How to Form Your LLC in the US

Your business name sets the tone for your brand. Start by brainstorming a few ideas, then check if the domain name is available—ideally a .com. If you plan to operate under a different name than your legal LLC name, you can register a DBA (Doing Business As) later.

Your business name isn't complete without its domain. The domain is what people type to find you online — it's your digital storefront. Try to get a .com version of your name if you can. It's still the most trusted and professional-looking extension out there.

If the exact match is taken, don't panic. You can try small variations like adding "shop", "get", or "hq" to your name, or check if the owner is selling it. Sedo is a great place to search for available and premium domains.

Now that you've secured your domain, it's time to point it to Cloudflare and set up your first business email. Don't worry — Cloudflare is completely free for basic use and makes DNS management super simple.

Cloudflare provides free DNS hosting, security features, and built-in email routing. This means you can create a professional email address like [email protected] and have all incoming emails automatically forwarded to your personal email address.

Here's what you need to do:

• Sign up for a free Cloudflare account
• Add your domain to Cloudflare
• Copy the nameservers Cloudflare gives you
• Update the nameservers in your Sedo domain settings (or wherever you bought your domain)
• Wait for DNS propagation (usually 10-30 minutes, but can take up to 24 hours)
• Enable Email Routing in Cloudflare's dashboard
• Create your first email address (like hello@, contact@, or info@)
• Set it to forward to your personal email

For now, this email routing setup is enough. You'll be able to receive emails sent to your business address, and they'll show up in your personal inbox. Later on, you can configure a full inbox with sending capabilities, but email routing gets you started immediately without any extra cost or complexity.

Before jumping into LLC formation, join Freelance Stack. It's a founder club full of startup deals to help you save cash. For just 45EUR a year, you get a 50% discount (that's $250 off) on Stripe Atlas, plus tons of other tool perks worth hundreds of thousands.

Freelance Stack offers more than the Stripe Atlas discount. Here are some top deals:

• Google Workspace: 15% off Starter plans for solid email and team tools.
• AWS Activate credits: Free credits to get your cloud up and running.
• JetBrains: 6 months free, then 50% off any plan
• And more: Atlassian, Slack, Zendesk and many more.

Stripe Atlas forms your LLC, assigns your registered agent, opens your US bank account, and activates your Stripe account — all in one application. For founders outside the US, this removes the guesswork entirely. No hunting for services that accept non-residents. No missing steps.

Stripe Atlas also provides valuable perks worth thousands of dollars, such as $5,000 in AWS credits, Google Workspace accounts, and other startup tools. You can find full list of Stripe Atlas perks here.

For the first year, the cost of Stripe Atlas covers everything. However, remember that from the second year onward, you will be responsible for Delaware franchise taxes and registered agent fees.

Follow these sub-steps to complete your Stripe Atlas application:

• Fill in your company details
• Upload your ID documents
• Pay using your Freelance Stack discount

Every U.S. LLC needs a bank account, but don't worry — you don't have to wait for an ITIN or deal with long lines at traditional banks. Your LLC needs a real US bank account — Mercury is the one most founders we know actually use. Built for startups, international-founder friendly, no ITIN or SSN required. Use our referral link and they'll fast-track your application review.

Mercury is online-only, no branch visits. Application takes about 10 minutes.

The IRS will mail your EIN letter. State agencies will mail compliance notices. If you're outside the US, you need a virtual address that actually receives, scans, and forwards that mail — not just a name on a website.

Here's what to check when choosing a provider:

• Make sure they actually receive mail for you. Some just give you an address without handling mail, which is not very useful.
• It's nice if they can send and receive faxes, in case you ever need it for official paperwork.
• Pricing can be tricky. Know both the monthly fee and how much they charge for every letter or package they receive and scan for you.

We use UseStable. They receive and scan all our mail, which is super important when you're forming your LLC because the IRS and other agencies will send letters you need to see.

Having a virtual address that handles everything correctly saves you a lot of headaches and ensures you don't miss any important mail.

Don't miss a year of free Bolt.new PRO plan.

Use your Freelance Stack discount code.

Keep your LLC in good standing by meeting ongoing state requirements and filing obligations.

After forming your LLC via Stripe Atlas, expect your EIN letter as a physical mail piece to the address you listed in the application—often a virtual one like UseStable. It typically arrives in a few weeks; keep an eye on your mail or inbox.

Once received, update accounts like Mercury by uploading the EIN details for verification. Scan the letter and store it safely in your cloud drive. Use it next for more setups (taxes, credit, ITIN for internationals), and double-check for accuracy. If delayed, check status with IRS.

How to calculate and pay your annual taxes and Delaware franchise fees.

Learn how to complete your Google Analytics setup with step-by-step instructions for websites, apps, and e-commerce tracking.

Launch your first ad campaigns to attract clients and grow your LLC. Google Ads credits and more coming soon via our partner program.