Country dossier · 5 facts on file · audited 2026-08-27
Form FS-04 · Country dossier: PHPhilippines · Not a government filing
Stripe does not onboard Philippine businesses, which puts Filipino founders — one of the world's largest freelance and agency workforces — squarely in US-LLC territory. Banking needs one honest caveat most guides skip: Mercury's published policy excludes Philippines-resident founders, so plan the banking step around providers that do serve the Philippines.
The Philippines has a US income tax treaty dating to 1976. As with most old treaties, its practical effect for a small services company is a tax-adviser detail, not a headline.
Source: IRS — Philippines tax treaty documents page
The Philippines does not appear on Stripe's supported-country list — no direct onboarding, no extended network. A US entity is the standard route to Stripe for Filipino founders.
Source: Stripe — global availability page
Mercury's published policy prohibits accounts for founders living in the Philippines — an exclusion most guides miss. Wise supports Philippines-resident users, and other providers set their own lists; verify current eligibility before forming.
Source: Mercury prohibited-countries policy; Wise eligibility list
Wise supports PHP as a full send-and-receive currency, so paying yourself from the US company into a Philippine account is routine.
Source: Wise supported-currencies list
Outward investments by Philippine residents run under the central bank's FX regulations, with prior-notification requirements only at institutional scale (tens of millions of dollars per year). A founder capitalizing a small US LLC mainly encounters bank documentation, not approval hurdles.
Source: BSP Manual of Regulations on FX Transactions (framework corroborated)
Filed under: PH · not legal or tax advice
Yes. Forming and owning a US LLC requires no US citizenship, residency, visa, or visit — you file online from Philippines and appoint a registered agent in your chosen state. The wizard walks the exact steps for non-US founders.
The Philippines has a US income tax treaty dating to 1976. As with most old treaties, its practical effect for a small services company is a tax-adviser detail, not a headline.
State fees differ by hundreds of dollars across the 51 US jurisdictions and change often — so we never quote them in prose. The True Cost Calculator shows every state's filing fee, recurring fees, and a 3-year total, each figure dated and checked against the state's official schedule.
No US entity removes your home-country obligations: you remain a Philippines tax resident, and local rules on foreign companies apply on top of the US side. Treat the dossier above as a map of what to ask a licensed adviser in Philippines — not as advice.