Free tool
Do you need to file Form 5472?
Answer a few questions about your company and its owner. The checker explains its answer and lists the kinds of transactions you would report. It runs entirely in your browser; nothing you choose is sent anywhere.
The checker explains general rules for orientation. It is not tax or legal advice; your facts matter. Check with a qualified accountant before you file.
What this checker covers
Form 5472 is the information return a US company files about transactions with a foreign owner or other related parties. Since 2017, a US LLC with a single foreign owner — normally ignored for income tax — must file it too, attached to a pro forma Form 1120. Missing or incomplete filings carry a penalty of $25,000 each.
The checker covers the common cases: a single-member LLC, a multi-member LLC, a US corporation, and a foreign corporation doing business in the US. When an answer depends on facts it cannot ask about, it says so instead of guessing.
Common questions
My LLC made no money. Do I still need to file?
Revenue doesn’t decide it. A foreign-owned single-member LLC files when there was any reportable transaction with its owner, and money the owner put in — including formation fees paid personally — usually counts.
Can I file Form 5472 online?
Not for a foreign-owned disregarded LLC: the IRS takes it by fax or mail, with a pro forma Form 1120. The guide gives the current address and fax number.
Bring your own records along
We are onboarding a small group of founders whose companies, accounts and obligations span countries. Tell us about your setup.