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Form 5472 guides

Written for non-US founders rather than for accountants. Every page includes a short summary at the top, so you can decide in ten seconds whether it is the one you need.

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Free interactive check Do I need to file Form 5472? Eight questions covering entity type, ownership and transactions. Tells you honestly when you probably don't need to file. Highest stakes The $25,000 penalty explained Per form, per year, with continuation amounts after IRS notice. Plus a free exposure calculator and how reasonable cause works. Dates & extensions When Form 5472 is due 15 April, 15 October with a timely Form 7004, weekends and holidays, and what to do about years already missed.

Getting it right

Line by line How to fill out Form 5472 Parts I to VI in plain English, what to write when a box doesn't apply, and the ten mistakes that matter. The key definition What counts as a reportable transaction Every category, who counts as a related party, and the everyday movements founders forget are reportable. The cover page Pro forma Form 1120 explained Why a disregarded entity files a corporate return that reports no income, and exactly which lines to leave blank.

Your situation

Core guide Foreign-owned single-member LLC: all filing requirements Form 5472, pro forma 1120, EIN, beneficial ownership, state annual reports, sales tax and home-country reporting — one map. Most-asked question My LLC had no activity — do I still file? Why "no income" and "no reportable transactions" are different questions, and what a genuinely nil year looks like. Constant confusion Form 5472 vs Form 5471 One digit apart, opposite directions of ownership. A three-question test and four worked examples.

Deciding how to file

Honest comparison DIY vs CPA vs formation agent vs software Four routes compared, including the situations where we tell you to hire a professional instead of buying from us. The tool Prepare your Form 5472 Ten minutes of plain questions, then the complete document on screen. Free to read; $49.99 for the files. Who we are About & contact What this site is, what it deliberately is not, how content is reviewed, and how to reach a human.

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Draft your Form 5472 in about ten minutes

Plain questions, then your completed Form 5472 and pro forma Form 1120 on screen. The whole document is free to read — $49.99 only if you want the print-ready files.

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About this content

Every page on this site is general educational information about US federal information-reporting requirements. None of it is tax, legal or accounting advice, none of it is tailored to your circumstances, and reading it does not create any professional relationship.

Content reflects the IRS Form 5472 and its instructions as reviewed in 2026. Rules, amounts, form layouts and filing addresses change. Verify against IRS.gov before filing, and consult a qualified US tax professional about your own position.