Getting paid from United Arab Emirates
The UAE is one of Stripe's supported countries, Shopify Payments is available to UAE stores, and PayPal accounts in the UAE can receive money and withdraw to a local bank. If you sell mainly in the region, a UAE company with UAE Stripe may be all you need.
A US LLC adds a US company, a US bank account and a US Stripe account, with payouts in dollars. Because the dirham has been pegged to the dollar at 3.6725 since 1997, the currency risk on dollar income is small either way. Stripe reviews every business and decides itself.
At home
UAE tax
The UAE has no personal income tax. It does have a federal corporate tax: 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above that. Individuals who carry on a business in the UAE fall under corporate tax once their business turnover exceeds AED 1 million in a year.
A foreign company can be treated as a UAE resident for corporate tax if it is effectively managed and controlled in the UAE. A US LLC run day to day from Dubai or Abu Dhabi can therefore have a UAE tax position of its own. Discuss this with a tax adviser before you start trading.
Your tax residency, and your home country
Under Cabinet Decision No. 85 of 2022 you are a UAE tax resident if your usual residence and centre of interests are in the UAE, if you spend 183 days or more there in 12 months, or in some cases 90 days with a residence permit and a home or business in the UAE.
Being UAE resident does not always end tax ties elsewhere. Your country of citizenship or former residence may still tax you, or have exit rules; US citizens are taxed by the US wherever they live. Check both sides with a tax adviser.
Moving money
Money moves between a UAE bank account and the LLC's US account as a normal international transfer. Keep the LLC's statements and label owner contributions and distributions clearly; they are exactly what the yearly US filing reports.
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 tax adviser in United Arab Emirates before you form the LLC.
