Notes from Canadian founders
Practical notes on forming, banking, and taxing a U.S. business from Canada.
- FinanceFinanceMay 12, 2026· 14 min read
Estimated Tax, EFTPS, and Safe Harbor for Non-Resident LLC Owners
How Canadian-resident SMLLC owners enroll in EFTPS without an SSN, hit the IRC §6654 safe harbor, file Form 1040-ES NR on the right dates, and avoid the underpayment penalty.
Read more → - FormationFormationMay 11, 2026· 14 min read
Anonymous LLC for Non-Residents: 4-State Matrix + BOI Impact (2026)
Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada, and Delaware compared across five anonymity layers. Where state filing privacy ends and FinCEN BOI, bank KYC, IRS Form 5472, and CRA T1135 begin.
Read more → - LegalLegalMay 11, 2026· 14 min read
Manager-Managed vs Member-Managed LLC for Canadian Non-Residents: Treaty PE and ECI Decision Tree
A Canadian non-resident picking between manager-managed and member-managed LLC must map the choice to Article V dependent-agent PE and IRC §864(c) ECI factors. The 4-quadrant decision matrix, the Operating Agreement red-line, and the trap a US-resident manager creates.
Read more → - FinanceFinanceMay 11, 2026· 14 min read
Multi-State Income Tax Apportionment for Non-Resident SaaS LLCs
Why a Canadian-owned SaaS LLC formed in Wyoming can still owe California income tax with zero employees and zero property, and how market-based sourcing rewrites the answer.
Read more → - FinanceFinanceMay 11, 2026· 13 min read
NOL Carryforward and the TCJA 80% Limit for Canadian LLC Owners
Canadian non-resident LLC owners face a 4-layer loss-limitation cascade before §172 NOL applies. Two-tier worked example, 90% rule myth-buster, treaty interaction.
Read more → - FormationFormationMay 11, 2026· 12 min read
NY LLC Publication for Non-Residents: Albany Trick and the $1K Trap
Why most Canadian-owned New York LLCs overpay publication by $700, the Albany County workaround, the 120-day clock, and what happens when authority lapses.
Read more → - FormationFormationMay 11, 2026· 14 min read
Series LLC for Non-Resident Owners: DE, NV, TX, WY, IL Matrix (2026)
Five-state Series LLC comparison for non-resident founders: cell veil mechanics, foreign qualification trap, IRS Form 5472 per-cell guidance, and CRA treaty interaction in one matrix.
Read more → - BankingBankingMay 9, 2026· 9 min read
Mercury Rejection Patterns and Recovery for Non-Resident LLCs
Mercury denied your non-resident LLC application? Here are the five rejection codes Canadian founders hit most, what each one really means, and how to recover or reapply with a higher chance of approval.
Read more → - LegalLegalMay 9, 2026· 13 min read
Multi-Member LLC Operating Agreement for Non-Resident Owners
A multi-member LLC owned by Canadian non-residents needs eight clauses that generic templates skip. §1446(f), treaty recital, ECI roles, K-1 routing, and the red flags to catch before signing.
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