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US LLC nonresident taxes - let's answer that hard question

yngmind

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Apr 26, 2020
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Hi guys, let's discuss US LLC taxes for a nonresident.

I've seen many videos on youtube that say there be no taxes for the nonresident because it's a pass-through entity.

But it clearly says that you will be taxed if you have received a US-sourced income.

What about sales tax? if the customer is from the US and you sell a digital product, should you collect it?

Let's just find an answer together and save that thread so no one will ask it anymore.

Some people also say that it depends where your PE is like you can still sell to US customers and pay 0% because you don't have employees there and you don't live there etc.

"Nonresident aliens are only subject to U.S. taxation on income from U.S. sources. Foreign-sourced income received by nonresident aliens is not subject to U.S. taxation. This is unlike resident aliens who are taxed on worldwide income (income from both U.S. and foreign sources).


Generally, U.S.-sourced income includes all income received from U.S. organizations or individuals and compensation received from both U.S. and foreign organizations or individuals for work performed in the U.S.


Income is considered foreign-sourced if the location of the activity for which the payment is being issued is not in the U.S.


If the source is unclear at the time of payment, the payment is treated as U.S.-sourced income and taxed accordingly."


Type of IncomeFactor Determining Source
Salaries, wages, other compensationWhere services performed
Business income: Personal servicesWhere services performed
Business income: Sale of inventory - purchasedWhere sold
Business income: Sale of inventory - producedWhere produced (Allocation may be necessary)
InterestResidence of payer
DividendsWhether a U.S. or foreign corporation (some exceptions)
Rents and Sale of real propertyLocation of property
Royalties: Patents, copyrights, etc.Where property is used
Sale of personal propertySeller's tax home (some exceptions)
PensionsWhere services were performed that earned the pension
Scholarships - FellowshipsGenerally, the residence of the payer
 
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If you sell a product, tangible or intangible, to citizens in the state that you opened the LLC, you should collect sales tax in that state. Foreign owner of a sole member LLC is not taxable for US source income because s/he is not present in the US and not subject to 183 day rule.

Things are different if your company is a 2 member LLC. In that case all income is taxable because the LLC is a US entity and like a US individual subject to domestic and foreign income taxation. The IRS requires the 2 member LLC to withhold 30% of the profits belonging to the foreign owner and submit quarterly that 30% to the IRS.

By year end the foreign owner of the 2 member LLC files and pay taxes and claims a refund for any portion left
 
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If you sell a product, tangible or intangible, to citizens in the state that you opened the LLC, you should collect sales tax in that state. Foreign owner of a sole member LLC is not taxable for US source income because s/he is not present in the US and not subject to 183 day rule.

Things are different if your company is a 2 member LLC. In that case all income is taxable because the LLC is a US entity and like a US individual subject to domestic and foreign income taxation. The IRS requires the 2 member LLC to withhold 30% of the profits belonging to the foreign owner and submit quarterly that 30% to the IRS.

By year end the foreign owner of the 2 member LLC files and pay taxes and claims a refund for any portion left
Thank you, that makes sense.

So non-residents still should pay sales tax from US sales.

There is also one scheme, you form UAE FZ company, you register US LLC on it. So the LLC will be owned by UAE FZ company only.

You create some documents that your US LLC is just a payment processing company for your UAE LLC and it will charge like 0,5% for the processing, so you just transfer all the money to UAE and a small percentage is an LLC profit, not sure if it's good to use since as you told non-residents have no taxes in the US.

But I know some guys with big businesses who are using the same scheme, like UAE FZ owns US LLC and some companies in Europe and that's just payment processing companies, because it's hard to get any payment processor for UAE and the stripe for UAE is crap and robbery, wouldn't advise anyone, you will pay like 5-7% in fees after you withdraw it to your bank and convert in Euro or US $.
 
If you sell a product, tangible or intangible, to citizens in the state that you opened the LLC, you should collect sales tax in that state. Foreign owner of a sole member LLC is not taxable for US source income because s/he is not present in the US and not subject to 183 day rule.

Things are different if your company is a 2 member LLC. In that case all income is taxable because the LLC is a US entity and like a US individual subject to domestic and foreign income taxation. The IRS requires the 2 member LLC to withhold 30% of the profits belonging to the foreign owner and submit quarterly that 30% to the IRS.

By year end the foreign owner of the 2 member LLC files and pay taxes and claims a refund for any portion left
So, what if my LLC is in Delaware, where there isn't sales tax?

I'm nonresident with a sole member LLC in Delaware. Asked two different tax consultants and got opposite responses. One says yes and the other no.
 
So, what if my LLC is in Delaware, where there isn't sales tax?

I'm nonresident with a sole member LLC in Delaware. Asked two different tax consultants and got opposite responses. One says yes and the other no.

The end customer is the one paying the sales tax. So if you sell a product online, and a customer buys from Delaware, he won't pay sales tax as there is none. If you have a customer buying from California, he will pay the sales tax corresponding to California's rate. As the seller, you collect and remit all the sales taxes that your customers paid to you.
 
I think sales tax is triggered after a certain threshold is reached


100k in most cases.. so by my understanding if you don't pass 100k of sales in certain state you don't have to collect state tax..