Indie Developer's Guide to Going Global: US Company + EIN + Stripe + Bank for $193

Project Overview

This guide is maintained by Qiufeng (@qiufenghyf) and documents the full, practical process of setting up a US company and getting paid as an indie developer.

Cost Summary

$193 total — US company registration + EIN + Stripe + Mercury Bank

Getting Started

Step 1: Register a US Company ($150, ~1 week)

Register in Wyoming — the state has no corporate or personal income tax, and anyone, regardless of nationality, can register there.

Fill in your basic information as prompted
Choose LLC as your company type (recommended for individuals and small teams)
Use your actual address
Leave the optional add-ons at their default settings
Registration typically completes within one week

Step 2: Apply for an EIN ($43, ~3 days)

You can apply directly through the IRS website, or hire someone to do it for you. A convenient option is to find a service provider on Fiverr — just send them your company formation documents.

Step 3: Mercury Bank (Free, ~5 days)

Once you have your US company entity and EIN, the application is straightforward. You'll need to provide proof of address (a utility bill showing your name and address).

Step 4: Stripe (Free, ~1 day)

With all of the above in place, you can apply for Stripe directly.

Step 5: BOI Filing ($9)

File through wyomingagents.com. Have your passport ready.

Step 6: Wise Account ($31 account opening fee)

Supports sending and receiving payments from virtually anywhere in the world. To open a business account, you'll need: a US company + EIN, a domestic address, a passport, and a linked US bank account.

Step 7: Tax Filing ($50)

File Form 1120 and Form 5472 through a service provider on Fiverr.

Free Cloud Credits for Startups

After registering your US company, you can also apply for free cloud resources from major providers:

GitHub Enterprise — 12 months (valued at $5,040)
Azure — up to $150,000 in credits
AWS — $15,000 in credits
Google Cloud — $2,000 in credits
Nvidia cloud resources

Author: 秋风_irwin | Original Source