Form 5472 Checklist for 2027: Foreign-Owned LLC, Tax Year 2026

If your single-member US LLC is owned by a foreign person and had a reportable transaction with you in 2026, you file a Form 5472 attached to a pro forma Form 1120 by Thursday, April 15, 2027, or by Form 7004 you file by that date, which moves the deadline to October 15, 2027. This checklist walks through the season in order.

In short:

• Who: a foreign-owned US disregarded entity (DE) with a reportable transaction in the year.
• What: Form 5472 plus a pro forma Form 1120 where only the name, address and items B and E on page 1 are completed, with "Foreign-owned U.S. DE" written across the top.
• When: the 15th day of the 4th month after the tax year ends, so April 15, 2027 for the calendar year 2026.
• How: fax (300 DPI or higher) to 855-887-7737 or mail to the Ogden PIN Unit. E-filing is not allowed for these LLCs.
• Risk: the instructions state a $25,000 penalty for failing to file when due and in the manner prescribed.

Step 1: confirm you have to file

• The LLC has a single member who is a foreign person, and it is treated as a disregarded entity (no Form 8832 election to be taxed as a corporation).
• The LLC had at least one reportable transaction with you or another related party in 2026. The instructions define it as a Part IV transaction paid in money, any Part V transaction, or a Part VI transaction.
• The LLC uses the calendar year (the DE uses its owner's US tax year or, if none, the calendar year).

There is no revenue threshold. Read who must file Form 5472 and, for a quiet LLC, Form 5472 with no income. If there are two or more owners, the rules differ: see Form 1065 or Form 5472.

Step 2: gather your documents

• The LLC's legal name, EIN and US address (the registered agent address is often used; check what you used on past filings).
• Your own details as the 25% foreign shareholder: name, address, country of tax residence, and your foreign taxpayer identification number if you have one. Provide the facts as they are; we do not advise on residence.
• Bank statements of the LLC and of any account you used for it, January to December 2026.
• A list of money you sent to the LLC (capital) and money you took out (distributions, loans repaid).
• Expenses of the LLC you paid personally (registered agent, state fees, formation costs, software).
• Any contract or invoice between you and the LLC (services, loans, rent).
• Your reference ID, if any: see the Reference ID number on Form 5472.
• Past Forms 5472 and fax receipts, to stay consistent year to year.

Step 3: list the transactions to report

Part IV (monetary transactions with a foreign related party). The instructions list categories such as sales, rents, royalties, commissions, interest and "other amounts paid" (line 35). Amounts are stated in US dollars with a schedule showing the exchange rates used. Where an amount does not exceed $50,000 in total for a transaction or series of transactions, the instructions allow reporting "$50,000 or less". Convert euros or francs with our IRS exchange rate converter.

Part V (foreign-owned DE only). You check the box if the DE had any other transaction, as defined in Regulations section 1.482-1(i)(7), not already entered in Part IV. The instructions say these include amounts paid or received for the formation, dissolution, acquisition and disposition of the entity, including contributions to and distributions from it. You describe them on an attached statement.

• Capital contributions in 2026 (total in USD).
• Distributions or withdrawals (total in USD).
• Formation or state fees you paid personally.
• Ordinary expenses of the LLC paid from your own account.
• A schedule of the exchange rates used.

Part VI covers non-cash and less-than-full-consideration transactions, with a schedule describing each. The line-by-line walkthrough is in our Form 5472 instructions, line by line.

Step 4: prepare the pro forma Form 1120

• Write "Foreign-owned U.S. DE" across the top of Form 1120.
• Complete only the name and address and items B and E on page 1 (the instructions say this is the only information required on the Form 1120).
• Attach Form 5472 and your Part V statement.

See the glossary entry on the pro forma Form 1120.

Step 5: sign and send

• Sign the forms where the form asks for a signature. A foreign-owned DE has no electronic filing path, so a hand-signed paper set is what goes out.
• Fax (300 DPI or higher) to 855-887-7737, or mail to: Internal Revenue Service, 1973 Rulon White Blvd, M/S 6112 Attn: PIN Unit, Ogden, UT 84201.
• Do not use the address printed in the Form 1120 instructions: the Form 5472 instructions say these filers do not.
• Keep the fax transmission report or tracked-mail proof with a copy of what you sent.

A toll-free US number may not be reachable from some non-US phone lines (a practical point, not an IRS statement); if so, the other option in the instructions is mail. Details and tips: Form 5472 fax number and mailing address and proof of filing.

Step 6: the deadline and the extension

The Form 1120 instructions give the due date as the 15th day of the 4th month after the end of the tax year. For calendar year 2026 that is April 15, 2027, a Thursday (not a weekend). If you cannot be ready:

• File Form 7004 by April 15, 2027 with "Foreign-owned U.S. DE" at the top and form code 12 in Part I, line 1.
• Fax or mail it to the same number or address as the return.
• Put October 15, 2027 in your calendar.

The Form 5472 instructions say the DE must file Form 7004 by the regular due date. More in the 2027 deadline and Form 7004 guide. The LLC deadline calendar exports the dates.

What a late or missing Form 5472 can cost

The instructions say a penalty of $25,000 is assessed on a reporting corporation that fails to file Form 5472 when due and in the manner prescribed, and that a substantially incomplete form counts as not filed. If the failure continues more than 90 days after IRS notification, an additional $25,000 applies with respect to each related party for which a failure occurs, for each 30-day period (or part of one) that the failure continues after the 90-day period ends. Check amounts with the penalty calculator. If you are behind, read catching up on missed years and the reasonable cause letter guide. Relief is decided by the IRS and is never guaranteed.

Printable summary

• Reportable transaction in 2026 confirmed
• Documents and bank statements collected
• USD totals and exchange-rate schedule done
• Part IV and Part V reviewed
• Pro forma 1120 with "Foreign-owned U.S. DE" ready
• Forms signed
• Sent by April 15, 2027 (or Form 7004 sent by then)
• Transmission report saved

How Melya helps

Melya prepares the forms and you sign them. Form 5472 + Pro Forma 1120 is $249, and the Form 7004 extension is included free when we prepare your Form 5472 (otherwise $49). We do not represent you before the IRS and do not give advice about your country of residence. See the filing service.

Related reading: What to file after Stripe Atlas

Frequently asked questions

Can I e-file Form 5472 for my single-member LLC?

No. The instructions say a foreign-owned U.S. DE cannot file Form 5472 electronically and must use fax or mail.

Is April 15, 2027 really the deadline?

For a calendar-year DE, yes: the 15th day of the 4th month after year-end. April 15, 2027 falls on a Thursday.

What if my LLC had no money movement in 2026?

The IRS requires the form when there is a reportable transaction. If truly none occurred between you, or another related party, and the LLC, check the definition in the instructions; paying LLC costs from your own pocket can count.

Does Form 7004 extend my personal return too?

No. Form 7004 covers the LLC's business filing. An individual Form 1040-NR is extended separately (see the 1040-NR guide).

What proves I filed?

The instructions describe no IRS confirmation of receipt for Form 5472, so your proof is the fax transmission report or tracked-mail record plus a copy of the packet.

Sources

• IRS, Instructions for Form 5472 (Rev. 12-2024)
• IRS, Instructions for Form 1120, When To File
• IRS, Form 7004 and instructions
• 26 CFR 1.6038A-2 and 1.6038A-4