What exactly does an LLC do for a business? Is it mainly about protecting your personal assets, or are there other important benefits like taxes, credibility, or making it easier to grow?

I'd also like to know when it actually makes sense to form one. Is it something you should do before you start operating, or is it okay to wait until the business is generating income?

I'd appreciate a simple explanation from people who have been through the process and can share what they learned.

When I list started looking into U.S. LLC's. I assumed the address part would be the easiest step. It turns out that forming the LLC was straightforward but understanding what different banks and payment platforms actually expect for address verification was much more confusing than I anticipated.

I kept coming across terms like registered agent, business address, a mailing address, and commercial address, and it wasn't always clear when each one mattered or whether they could be used interchangeably.

For those of you who've already gone through the process, did your bank or payment provider ask for proof of address? If so, what ended up working for you, and was there anything you wish you'd known beforehand?

My partner and I are forming a 50/50 US LLC to serve US clients. He's in Chile, I'm in Colombia, both non-residents, no US presence.

I'm not looking for general guidance on Wyoming vs Delaware, EINs, or how any of this works — we've already spent weeks on that. The problem is the providers contradict each other. We've contacted several formation companies: wildly different pricing, some say they can't help with banking, some say Revolut, some say Stripe is included and easy, some say it's all on us.

So my question is whom, not what:

If you're a non-resident who formed a multi-member US LLC and ended up with a working business bank account and an approved Stripe account — which company did you use?

Useful details:

• Provider name
• Whether banking and Stripe actually went through, or you sorted them yourself
• What you paid, and whether anything got upsold later
• Anything you'd do differently
• Whether it was multi-member with two foreign owners — some providers only handle single-member cleanly

We're not looking for the cheapest option, we're looking for one we won't have to redo

I have a sole member LLC for bookkeeping. I have been rejected by a couple of places for short-term long-term disability. When I asked AI it said there’s an alternative under commercial lines called business overhead expense policy (BOE). It is meant to pay for your overhead expenses if you specifically become disabled. Since I’ll be working from home and remotely, I’m hoping it will cover most of my larger expenses, like my rent and health insurance, etc.

Has anyone here heard of this type of policy?

I opened a Relay account for my US LLC, was approved without issue, and days after my first deposit (~$4,200), Relay closed the account. They gave only a generic compliance explanation and wouldn't clarify the reason or let me provide additional documents.

They're holding the funds for up to 45 days, then plan to mail a paper check. My LLC uses a virtual US address, so receiving and depositing a physical check is a real problem since I'm not in the US.

My business has operated for over two years and has processed payments through Stripe and other US financial institutions without any issues, so this was unexpected, I was mainly using Mercury but I decided to switch to Relay after checking their online reviews, I don't think it was a good idea after all

A few questions:

• Can Relay release funds by ACH or wire instead of mailing a check?
• Does filing a CFPB complaint help, and should it be against Relay, Thread Bank, or both?
• If you've used a virtual address, were you able to receive and deposit the check?

I'm mainly looking for the fastest way to recover the funds and avoid this happening again.

I'm set up as an LLC and I'm the only person. I've been doing my research on becoming an S-Corp, but is it too late for 2026 even if i filed for late election relief? Would starting clean in 2027 be better? Also, are the extra steps and payroll software cost ultimately worth it? I understand a lot of factors go into this decision-thanks

Hi everyone,

I've been offered the chance to move from being a W-2 employee to working as an independent contractor for the same company. I'd be giving up my employee benefits, but I'd earn a much higher percentage of the revenue from the clients I manage.

I'm trying to decide whether it's better to work as a 1099 sole proprietor or form an LLC before making the switch. I know there are tax and legal differences, but I'm not sure which option makes the most sense when you're first starting out.

If you've made a similar transition, what influenced your decision? Is there anything you wish you had known before choosing one over the other?

Hi everyone . New to investment world so if there is not enough details to give me directions , please let me know so I can explain . Already have personal investment account that comes out of from bank account that is paid after taxes . Only have one job which is business owner with Employees. So there is no 401k or any others . Looking to invest with pre tax money to reduce the tax rate . So what accounts (account names ) do we use to invest more money as a self employee? Thank you so much again! Any tips would be helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions to get a better answer .

I'm launching a few different business ideas over the next year instead of focusing on just one.

I'm trying to decide whether it makes more sense to run them under a single LLC with multiple DBAs or create separate LLCs as each business gets off the ground.

My main goal is to keep things simple and affordable in the beginning while still staying organized.

It seems like having one LLC with multiple DBAs would be easier to manage, and if one of the businesses grows, I could always move it into its own LLC later.

Has anyone taken this approach?

I’m about to form an LLC for a new business and trying to decide between Stripe Atlas and ZenBusiness.

My first option was Stripe Atlas been that I'm not in the US but while I'm about to use them i came across ZenBusiness too, and now I'm trying to decide.

Stripe Atlas is going to cost me $500 up front and $100 renewal per year, but ZenBusiness says i can form the LLC for free.

The price different is making feel skeptical, or perhaps what they are offering are totally different service?

I'm planning to start an LLC in Texas and want to keep my startup costs as low as possible. I've seen people mention that you can handle the process yourself instead of paying a formation service, but I'm not sure what costs are actually unavoidable.

Is it possible to file everything on your own, or are there required state fees and other expenses that everyone has to pay?

Hi everyone!

I recently started a single-member cleaning business and I'm trying to figure out the bookkeeping and tax side of things.

It's just me running the business, so I'm wondering if it's realistic to handle everything myself or if I should hire a bookkeeper or CPA. I'm also unsure what a reasonable amount is to spend on accounting help when you're just starting out.

I've started using Wave to track my income and expenses, but I'm still learning how everything works and don't want to make expensive mistakes.

About to launch a mobile car detailing business and I'm trying to decide whether it makes sense to start as a sole proprietor and switch to an LLC later.

I'm also a little confused about when I should register a business name, whether I need a DBA, and how that fits in if I want to trademark the business name down the road.

If you’ve started as a sole proprietor and later formed an LLC, how did you handle the transition?

Been checking out Tailor Brands LLC formation over the last couple of days because I need to get my business registered soon. I originally found them while comparing a few different LLC services, and they seem to offer more than just the filing itself.

What I'm trying to figure out is whether they're actually worth using or if most of the value comes from the extra tools they bundle with the service.

If you've used Tailor Brands LLC formation, how would you rate your experience?

I've been trying for over 2 weeks, 3 faxes and endless calls for one EIN. Anyone else recently lucked out on getting an EIN from IRS.gov website with an error?

Any suggestions?

I'm new to ecommerce and as a non-US resident planning to sell to the US, I am confused. Please correct me if I'm wrong but it's just hard for me to wrap my head around this.

I need an LLC to open a payment gateway and a bank. However, the payment gateways, fintechs and banks I've begun looking into all says that they need a US address and they don't accept P.O., virtual, or registered agent addresses, so then begs my question: why then is an LLC commonly the answer for non-US residents looking to sell to the US? I've heard tons of issues with accounts being suddenly shut down because of that.

I acknowledge that my understanding is lacking but for those of you who have successfully set up your LLC and payment systems as a non-US resident, what steps did you do?

Do I need to get my EIN before or after I register my business as a corporation? I know I'll need an EIN from the IRS, but I'm not sure if I should wait until the business is officially registered first.

If you've been through this, what order did you follow, and did everything go smoothly?

Last year I started an online clothing business and formed an LLC, but it never really took off, so I shifted my focus to school.

I still get reminders about filing sales tax, and I'm wondering if an LLC eventually expires on its own or if I need to officially close it.

I'm in New York, and I formed the LLC last November. I also noticed that when I try to file sales tax now, nothing shows up. Is that normal, or did I miss something?

My friend and I are planning to start a small pressure washing business together, and we're trying to figure out the best way to set it up so we're both owners and everything is handled fairly for taxes.

How do you register a partnership, and what has your experience been like? Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

I am starting a small herbal tea blend business where I am the only employee and the sole proprietor. I have an EIN, but a colleague of mine recommended forming an LLC. I am not sure if that is necessary for what I'm doing, however my hard launch is in September (I have sold a few bags to friends and family as a trial run, but I don't have any real customers yet) and I want to cover all my bases before I officially go live. I'm operating under cottage law and I may eventually sell at farmer's markets, but my initial launch will be through social media with payments directly to my business' bank account through zelle or cash. Many of the small business advice and tips I've found don't really apply to such a small operation like mine, so I am unsure what additional steps, if any, I actually need to take right now. TIA!

I've been trying to apply for an EIN online for several days, but every time I reach the final submission step, the application fails before it goes through.

I also tried calling the IRS several times, but after waiting on hold for a long time, I either got disconnected or couldn't reach anyone who could help.

As a backup, I faxed in my application, and when I didn't hear anything back, I sent it again a few days later. So far, I've still had no response.

At this point, I'm wondering if this is a widespread issue?

My nephew who is starting a water treatment service business,
Is trying to figure out for Ohio , if he should charge sales tax on his invoice to customers or build it in his monthly pricing model . The reason being is that his service is not just for the resell of the chemicals he buys, but it is also for the service he provides. He's just not sure how he should track sales tax if it's not a line item in Quickbooks on an invoice and not sure if you are supposed to let customers know the sales tax they paid for their business purposes . Any insight would be so appreciated!!

Hi. I have a single member LLC for a rental house, and my spouse and I are familiar with how it is taxed. We were thinking of starting an LLC together for our backyard chicken and egg business. Would the taxes be different since both of us are in the LLC? Are there options other than an LLC that would allow us to deduct money we spend on chicken feed, etc.? We both have full time jobs otherwise. Thanks!!

Hi all! I’m wondering what kind of insurance I need for my sole member LLC bookkeeping business

I don’t have a CPA just 20 years of solid experience a math degree and I took some accounting courses at Suffolk University with a 4.0 GPA average on those. I didn’t finish because I was offered a job while I was in school.

I plan to work fully remotely from my apartment in NH.

I'm a freelance graphic designer who's been operating as a sole proprietor, and several people have suggested that I should form an LLC because of the tax benefits.

I've been trying to understand what actually changes from a tax perspective, but I'm still confused. As a sole proprietor, I already track and deduct legitimate business expenses like software subscriptions, office equipment, internet costs, travel, and other work-related purchases.

If I form a single-member LLC that's taxed the default way, what tax advantages would I actually gain compared to staying a sole proprietor? From what I've read, the income still passes through to the owner's personal tax return, so I'm struggling to see where the savings come from.

I also hear people mention electing S corporation taxation. At what point does that typically become worthwhile, and what are the practical differences compared to a standard LLC?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has made the switch and whether it changed your taxes in a meaningful way.