Guides
Form 5472 for foreign-owned LLCs
If your US LLC has a single owner who is not a US person, the IRS usually expects Form 5472 attached to a pro forma Form 1120 every year — even if the LLC had no income. It is due on April 15 for calendar-year companies, and not filing it can cost $25,000. Dottie prefills it for $199; you review, sign and remain responsible.
Key facts
- Who: single-member US LLCs owned by a foreign person (a "foreign-owned disregarded entity").
- What: an information return that reports money and transactions between the LLC and its owner or related parties.
- When: by the 15th day of the 4th month after the tax year ends — April 15 for a calendar year. An extension is possible.
- Penalty for not filing or filing incomplete: $25,000 per form, per year.
- It is usually required even if the LLC had no income or no bank account.
- With Dottie: $199, prefilled from your answers in the chat. You review, sign and remain responsible.
What Form 5472 is
Form 5472 is an information return. It does not calculate a tax: it tells the IRS who owns the LLC and which "reportable transactions" happened during the year between the LLC and its foreign owner or other related parties. A single-member LLC owned by a foreign person files it attached to a pro forma Form 1120, which in this case works as a cover sheet.
Reportable transactions include money the owner puts into the LLC or takes out of it, loans between them, payments for services, and costs the owner paid on behalf of the LLC — for example, the formation itself. That is why most foreign-owned LLCs have something to report from their first year.
Who has to file it
| Type of LLC | Yearly federal filing |
|---|---|
| One owner who is not a US person | Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 (usually every year) |
| Two or more owners | Partnership return (Form 1065), not covered by Dottie |
| One owner who is a US person | Reported on the owner's own return; no Form 5472 |
This is general information, not tax advice. Whether the owner also owes US income tax depends on what the LLC does and where; ask a tax professional about your case.
Deadline and penalty
- Due by the 15th day of the 4th month after the end of the LLC's tax year: April 15 for a calendar year.
- A six-month extension can be requested before the deadline.
- The IRS penalty for not filing, filing late or filing an incomplete Form 5472 is $25,000 per form, per year.
- The LLC needs an EIN to file it.
How Dottie handles it
- You Answer Dottie's questions about the year in the chat.
- Dottie Prefills Form 5472 and the pro forma 1120 with your answers. A few business days
- You Review and sign them in the app. You are responsible for the filing.
- Dottie Sends what you signed and saves the proof in your folder.
$199 per year. Available for single-member LLCs owned by a non-resident and formed with Dottie. Dottie does not have a PTIN and does not give tax advice: we prefill, you review, sign and are responsible; we only submit what you signed.
Questions
Do I have to file Form 5472 if my LLC had no income?
Usually yes. The form reports transactions between the LLC and its foreign owner, not income. Paying the formation costs or putting money into the LLC already counts as a reportable transaction.
When is Form 5472 due?
By the 15th day of the 4th month after the tax year ends: April 15 for LLCs that use the calendar year. A six-month extension can be requested.
What happens if I don't file Form 5472?
The IRS penalty is $25,000 per form, per year, for not filing or filing an incomplete form.
How much does Dottie charge for Form 5472?
$199 for Form 5472 + pro forma 1120, prefilled for you to review and sign.
General information, not legal or tax advice. State fees and rules can change; Dottie always quotes the current amount before you pay.