyoming LLC, convert later if needed |
Formation itself takes 1 to 3 business days in Wyoming, Kentucky, and Colorado, and 1 to 2 weeks in most other states. If you are not sure which state fits your plan, say so on your free consultation call and get a straight answer.
Getting an EIN without a Social Security number
The EIN, or Employer Identification Number, is the tax ID your LLC needs to open a bank account, file with the IRS, and work with US payment processors. You do not need a Social Security number to get one. The IRS has a process for foreign owners that does not require an SSN.
The catch is timing. Without an SSN, EIN processing normally takes 2 to 4 weeks. If you want to move faster, expedited EIN processing is available as an add-on for $295 on the Launch and Run plans, and it comes included on the Scale plan.
Opening a US bank account from Vietnam
Once your LLC has an EIN, you can apply for a US business bank account. PowerLaunch introduces founders to Mercury, Wise Business, and Relay after the EIN is issued. Approval is always the bank's decision, not PowerLaunch's, and each bank has its own review process for founders based outside the US. Having a clean EIN confirmation letter, a clear business description, and your formation documents ready usually makes the review smoother.
Some founders also keep a Wise Business account running in parallel, since it tends to be flexible for international founders moving money between Vietnam and the US.
What you file every year
Owning a US LLC comes with paperwork, even if the business has no US employees and modest revenue. Here is what applies to a typical foreign-owned single-member LLC:
| Filing | What it is | Due date |
|---|---|---|
| Form 5472 with a pro forma 1120 | Reports transactions between the LLC and its foreign owner | 15 April |
| Annual state report | Keeps the LLC in good standing with the state | Varies by state, check the state's site |
| BOI report | Currently not required for US-formed companies under the 2026 interim FinCEN rule | Not applicable at present |
Form 5472 is not optional, and missing it can carry a real penalty from the IRS, so treat this as a fixed date on your calendar. State report deadlines vary, so check the specific state's site or ask your PowerLaunch adviser for the date that applies to your entity.
The Run and Scale plans include the business IRS tax filings and the annual state report filing as part of the yearly service, so this is handled for you rather than left to a separate deadline you have to track alone.
Your home country obligations still apply
Owning a US company does not remove your obligations in Vietnam. Depending on your personal tax residency and how the LLC's income flows to you, there may be reporting or tax rules that apply on the Vietnam side, including rules around foreign company ownership or foreign income. These rules can shift and depend on your personal situation, so this guide will not guess at specific rates or forms. Talk to a licensed Vietnamese tax adviser who can confirm what applies to you before you file your first US tax return, so your US and home country filings line up.
PowerLaunch plans and what they include
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | $295/yr | Getting the LLC or C-Corp formed, EIN, registered agent, virtual address |
| Run | $1,995/yr | Ongoing bookkeeping, tax filings, state report, tax professional consultation |
| Scale | $2,995/yr or $329/mo | Dedicated bookkeeper, expedited EIN, free dissolution, priority call scheduling |
All plans add the state filing fee at cost. Every plan runs on the MyCG.AI platform, so your documents, EIN, and financial data live in one place instead of scattered across emails.
If PowerLaunch makes a formation error, it gets corrected at PowerLaunch's cost, and that portion of the fee is refunded. State fees themselves are never refundable, since they go to the state, not to PowerLaunch.
What to do next
If you are ready to form your US company from Vietnam, go to powerlaunch.solutions/signup and pick the plan that matches where your business is headed. Launch gets the entity formed and the EIN moving. Run adds the yearly tax filings and bookkeeping so you are not tracking deadlines alone. Scale adds a dedicated bookkeeper and faster everything.
If you want to talk through Wyoming versus Delaware, or how the EIN timeline works for your situation, book a free 20-minute consultation at powerlaunch.solutions/book. You can also email contact@powerlaunch.solutions or ask the site assistant any question along the way.
