auswandern
Getting an EIN and ITIN: What You Actually Need
The EIN is your LLC's tax number, the ITIN is a personal one. Many mix them up – and pay for something the IRS does for free.
Björn Falk
Section
Relocation
Company, bank account, the move, mistakes included — the way out, documented first-hand.
What this section is for
Information, not advice, and no tax promises. The publisher is walking this road right now and writing it down as it happens: which structure he picked, what it cost, how long each authority took and where he got it wrong. What you read here is a travel log with receipts — not a brochure.
The lead story
Opening a US business account for your LLC as a non-resident
You live in Germany, your LLC lives in the US — and the company needs an account. Why banks ask for the EIN rather than your SSN, which papers actually get requested, where reviews go wrong, and why banking, not formation, is the slow part.
Banks tie a US business account to the company's EIN, not to a personal SSN or ITIN. The IRS issues the EIN at no cost — but if you have no SSN, the online route is blocked and only the fax or telephone application remains, which makes the EIN the pacing step. The current fax and phone numbers are listed in the IRS instructions for Form SS-4; check them on the day you apply, as they change without notice. Prepare the formation papers, EIN proof, operating agreement, passport, evidence of your address at home — and be ready to describe precisely what your company sells, since that is where compliance reviews most often trip. No provider guarantees approval, and requirements shift without notice. This is market information, not a recommendation.
Björn Falk
All articles in this section
11 articles
auswandern
Crypto and a US LLC: Payments, Wallets, Bookkeeping — Plainly
Can a US LLC hold and receive crypto? In practice, yes — through verified business accounts. But nothing becomes tax-free. What actually applies, soberly and with sources.
Björn Falk
auswandern
LLC compliance: Form 5472, BOI/FinCEN and the duties people overlook
An LLC is formed fast — and lands in the penalty trap fast. The US reporting duties as of mid-2026, explained soberly.
Björn Falk
auswandern
Common mistakes and scams by "LLC providers"
The "0% tax" promise, the free EIN sold for a fee, the forgotten 5472 filing: how to spot dubious offers — and how to protect yourself.
Björn Falk
auswandern
US LLC and taxes: what really applies between Germany and the US
Exit tax, double taxation treaty, CFC add-back, type comparison — the German-American tax picture is complex. This text orients you and replaces no tax adviser.
Björn Falk
auswandern
LLC vs. GmbH vs. Sole Proprietorship: Which Legal Form Actually Fits?
The US LLC is often sold as a miracle cure. A sober comparison with the German GmbH and the sole proprietorship shows the truth: the right legal form depends on your residence and tax situation, not on marketing promises.
Björn Falk
auswandern
Wyoming, Delaware or New Mexico: picking a state for your LLC
Three states, three fan clubs, three fee schedules. Reading the statutes instead of the marketing shows why the lowest sticker price is a weak argument, why Delaware's annual tax just jumped — and why the German tax office does not care which one you pick.
Björn Falk
auswandern
US LLC: costs and ongoing obligations
The true price of a US LLC, year by year: state filing fees, the registered agent, annual taxes — and an IRS reporting duty that many overviews skip, with a penalty that begins at 25,000 dollars and can climb further.
Björn Falk
auswandern
Emigration in Practice: Residence and Health Insurance in the USA
German statutory health insurance does not apply in the USA. And a US LLC does not move your residence by itself. Two practical points many underestimate.
Björn Falk
auswandern
US LLC for German emigrants and freelancers: the honest guide
What a US LLC really is, what it costs, when it makes sense and when it does not — the overview of our twelve-part series. Information, not advice.
Björn Falk