1. Fundamentals of Global Expansion
Register a US company, obtain an EIN, open a Stripe account, and set up a Mercury Bank account for $193
Step 1: Registering a US Company
I chose Wyoming for registration because it offers no corporate or personal income tax and is open to all nationalities.
- Visit Wyoming Agents.
- Fill out the required basic information.
- For company type, select LLC for individuals or small organizations. If you need funding, choose CORP. Since this guide is for independent developers, LLC is recommended. Use your actual address without embellishments.
- Stick to the default options for additional services. You can purchase extras after registration if needed.
Wait about a week to complete the registration process. You’ll receive the company charter and other documentation.
Tip: Post-registration, you’ll get a US mailing address for an additional fee. You can also opt for their mail scanning service if needed.
Cost: $150 | Time: 1 week
Step 2: EIN
After obtaining the company charter, you can apply for an EIN via the IRS official website, which supports Chinese.
Alternatively, hire someone on Fiverr. Provide them with your company charter, and they will handle the application.
I received my EIN + IRS confirmation letter in 3 days, though Fiverr noted that EIN synchronization might take up to a week before you can register with Stripe.
Cost: $35 + $8.17 (Fiverr fee) | Time: 3 days
Step 3: Mercury Bank
Visit Mercury. With a US company and EIN, applying is straightforward. Fill in your details accurately. Within 3 business days, they will request address verification, such as a utility bill or bank statement with your name and address.
For simplicity, I used my home address and submitted a utility bill and household registry (since the utility account was under my father’s name). If your utility bill lacks your name, include a rental agreement or property ownership certificate.
Cost: $0 | Time: 3 days (initial review) + 2 days (address verification)
Step 4: Stripe
With all the above documentation, registering on Stripe is straightforward. The primary hurdle for Stripe is obtaining the EIN.
Cost: $0 | Time: 1 day
You’re now ready to embark on your business journey!
Step 5: Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI)
Official website: FinCEN BOI FAQs
WyomingAgents.com offers BOI filing services for $9. Companies registered post-2024 will have this included by default.
Case 1: Companies Registered After 2024
Case 2: Companies Registered Before 2024
Log in, click “Hire Us,” and scroll down to the bottom.
Purchase the service for $9 and complete the required details (passport required).
Cost: $9 | Time: Varies
Step 6: Apply for a Wise Account
Visit Wise. Wise allows you to send and receive payments globally. A business account requires a $31 opening fee.
Prepare:
- US company + EIN
- Domestic address
- Passport
- Linked US bank account (e.g., Mercury)
Learn more: Wise Account Guide
Cost: $31 | Time: Varies
Step 7: Taxes
I filed forms 1120 and 5472 via Fiverr. The seller provided a template for me to complete, handled the official forms, and faxed them to the IRS.
Tax Filing Cost: $50
2. Free Cloud Resources
Why Apply?
For early-stage startups without funding, these credits can significantly reduce initial costs. Cloud providers offer these credits to attract potential long-term paying customers, as migrating infrastructure is costly once a product scales.
1. GitHub Enterprise X (12 months, worth $5040)
Status: Obtained ✅
2. Azure ($150k Credit)
Status: Obtained ✅
Credits increase in stages:
- Stage 1: $1k
- Stage 2: $5k
- Stage 3: $25k
- Stage 4: $150k
3. AWS ($15k Credit)
Status: Obtained ✅
Credits are distributed in phases:
- First $5k without conditions.
- Spend $5k to receive an additional $5k.
4. Google ($2k Credit)
Status: Obtained ✅
5. Nvidia
Status: Obtained ✅
6. Alibaba Cloud
Pending…
7. Huawei Cloud
Pending…