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From India · South Asia
Stripe only takes Indian businesses by invitation, and US customers often prefer to pay a US vendor. A US company fixes both, and it's the structure US investors expect if you plan to raise. The Indian side has rules of its own, which this page sets out.
Mercury opens accounts remotely for founders living in India. The banks, in detail.
From
India
··:··UTC+5:30
To
Cheyenne, Wyoming
··:··UTC−6
01What changes because you live here
The tax treaty, whether Stripe will take you, which banks will open an account, and the time difference. Each was checked against its source in September 2026.
The tax treaty
In force
The United States and India have an income tax treaty in force. It can lower the US tax withheld on dividends, interest and royalties paid to you, if you claim it on a W-8BEN with your Indian tax number, and it settles which country taxes what when both could. The treaty rate on royalties is 15%, which matters if you earn from books, courses, music or software licences.
Stripe
By invitation
Stripe only takes businesses in India by invitation, through its sales team, so most founders can't sign up there. A US LLC with an EIN and a US bank account can apply for a US Stripe account the ordinary way.
Banking
Mercury available
Mercury opens accounts remotely for US companies whose founders live in India. It asks for the EIN, the formation documents, your passport, a real business address and a description of the company's existing or planned US operations. Relay asks a non-US owner for a US address, an ITIN or Social Security Number and a US operating presence, so it rarely suits a founder living in India.
The time difference
UTC+5:30
New York is 9½ hours behind India in summer. Everything we do is in writing, through your dashboard and email, and we reply within one business day, so the time difference rarely slows anything down.
Checked in September 2026 against the IRS list of tax treaties, Stripe's country page, and Mercury's and Relay's published country lists. If something here has changed, email us and we'll correct it the same day.
02What India expects
India taxes its residents on income from anywhere in the world. Whether the LLC's profit counts as yours as it's earned, or only when you take it out, depends on how India treats a US LLC, and that's a question for a local tax adviser.
What founders here build
04What it costs
Charged once, in US dollars, with the Wyoming state fee passed on at cost. Where you live changes which bank we introduce you to, not the price.
Extras are optional, and the order form asks about each one with its price. Filing yours ahead of our next batch costs $75, and we email you before anything renews. Delaware, and every extra with its price, are on the pricing page.
05Questions
If yours is not here, email us at [email protected] before you order.
Only by invitation. Stripe lists India as a preview market, open through its sales team rather than by signing up. A US LLC with an EIN and a US bank account can apply for a US Stripe account the ordinary way, and Stripe reviews it like any other US business.
Yes, if you invest in it. Owning a foreign company is an overseas investment under FEMA, reported through your bank on Form FC, with an Annual Performance Report each year after. The forms are routine but not optional, so take advice on which apply to you.
Usually not. A single-owner US LLC generally owes no US income tax on work you do from India. India taxes that income because you live there. Where both countries do tax the same income, the US-India treaty gives you credit for the tax already paid.
Yes. The United States doesn't require an LLC's owners to be US citizens or residents. You'll need a registered agent in the state, which every plan includes, and your passport for the bank. The filing is the same wherever you live. What changes is the tax treaty, the payment processors and the banks, which this page covers.
No. The filing, the EIN, the operating agreement, the bank application and the payment processors are all handled online. You don't need a visa or a trip.
The United States and India have an income tax treaty in force. It can lower the US tax withheld on dividends, interest and royalties paid to you, if you claim it on a W-8BEN with your Indian tax number, and it settles which country taxes what when both could. The treaty rate on royalties is 15%, which matters if you earn from books, courses, music or software licences.
You can apply. A US LLC with an EIN and a US bank account is a US business, and Stripe reviews it on its US terms. Approval isn't automatic: Stripe looks at the business, its website and the person behind it, and it can say no. Honest, consistent details and a real website give you the best chance.
South Asia
Ready when you are
It takes about four minutes. You see the whole order, state fee included, before anything is charged.
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