Getting paid from Philippines
Stripe's own country list does not include the Philippines, so a Philippine business cannot open a Stripe account directly. Shopify Payments is not available there either. PayPal does work: Philippine accounts can receive payments and withdraw to a local bank, with a small fee on withdrawals under 7,000 pesos and a 3% markup when PayPal converts your dollars to pesos.
With a US LLC, its EIN and a US business bank account, you apply for a US Stripe account like any American company. Stripe reviews every application and decides on its own; a US company makes you eligible, not approved. Payouts land in the LLC's US account in dollars, and you move money to the Philippines when you choose, for example with Wise.
At home
Philippine tax
The Philippines taxes resident citizens on their worldwide income. A Filipino who is a non-resident citizen, such as someone working abroad for most of the year, is taxed only on income from Philippine sources. Which group you fall into matters a great deal, and it is a question of fact for a Philippine CPA.
The Philippines has no controlled foreign company rules, according to PwC's tax summary. That does not make the LLC's profit tax-free: how a US LLC and the money you take out of it are treated on your BIR return depends on how the LLC is set up and run. Ask a CPA before the first year closes, not after.
Sending money to the US company
Residents may buy foreign currency from Philippine banks to invest abroad. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) describes an annual threshold of USD 60 million per investor for outward investments, above which extra documentation applies, so a small LLC is far below it. Your bank will ask you to fill in an application to purchase foreign currency and show what the money is for, such as the LLC's formation document.
Bringing money home
Money you take out of the LLC arrives in the Philippines as an inward remittance to your peso or dollar account. Label each transfer clearly, for example as an owner distribution, and keep the LLC's bank statements. Those records support both your BIR return and the yearly US filing.
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 Philippine CPA in Philippines before you form the LLC.
