Editorial · Quill

Björn Falk

Auswandern · Steuern-Basics

Reads tax treaties over breakfast. Information, never advice.

Editorial pseudonym. Responsibility rests with the publisher. Leif Daniel Schmidt

Articles by this quill

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.