Form 5472 for foreign-owned single-member LLCs

This is the federal filing requirement most foreign LLC owners don't know about until the penalty notice arrives.

Who must file

A single-member LLC owned by a non-resident alien individual or foreign corporation is treated as a "25%-foreign-owned" reporting corporation for purposes of IRC 6038A. You must file Form 5472 annually, attached to a pro forma Form 1120, regardless of whether the LLC has any US income or activity.

This includes LLCs with zero revenue, no US bank account, no US presence. If the LLC exists and has a foreign owner, the filing is required.

What Form 5472 reports

Transactions between the LLC and the foreign owner: capital contributions, distributions, loans, sales of services or property. Even if the only transaction was the original capital contribution, the form must be filed reporting that.

Deadline + penalty

Due April 15 (same as Form 1040). Extension to October 15 available via Form 7004.

Late filing penalty: $25,000 per form per year, with additional penalties if the IRS notices in a later year and assesses retroactively. There is a first-time abatement process but it requires a clean filing history.

If you have not filed for prior years

Multiple paths depending on your specific situation: simplified foreign offshore procedures, delinquent international information return submission procedures, or voluntary disclosure. Talk to a tax professional with international experience. Our accountant directory has 12 specialists in foreign-owned LLC compliance.

Need help filing?

Our accountant directory has specialists who handle this exact form across foreign-owned LLCs, S-Corps, and high-volume single-member LLCs.