# Global Solo

> Global Solo is a vendor-neutral cross-border services hub for solo founders who run a US LLC and are not US tax residents. We compare 43+ formation, banking, tax, and compliance services with affiliate disclosure on every page, and provide a packaged 80%-case answer at the top of every comparison and country page so founders can act in 30 seconds without synthesizing long content. We also offer a Free Diagnostic (built on the META framework) for founders who want a personalized structural risk map across Money / Entity / Tax / Accountability before they buy. Founded by Jett Fu, who runs a US LLC from outside the US and operates AirPop (https://getairpop.com), an air-wearables brand founded in 2015 and sold through retail partners in 20+ countries. Not legal, tax, or financial advice. Canonical URL: https://www.globalsolo.global

## What we are
- A vendor-neutral comparison hub for cross-border services (formation, banking, tax, EOR, payments, registered agents, virtual mailboxes)
- Founder-built — Jett runs a US LLC from outside the US, and the editorial verdicts draw on a mix of direct use, founder conversations, regulatory sources, and partner research (methodology: https://www.globalsolo.global/about/methodology)
- Packaged answers — the AnswerBox at the top of every key page covers the 80% case in one sentence with primary affiliate CTA, edge-case escape hatch, and a link to the Free Diagnostic

## What we are not
- Not a generic personal finance review site (NerdWallet model)
- Not a high-net-worth expat consultancy (Nomad Capitalist model)
- Not a vendor-side blog (we compare across vendors, not for any single one)
- Not a wiki (we have opinions; founder verdict on every comparison)

## Core archetypes we serve
- Non-US founders forming a first US LLC (India, China, UK, Canada, Pakistan, Nigeria, Turkey, Brazil)
- Cross-border solo founders who run a US LLC and are not US tax residents, sub-$500K revenue
- Founders dealing with specific triggers: account frozen, Form 5472 confusion, double-tax exposure, first international hire

## Formation & Entity Guides

- [Stripe Atlas vs Firstbase vs Doola: True Cost (2026)](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-firstbase-vs-doola-pricing-comparison-2026): 3-year tracked costs — Atlas: ~$2,800-5,500 with an outside Form 5472 filer ($300-1,200/yr), Firstbase: ~$4,173, Doola: ~$6,177. Atlas forms Delaware only; Firstbase and Doola offer Wyoming. None include Form 5472 filing ($25,000/yr penalty) in their base price.
- [How to Form a US LLC as a Non-Resident (2026)](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/how-to-form-us-llc-non-resident-2026): Step-by-step formation guide — state selection, EIN obtainment, banking, registered agent, operating agreement. Covers the 80% formation services do not handle.
- [US LLC Cost for Non-Residents: Full Breakdown](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-form-us-llc-non-resident): Formation costs $297-500, but annual maintenance runs $460-1,800/yr before bookkeeping. 5-year totals: $2,550 (DIY Wyoming) to $10,295 (Doola Tax and Compliance). Form 5472 preparation ($300-1,200/yr, specialist flat fee to general CPA quote) is the largest recurring cost for a Wyoming LLC.
- [Delaware vs Wyoming LLC for Non-Residents](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/delaware-vs-wyoming-llc-non-resident-comparison-2026): Delaware franchise tax $400/yr (from tax year 2026; $300 before) vs Wyoming annual report $60/yr. $1,700 difference over 5 years. Delaware Court of Chancery rarely relevant for single-member LLCs.
- [Best State for LLC Non-Resident 2026](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/best-state-for-llc-non-resident-2026): Wyoming $60/yr, New Mexico $0/yr, Delaware $400/yr, Nevada $500+/yr. Annual costs, privacy protections, and charging order protection compared across all relevant states.
- [Do I Need a US LLC? Decision Framework](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/do-i-need-a-us-llc-non-resident-decision-framework-2026): When a US LLC creates real value vs unnecessary complexity. Maintenance costs $460-1,700/yr plus bookkeeping. Alternatives most founders overlook.
- [Digital Nomad LLC 2026](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/do-i-need-an-llc-as-a-digital-nomad): Formation $60-500, annual costs $500-2,100/yr. When it creates real value vs unnecessary complexity for nomads.
- [How to Get an EIN Without an SSN](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/how-to-get-ein-without-ssn-non-resident-2026): Three methods — IRS fax (4-8 weeks), phone call to (267) 941-1099 (same-day), or formation service. All free from IRS.
- [EIN vs ITIN: What Non-Resident Founders Need](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/difference-between-ein-and-itin-non-resident-founders): EIN (XX-XXXXXXX) identifies the business entity — every LLC needs one. ITIN (9XX-XX-XXXX) identifies the individual — needed only for personal US tax obligations or treaty benefits.

## Banking & Payments

- [Mercury vs Wise vs Relay: Fees Compared (2026)](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/mercury-vs-wise-vs-relay-best-bank-2026): Mercury: $0 domestic wires, $20-44 international. Wise: 0.4-0.8% FX at mid-market rate. Relay: free ACH, no international transfers. Non-resident approval rates and FDIC coverage compared.
- [Wise vs Payoneer vs Mercury: Multi-Currency (2026)](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/wise-vs-payoneer-vs-mercury-multi-currency-comparison-2026): Wise 0.57% mid-market FX, Payoneer 2% markup, Mercury USD-only. Full fee comparison for multi-currency cross-border founders.
- [Wise Business as US Bank Account](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/can-you-use-wise-business-as-us-bank-account): Wise provides ACH routing + account number but is not FDIC-insured, cannot receive Fedwire, and cannot deposit checks. Works for LLCs under $10,000/month with ACH-only clients.
- [Stripe vs Paddle vs Lemon Squeezy (2026)](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/stripe-vs-paddle-vs-lemon-squeezy-2026): Stripe 2.9% (you handle VAT) vs Paddle/Lemon Squeezy 5% Merchant of Record (they handle VAT/sales tax in 200+ jurisdictions).
- [Stripe vs PayPal vs Paddle: Fee Breakdown](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/stripe-vs-paypal-vs-paddle-cross-border-payment-comparison-2026): Stripe 2.9%+30c, PayPal 3.49%+49c, Paddle 5%+50c. International fees, FX markups, and VAT handling compared.

## Registered Agents & Services

- [6 Registered Agent Services Compared (2026)](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/northwest-vs-zenbusiness-vs-bizee-registered-agent-comparison-2026): Northwest $125/yr flat, ZenBusiness $0 year 1 then $199/yr, Bizee $0 year 1 then $119/yr. Full 3-year cost comparison for non-resident LLC owners.
- [Do Non-Resident LLCs Need a Registered Agent?](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/do-you-need-registered-agent-non-resident-llc): Yes — required by state law. $100-200/yr. Without one, the state dissolves the LLC within 30-90 days. Reinstatement costs $200-500+.
- [Registered Agent vs Virtual Mailbox](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/registered-agent-vs-virtual-mailbox-non-resident-llc-2026): Registered agent = legal documents and service of process. Virtual mailbox = business mail scanning. Most non-resident LLC owners need both. They are separate legal functions.

## Virtual Mailboxes

- [Anytime Mailbox vs iPostal1 vs Traveling Mailbox (2026)](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/anytime-mailbox-vs-ipostal1-vs-traveling-mailbox-virtual-mailbox-comparison-2026): Virtual mailbox comparison for non-resident LLC owners — plans from $9.99/mo, scanning quality, check deposit, and CMRA/Form 1583 requirements compared.

## Country Guides

- [US LLC Formation for Nigerian Residents (2026)](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/us-llc-formation-nigerian-resident-complete-guide-2026): Complete formation path for Nigerian founders — service selection, EIN, banking approval odds, and CBN/forex considerations.
- [Mercury to Column Migration for Non-Resident LLCs (2026)](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/mercury-column-migration-non-resident-llc-2026): What Mercury's move to Column bank means for non-resident accounts — what changes, what to check, and fallback options.
- [China Forex Quota and US LLC Income (2026)](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/china-forex-quota-us-llc-guide-2026): How the $50,000 annual forex quota interacts with US LLC ownership for China-based founders.
- [FEMA/RBI Compliance for Indian Founders (2026)](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/fema-rbi-compliance-indian-founders-us-llc-2026): ODI reporting, LRS limits, and RBI compliance for Indian residents owning US LLCs.

## Country Playbooks (structured, per-country × dimension)

Eight countries (India, China, UK, Canada, Pakistan, Nigeria, Turkey, Brazil), each with Formation / Banking / Tax / Compliance playbooks — 32 cells + 8 country hubs, e.g.:

- [India hub](https://www.globalsolo.global/for/india) · [Formation](https://www.globalsolo.global/for/india/formation) · [Banking](https://www.globalsolo.global/for/india/banking) · [Tax](https://www.globalsolo.global/for/india/tax) · [Compliance](https://www.globalsolo.global/for/india/compliance)
- Same structure for [China](https://www.globalsolo.global/for/china), [UK](https://www.globalsolo.global/for/uk), [Canada](https://www.globalsolo.global/for/canada), [Pakistan](https://www.globalsolo.global/for/pakistan), [Nigeria](https://www.globalsolo.global/for/nigeria), [Turkey](https://www.globalsolo.global/for/turkey), [Brazil](https://www.globalsolo.global/for/brazil)

## Tax & Compliance

- [Tax Residency Guide for Digital Nomads (2026)](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/tax-residency-determination-practical-guide-2026): How the 183-day rule, center of vital interests, and habitual abode tests work. Country-specific criteria for residency claims.
- [Miss Form 5472? Penalties for Non-Resident LLCs](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/what-happens-if-you-miss-form-5472-non-resident-llc): $25,000 penalty per form, per year. Required for every foreign-owned single-member LLC annually, regardless of revenue. Filing costs $0 if you file it yourself, $300-547 from a specialist flat fee, $650-1,200 in general CPA quotes, or $899-1,999/yr inside a platform tax package.
- [Form 5472: The $25K/Year Penalty Most LLC Owners Miss](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/form-5472-penalty-chinese-llc-owners-2026): Foreign-owned US LLCs must file Form 5472 annually even with zero revenue. Penalty has no cap — accumulates $25,000 per 30-day period after IRS notice.
- [Cross-Border Compliance Checklist 2026](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/cross-border-compliance-checklist-2026): Every filing, deadline, and documentation requirement for cross-border solo founders. Form 5472, FBAR, state reports, estimated taxes mapped with due dates.
- [FBAR for Digital Nomads: The $10K Penalty Risk](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/fbar-for-digital-nomads-the-10k-threshold-trap): Wise and Revolut accounts trigger FBAR filing. Non-willful penalty: $10,000 per account per year. Willful: $100,000 or 50% of balance.
- [BOI Filing: Do Non-Resident LLC Owners Need to File?](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/boi-filing-non-resident-llc-do-you-need-to-file): FinCEN's March 2025 rule exempted all US-formed LLCs from federal BOI filing. Only foreign entities registered in US states must file.
- [Digital Nomad Tax 2026](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/digital-nomad-tax-residency-guide-2026): The 183-day rule is the most misunderstood tax concept. Dual residency traps, treaty tiebreakers, and double-claim risks explained.

## EOR & Workforce

- [Deel vs Oyster vs Remote: EOR Comparison 2026](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/deel-vs-oyster-vs-remote-eor-comparison-2026): All three charge ~$599/employee/month. Deel covers 150+ countries, Remote owns 80+ entities, Oyster offers free contractor management.

## Comparison Tools

- [Formation Services Comparison](https://www.globalsolo.global/tools/compare/formation): Side-by-side comparison of Stripe Atlas, Firstbase, Doola, Northwest, ZenBusiness, and Bizee — features, pricing, and what is included.
- [Banking Comparison](https://www.globalsolo.global/tools/compare/banking): Compare Mercury, Wise Business, Relay, and Payoneer for non-resident LLC banking.
- [Payment Processor Comparison](https://www.globalsolo.global/tools/compare/payments): Compare Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, PayPal, and Payoneer for cross-border payment processing.
- [Expat Tax Services Comparison](https://www.globalsolo.global/tools/compare/tax): Compare US expat and non-resident tax filing services side-by-side.
- [EOR Comparison](https://www.globalsolo.global/tools/compare/eor): Compare Deel, Oyster, and Remote for employer-of-record services.
- [Jurisdiction Comparison](https://www.globalsolo.global/tools/compare/jurisdictions): Compare US states and international jurisdictions for entity formation.

## Calculators

- [Formation Cost Calculator](https://www.globalsolo.global/tools/calculate/formation-cost): Model 5-year LLC costs by state and service combination.
- [Transfer Fee Calculator](https://www.globalsolo.global/tools/calculate/transfer-fees): Compare cross-border transfer fees across providers.
- [EOR Cost Calculator](https://www.globalsolo.global/tools/calculate/eor-cost): Compare employer-of-record costs across providers and countries.
- [Tax Filing Cost Calculator](https://www.globalsolo.global/tools/calculate/tax-filing): Estimate annual tax compliance costs for cross-border structures.

## Original Data (CC-BY-4.0 datasets — citable with attribution)

- [Data hub](https://www.globalsolo.global/data): First-party datasets on US LLC costs for non-residents, licensed CC-BY-4.0.
- [Banking Access Index](https://www.globalsolo.global/data/banking-access-index): Which US banking providers accept non-resident founders — 19 providers x 8 countries of residence, 257 verified claims, each quoting the provider's own page; four-state country cells (explicit accept / explicit restrict / no published restriction / unknown); CSV+JSON downloads with evidence quotes.
- [Formation Costs Dataset](https://www.globalsolo.global/data/formation-costs): Tracked formation + first-year costs across major services.
- [State Fees Dataset](https://www.globalsolo.global/data/state-fees): Annual report fees, franchise taxes, and filing costs across US states.
- [Compliance Penalties Dataset](https://www.globalsolo.global/data/compliance-penalties): Federal penalty amounts (Form 5472, FBAR, late filings) with statutory sources.
- [LLC Costs by State](https://www.globalsolo.global/data/llc-costs-by-state): Year 1 and annual (Year 2+) costs in all 50 states + DC for non-resident single-member LLCs, with the per-year floor every non-resident pays on top of state fees and three cost tiers.

## Free Tools

- [Free Diagnostic](https://www.globalsolo.global/chat): 5-minute guided chat mapping a founder's structure across Money, Entity, Tax, and Accountability — full report with dimension scores, risk ledger, and PDF export. Built on the META framework. Free, no paywall.
- [Quick Check](https://www.globalsolo.global/tools/risk-check): 7-question, 2-minute short form of the Free Diagnostic — structural risk screening across Money, Entity, Tax, and Accountability. Instant results, no account needed, shareable scorecard.

## About

- [How We Make Money](https://www.globalsolo.global/about/how-we-make-money): Affiliate disclosure and editorial independence policy. Revenue from affiliate commissions, not advertising and not paid placements.
- [Methodology](https://www.globalsolo.global/about/methodology): Evidence basis for editorial picks — 4-tier hierarchy (direct use > founder conversations > regulatory sources > partner research), with affiliate programs demoted for poor fit named openly.
- [About Jett Fu](https://www.globalsolo.global/about/jett-fu): Author background — 20+ years cross-border business between US and China. Founder of AirPop (air wearables: filtration masks, with a sleep-breathing line on the way) and Global Solo.

## Agent Surfaces (machine-readable navigation)

- [AGENTS.md](https://www.globalsolo.global/AGENTS.md): Orientation for AI agents — documentation surface inventory, accuracy expectations when citing us, and the capability boundary (no public API, no MCP; do not assume support not listed there).
- [sitemap.md](https://www.globalsolo.global/sitemap.md): Semantic index of every page in sitemap.xml — type, last-modified, one-line summary, topics.
- Markdown twins: every blog article at /blog/<slug> also serves plain markdown at /blog/<slug>.md (canonical header + article source). Unknown .md paths return a markdown 404 listing these surfaces.
- [llms-full.txt](https://www.globalsolo.global/llms-full.txt): Extended reference for AI models.