Getting paid from Curaçao
Curaçao is not on Stripe's list of supported countries, Shopify Payments does not list it, and it is also missing from PayPal's list of countries that can receive PayPal Payouts. For a business that sells online to customers abroad, that leaves few mainstream options in the company's own name.
With a US LLC, its EIN and a US business bank account, you apply for a US Stripe account like any American company, and can accept cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay from customers in most countries. Stripe reviews the business, the website and the owner, and makes its own decision.
At home
Curaçao tax and the LLC
Individuals resident on Curaçao are taxed on their worldwide income. Curaçao's income tax law generally gives no credit for foreign tax paid, although a deduction may be allowed, and there is no income tax treaty between the United States and Curaçao.
A company is resident on Curaçao for profit tax if it is incorporated there or managed and controlled there. An LLC that is run from the island can therefore fall under Curaçao profit tax, which is 15% on the first XCG 500,000 of profit and 22% above that. If the LLC is treated as a company, income from a holding of 5% or more is taxed at the special substantial interest rate of 19.5%. How Curaçao classifies a particular LLC is a question for a belastingadviseur or accountant.
Foreign exchange rules
Payments between residents and non-residents fall under the foreign exchange rules of the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS). Since 1 October 2024 a foreign exchange license is needed only for transactions of 500,000 guilders or more, and license applications go through your foreign exchange bank rather than directly to the CBCS.
A license fee of 1% applies to the gross amount of transfers from residents to non-residents, so money you send from a local account to the LLC carries that fee. Holding companies can apply for an exemption. Ask your bank how the fee and any reporting apply to your transfers in both directions.
Bringing money home
Distributions from the LLC arrive on the island as an incoming international transfer. The Caribbean guilder is pegged to the US dollar, which makes dollar income predictable in local terms. Keep a record of every transfer between you and the company and what it was for. Bookkeeping software for Curaçao, such as CORA, exists to keep the local side in order.
The US side is the same for everyone
Where you live does not change the US part. It is done online, without travelling, without a US address and without an SSN.
- Choose a state: Wyoming or New Mexico for low running costs, Delaware if you plan to raise money from investors.
- The formation document is filed with a registered agent in that state, within 48 hours.
- The EIN is requested from the IRS as soon as the state approves. No SSN or ITIN is needed.
- You get the operating agreement that banks and payment providers ask for.
- With those documents you apply for a US business bank account, for example at Mercury.
- Every year: the registered agent, the state's annual report where there is one, and Form 5472 for a single-member LLC owned by a foreign person.
Which state?
With no people or premises in the US you can choose any state. Most founders abroad choose on yearly cost and speed.
Sources checked on November 2, 2026
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change; check your own situation with a belastingadviseur or accountant in Curaçao before you form the LLC.
