Wyoming, Montana or Missouri: the best state for a Sri Lankan’s LLC

The short answer

You don’t live in the US, so the state you choose doesn’t change your taxes or what you can do with the company. Stripe and Mercury treat an LLC from any of these states the same way. What differs is cost, paperwork and speed.

All prices are Entryly’s and include the state filing fee, your EIN and the first year of registered agent service.

Choose Montana if you want the best value

Montana is the state most Sri Lankan founders choose with us. It costs $20 more than Missouri to start, and the same each year afterwards, and its annual report fee is waived until 2027. It’s a sensible default if you have no reason to pick another state.

Choose Wyoming if you need it fast

Wyoming files in 3 to 5 business days, or 2 with expedited filing, against 7 to 14 for the others. That matters if a client or a platform is waiting for your company details. It’s also the best-known state for non-resident LLCs, which some founders like. The trade-off is $80 more a year for the annual report.

Choose Missouri if you want the lowest cost

Missouri is the cheapest to start at $160, and Missouri LLCs don’t file an annual report. It takes 7 to 14 business days, like Montana.

What doesn’t depend on the state

• Stripe and Mercury eligibility. Both look at your business, your documents and where you live, not which state your LLC is in.
• Your Sri Lankan tax. You declare the income in Sri Lanka whichever state you choose.
• Form 5472. Every single-member LLC owned by a non-resident files it each year, in any state.