Getting paid from Ukraine
Stripe does not list Ukraine among its supported countries, and Shopify Payments is not available there. PayPal has worked in Ukraine since 2022: Ukrainian accounts can receive money, and PayPal says it is temporarily waiving some fees for receiving into Ukrainian accounts until further notice. Currency conversion still costs 3% to 4% above the base rate.
With a US LLC, its EIN and a US business bank account, you can apply for a US Stripe account and accept cards from customers worldwide, paid out in dollars. Stripe reviews every business and decides itself. Many Ukrainian freelancers already invoice foreign clients as a FOP; a US LLC is an extra company with its own yearly US filing, so compare both before you choose.
At home
Putting money into a foreign company under martial law
Before February 2022, residents could send up to EUR 200,000 a year abroad for investments under the NBU's e-limit. Since 24 February 2022, NBU Resolution No. 18 has prohibited cross-border transfers unless they are expressly permitted. Ukrainian banks state that transfers abroad under the e-limit are currently not possible because of Resolution No. 18.
The NBU has eased its rules step by step, most recently from 11 August 2026, but those changes mainly concern businesses and payments abroad, not capital that individuals put into foreign companies. Check the current rules with your bank before you plan any transfer from Ukraine to the LLC.
Ukrainian tax and CFC reporting
Ukrainian tax residents are taxed on their worldwide income. Ukraine also has controlled foreign company rules in the Tax Code. A resident who controls a foreign company must notify the State Tax Service within 60 days of acquiring control, and file a CFC report each year with the annual income declaration, for the year 2025 by 1 May 2026, with the company's financial statements attached.
Whether the LLC's profit is added to your taxable income depends on the facts. Talk to an accountant or tax adviser before forming the LLC, since the 60-day notice starts almost at once.
Bringing money home
Distributions from the LLC arrive in Ukraine as an international transfer to your hryvnia or foreign currency account. Ukrainian banks check incoming foreign payments, so label each transfer clearly and keep the LLC's statements ready.
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 accountant or tax adviser in Ukraine before you form the LLC.
