Stripe works in the UAE, so why form abroad?
The UAE is one of the countries on Stripe's global availability page, so a business registered in the UAE can apply for a UAE Stripe account. That removes the main reason founders in countries like Pakistan or Nigeria form a US LLC. For UAE founders, the question is different: does a US or UK company help you sell, bank or raise money in those markets?
It can help when:
- Your customers are in the US. US buyers and platforms deal easily with a US company that has an EIN, a US Stripe account and USD bank details.
- You sell on US marketplaces or app stores and want the US business, its tax forms and its payouts kept separate from your UAE activity. Check each platform's own seller rules; they change.
- You plan to raise from US investors, who usually expect a US company. For venture funding that is often a Delaware C corporation rather than an LLC; see LLC vs C corp.
- Your clients are in the UK or Europe, where a UK Ltd with a UK registered office may be easier to invoice from.
It helps less when your customers are mainly in the Gulf. A UAE licensed business with a UAE Stripe account and a UAE bank may then be simpler, with one set of filings instead of two.
UAE corporate tax and a foreign company
This is the part most formation sites skip. The UAE has had a federal corporate tax since 2023, and a company formed abroad is not automatically outside it. What follows is a high-level summary of official UAE sources, not tax advice.
- Rates: the UAE government portal gives 0% for taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above AED 375,000, for financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023.
- Foreign companies: the Federal Tax Authority's Corporate Tax FAQs say UAE corporate tax applies to juridical persons incorporated in the UAE and juridical persons effectively managed and controlled in the UAE, as well as to foreign juridical persons with a permanent establishment in the UAE.
- Individuals: the same FAQs say individuals are subject to corporate tax only if they are engaged in a business or business activity in the UAE, directly or through an unincorporated partnership or sole proprietorship.
Put together, a US LLC or UK Ltd that you run day to day from Dubai or Abu Dhabi may be treated as effectively managed and controlled in the UAE, with UAE registration and filing duties. How the UAE treats a single-member US LLC, which the US disregards for income tax, is a separate technical point. Ask a UAE tax adviser to look at where decisions are made, where you live and where the work is done before you form the company, not after the first tax year.
The US and UK filings on this page still apply whatever the UAE position is. A foreign-owned single-member LLC files Form 5472 every year, and a UK Ltd files accounts, a CT600 and a confirmation statement.
The US LLC route from the UAE
UAE residents of any nationality can own a US LLC without visiting the US. Our US LLC for non-residents guide has the general rules.
Choose a state
Wyoming is the state UAE founders search for most. It charges $100 to file Articles of Organization ($102.40 online with the 2.4% card fee) and an annual report of at least $60. New Mexico charges $50 with no annual report fee in its LLC Act. Delaware charges $110 plus an annual LLC tax of $400 from the 2026 tax year. Compare them on Wyoming vs Delaware vs New Mexico LLC or on the Wyoming LLC page.
EIN
You cannot use the IRS online EIN form from the UAE, because it needs an SSN or ITIN and a US principal place of business. The Form SS-4 instructions list the international phone line 267-941-1099, open 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time on weekdays (roughly mid-afternoon to early morning in the UAE), and the fax number 304-707-9471 for applicants outside the US. The EIN is free; our EIN application service prepares and submits the SS-4.
Form 5472
Your single-member LLC files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 each year, even with no income, by 15 April for a calendar year (15 October with Form 7004). It goes by fax or mail, and the penalty for missing it is $25,000 per form. The form asks for a foreign taxpayer identification number, if any, for each foreign owner. See our Form 5472 filing service. US LLCs do not file BOI reports (BOI report 2026).
Banking a US LLC from the UAE
UAE founders have more options than founders in many other countries, but none is guaranteed.
- Mercury: the UAE is not on Mercury's prohibited countries list. Mercury says you do not need to be a US citizen or resident, the company must be formed in the US, and an international residential address can be the principal place of business, but registered agent addresses and PO boxes cannot. International applicants provide a passport.
- Revolut Business: its eligible countries of residence for companies registered in the United States include the United Arab Emirates.
- Wise: to verify a US business, Wise asks for the EIN, a physical business address and, for non-US owners, a copy of a photo ID instead of an SSN. The UAE is not on Wise's list of countries where you can hold money, so ask Wise how that affects a UAE-resident owner before you rely on it.
- Stripe: a US company applies for a US Stripe account, which needs a US-registered business, EIN and physical business address.
Our payment account help prepares applications; the provider decides. More detail is in our US LLC bank account guide.
The UK Ltd route from the UAE
A UAE resident can be the sole director and shareholder of a UK private limited company; GOV.UK says directors do not need to live in the UK. Online incorporation costs £100 at Companies House and the confirmation statement £50 a year.
- Identity verification: each director verifies through GOV.UK One Login, which accepts a biometric passport from any country. It is free and you do it yourself; we do not verify for you.
- Registered office: a physical UK address that receives HMRC and Companies House post. See our registered office address service.
- Tax: annual accounts and a Company Tax Return within 12 months of each period end. If you sell to UK customers while managing the company from the UAE, HMRC may treat it as a non-established taxable person for VAT, with no registration threshold.
- Banking: Revolut Business's list for UK companies does not include the UAE, and Tide asks for a UK mobile number and a UK app store device. Check before you commit.
The UAE effective management point above applies to a UK Ltd run from the UAE as much as to a US LLC. Start with UK company formation for non-residents, or compare both on UK Ltd vs US LLC.
UAE company, US LLC or UK Ltd: a quick comparison
| Question | UAE business only | US LLC | UK Ltd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe account country | UAE | US | UK |
| Government set-up fee | Set by your UAE licensing authority | $50 to $110 state fee | £100 |
| Yearly home-country filings | UAE corporate tax (if in scope) | Form 5472 and pro forma 1120, state report or tax | Accounts, CT600, confirmation statement |
| UAE corporate tax question | Yes, if in scope | Possible, if effectively managed in the UAE | Possible, if effectively managed in the UAE |
| Best fit | Gulf customers | US customers and platforms | UK and European clients |
The US LLC or UK Ltd quiz helps if you are still unsure.
Common mistakes UAE founders make
- Forming a US LLC just for Stripe when a UAE Stripe account would have done.
- Assuming a foreign company is outside UAE corporate tax because it was formed abroad.
- Using a registered agent address as the business address for Mercury or Stripe.
- Skipping Form 5472 in a quiet year. The $25,000 penalty still applies.
- Forming an LLC when the real plan is venture funding.
Official costs at a glance
Government fees only; our service fees are on the pricing page.
| Item | Official fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wyoming LLC formation | $100 ($102.40 online) | Wyoming Secretary of State |
| Wyoming annual report | $60 minimum | Wyoming Secretary of State |
| New Mexico LLC formation | $50 | NMSA 53-19-63 |
| Delaware LLC formation | $110 | Delaware Division of Corporations |
| Delaware annual LLC tax | $400 (from the 2026 tax year) | Delaware Division of Corporations |
| EIN | $0 | IRS |
| Form 5472 filing | $0 (penalty $25,000 if missed) | IRS |
| UK Ltd incorporation (online) | £100 | Companies House |
| Confirmation statement (online) | £50 a year | Companies House |
See how it works and our security page before you upload documents, and track due dates with the compliance deadline calendar.
Sources
- Stripe: Global availability
- Stripe Support: Requirements for having a US Stripe account
- UAE Government portal: Corporate tax
- Federal Tax Authority: Corporate Tax FAQs
- Wyoming Secretary of State: Business fees
- New Mexico Statutes: Section 53-19-63, fees
- Delaware Division of Corporations: Fee schedule (August 2026)
- Delaware Division of Corporations: LLC, LP and GP tax instructions
- IRS: Get an employer identification number
- IRS: Instructions for Form SS-4
- IRS: Instructions for Form 5472
- Mercury: Prohibited countries
- Mercury: Eligibility and requirements for opening a Mercury account
- Revolut Business: Eligible countries of residence
- Wise Help: Verify your US business
- Wise Help: Where do I need to live to hold money with Wise?
- GOV.UK: Appoint directors and a company secretary
- GOV.UK: Companies House fees
- GOV.UK: Verify your identity for Companies House
- GOV.UK: Company address
- GOV.UK: Company Tax Returns
- HMRC: VAT Registration Manual, VATREG37150
- Tide: Can I apply from abroad?
Fees, deadlines and rules on this page were last checked on 27 September 2026.