How to File Form 5472 for a Foreign-Owned LLC (2026)

Who must file Form 5472?

You must file if you have a US LLC that is (a) owned 100% by a non-US person, (b) treated as a disregarded entity for US tax, and (c) had any reportable transaction with its foreign owner during the year.

A reportable transaction is broader than most owners expect. Contributing the capital that funds the LLC, taking money out, paying yourself, or moving funds between you and the company all count. In practice, almost every funded non-resident LLC has a Form 5472 obligation — profit is not required.

What the filing actually consists of

A disregarded LLC does not normally file a corporate return, but Form 5472 can only be attached to a Form 1120. So the filing is two documents together:

• Form 5472 — the information return reporting your reportable transactions with the foreign owner.
• A pro-forma Form 1120 — a near-empty cover return. You complete only the name, address, and EIN, and write “Foreign-owned U.S. DE” across the top.

Step-by-step: how to fill it in

• Get an EIN first (Form SS-4) — you cannot file without it, and no SSN or ITIN is required.
• On the pro-forma 1120: enter the LLC's name, US address, and EIN; mark the top margin “Foreign-owned U.S. DE”. Leave the income sections blank.
• On Form 5472 Part I: the reporting corporation's details (your LLC and registered-agent address).
• Part II: the 25%+ foreign owner — that's you — with your home-country address and tax ID if you have one.
• Parts IV–VI: the reportable transactions (contributions, distributions, amounts paid or received).
• Mail or fax the package to the dedicated IRS address in the Form 5472 instructions — it is not e-filed through the normal 1120 pipeline.

The deadline (April 15, not March 15)

For a calendar-year disregarded entity, the Form 5472 + pro-forma 1120 is due April 15 of the following year. Filing Form 7004 extends that to October 15.

Many owners confuse this with the March 15 partnership/S-corp deadline and file a month late. Use the deadline countdown in our tool below so you don't.

What if you already missed a year?

Don't ignore it. File the delinquent Form 5472 + pro-forma 1120 for each missed year with a reasonable-cause statement explaining why it was late. The IRS abates the penalty in many first-offense cases — but usually only if you file proactively, before they send a notice.