A US LLC for Sri Lankan agencies with clients abroad
US clients pay US companies faster. With a US LLC, your agency can sign contracts as a US business, give clients a W-9 with an EIN, and get paid by free ACH transfer or by card through Stripe, straight into Mercury. You keep your team and Sri Lankan company as they are.
Written by Kaveesha Mallawaarachchi, founder of Entryly. Facts checked .
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Why US clients pay US companies faster
A US client paying a Sri Lankan agency usually needs an international wire: their finance team sets up a foreign vendor, pays a wire fee, and the money arrives days later minus intermediary bank charges. Paying a US company is routine for them:
- A W-9 with your LLC’s EIN is all their accounts team needs to add you as a vendor.
- ACH transfers to your Mercury account are free and arrive in a day or two.
- Card payments through Stripe invoices work for smaller clients who want to pay immediately.
How agencies set it up
Many agencies keep their Sri Lankan company for the team and local clients, and use a US LLC for clients in the US and elsewhere abroad. The LLC signs the client contract and invoices the client, and the money goes to Mercury.
What it costs to get paid
| Client pays by | Cost to you |
|---|---|
| ACH transfer to Mercury | Free |
| US card through Stripe | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Card issued outside the US | 2.9% + 30¢ + 1.5% |
| Wise transfer to your Sri Lankan bank | About 0.46% + $1.36 |
For larger retainers, ask clients to pay by ACH. A $5,000 invoice paid by ACH costs nothing to receive. Paid by card, it costs about $145.
Getting the money home
| Stop | What happens | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Your client | Pays your invoice by US card | $5,000.00 |
| Stripe | Card fee, 2.9% + 30¢ | −$145.30 |
| Mercury | Receives the payout, sends it to Wise by ACH for free | $4,854.70 |
| Wise | Converts to rupees and sends (0.46% + $1.36) | −$23.69 |
| Your Sri Lankan bank | At 1 USD = 332.55 LKR | LKR 1,606,552 |
Fees checked 2026-11-04. International cards add 1.5% and currency conversion adds 1% at Stripe. Sri Lankan income tax isn’t included.
The example above assumes card payment. With ACH, skip the Stripe fee and the full amount reaches Mercury.
Tax
Agency income from clients abroad is taxable in Sri Lanka. For companies, service exports are taxed at a flat 15%; for individuals, at up to 15% when it comes in through a Sri Lankan bank. Your accountant will decide how your US LLC fits with your Sri Lankan structure.
Want us to set this up for you?
We file your US LLC, get your EIN and help you apply for Mercury and Stripe. From $160, paid in rupees with Dialog Genie or a bank transfer. Your price is locked when you pay.
Sources
Published . This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.