Entering the U.S. Market: A Roadmap for Foreign Founders

The short answer

• Entering the U.S. market involves many separate rules: entity and state, federal and state taxes, licenses and permits, sales tax, import rules and consumer-facing rules.
• Most businesses need a tax ID number and licenses or permits. According to the SBA, licenses may come from federal agencies and from the state, county or city, depending on what you do and where.
• The FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Rule requires a reasonable basis for any shipping promise, or for shipping within 30 days if you make none.
• Some state and local governments offer tax credits and incentives to small businesses, often tied to job creation or energy efficiency. Eligibility depends on the program.
• The order below is a practical sequence, not a legal requirement.

Table of contents

1. Step 1: Decide the structure
2. Step 2: Set up the basics
3. Step 3: Banking and payments
4. Step 4: Taxes and filings
5. Step 5: Licenses and local rules
6. Step 6: Selling rules
7. Step 7: Products and logistics
8. Step 8: People and support
9. Step 9: Trust and communication
10. Incentives: check before you count on them
11. A first-90-days checklist
12. What MyUSAService offers
13. Frequently asked questions

The United States is the market many founders want, and the one where the rules are hardest to see from outside. Nothing here is a secret. The difficulty is that the obligations come from different authorities, each with its own timing, and a founder abroad meets them one by one and often too late.

This roadmap puts them in a practical order, with a link to the detailed guide for each step. It is a sequence, not a legal requirement: your business may need a different order.

Step 1: Decide the structure

Choose the entity and the state before you form anything. The structure decides taxes, ownership options and yearly filings.

• Compare LLC and corporation tax treatment.
• Compare states by yearly cost and by where you really operate: see the best state to form an LLC.
• Follow the steps to form an LLC, including what happens after.

Step 2: Set up the basics

• A registered agent, required in the state of formation: see our guide to registered agents.
• An EIN, obtainable by phone, fax or mail: see our guide to non-resident compliance.
• A U.S. address: see virtual office services.

Step 3: Banking and payments

• Open a U.S. business bank account.
• Understand the payment tools and what to do if a platform rejects you: why platforms reject accounts.
• Compare international transfer fees.
• Build the company’s credit over time: building business credit.

Step 4: Taxes and filings

• Know how the U.S. taxes you and your company: U.S. business taxes and U.S. tax residency.
• Keep the calendar: IRS filing deadlines and annual compliance.
• Remember that a foreign-owned single-member LLC files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 when it has reportable transactions, even with no revenue: see zero-revenue companies.
• Keep bookkeeping from the first transaction.

Step 5: Licenses and local rules

According to the SBA, most businesses need a tax ID number and licenses or permits. Businesses regulated by a federal agency need a federal license or permit, and the state, county or city may require others depending on your activity and location. Zoning rules, when you use a physical location, are typically controlled at the local level. Check each level for your business before you sell.

Step 6: Selling rules

• Sales tax. It is a state matter, and since Wayfair a state can require remote sellers to collect it once they pass a threshold: sales tax for online sellers.
• Shipping promises. The FTC’s Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Rule requires that when you advertise merchandise you have a reasonable basis for any shipping promise. If you make none, you must have a reasonable basis for believing you can ship within 30 days. If you cannot ship on time, you must ask the customer to consent to the delay.
• Product claims. Claims like Made in USA follow a specific standard: Made in USA claims.

Step 7: Products and logistics

• Importing: do you need a U.S. LLC to import and customs clearance.
• Storage and fulfillment: what to check before using a U.S. warehouse.
• Pricing: landed cost.

Step 8: People and support

• Hiring in the United States: U.S. payroll compliance.
• Delegating repeatable work: virtual assistants for your U.S. business.
• Time zones: if your customers are in the United States and you are not, plan who answers during U.S. business hours, and publish your support hours and reply times.

Step 9: Trust and communication

• Be reachable: a U.S. phone number and address.
• Match the communication habits of your customers: U.S. business etiquette.
• Protect what you collect: data storage compliance.

Incentives: check before you count on them

The SBA notes that some state and local governments offer special tax credits and other incentives to small businesses, often tied to job creation or energy efficiency. Eligibility depends on the program, the location and the business. Do not build a plan on an incentive until you have confirmed the program’s rules with the agency that runs it.

A first-90-days checklist

1. Entity, state and name decided.
2. Company formed, registered agent active, EIN received.
3. Bank account open, with payment tools connected.
4. Address and phone in place, and the same details everywhere.
5. Licenses and permits identified for your activity.
6. Sales tax position checked for the states where you sell.
7. Bookkeeping running monthly, calendar of filings in front of you.
8. Support hours and response times published.

What MyUSAService offers

MyUSAService forms and maintains U.S. companies for owners abroad. The Startup package costs $2,200 and the Startup All In package $2,400, with the first-year state fees included for Florida and Wyoming. Yearly renewal costs $1,250 in Wyoming, $1,550 in Florida and $1,650 in Delaware. Prices as of September 2026. For legal, tax and customs questions, work with the right professional for each.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a U.S. company to sell in the United States?

Not always. A company helps with banking, payment platforms and contracts. Sales tax, taxes and product rules depend on your activity, not only on the entity.

What licenses do I need?

It depends on your activity and location. The SBA explains that they can come from federal agencies and from the state, county or city.

What is the first step?

Choose the structure, meaning entity and state, before you form the company.

Are there government incentives for foreign founders?

Some state and local governments offer tax credits and incentives to small businesses. Eligibility depends on each program.

How long does it take to enter the U.S. market?

It depends on your product and your plan. The basics, company, EIN and bank, can be done first: see the checklist above.

Planning to enter the U.S. market?

Talk for 30 minutes, free of charge, with a MyUSAService consultant.

• No obligation
• Consultation in English
• 30 minutes
• We build a first-steps roadmap for your business

Book your free consultation

Sources

1. SBA, Apply for licenses and permits
2. FTC, Business Guide to the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule
3. Supreme Court of the United States, South Dakota v. Wayfair (2018)
4. IRS, Instructions for Form 5472

First published May 29, 2025. This article is general information, not tax advice for your situation. MyUSAService packages and prices | Book a free call