LLC en Argentina: Cómo Escapar de ARCA y el CRS 2.0? (Contador Explica)

Business summary

The interview presents a U.S. LLC as an operating structure for Argentine freelancers and online businesses that need to collect international payments, access U.S. financial services, and appear more established to clients. The guest emphasizes that an LLC is a business and compliance structure—not a way to evade Argentine taxes or reporting obligations.

Business case and use cases

• International payments: An LLC may provide access to payment gateways such as Stripe, payment links, and U.S. business banking—tools the guest says can be difficult for businesses registered only in Argentina to access.
• Business credibility and separation: The guest says an LLC can help a freelancer pitch larger clients as a company rather than as an individual, and separate business assets and expenses from personal ones.
• Common customer segments: The guest’s firm serves digital-marketing agencies, programmers, designers, content creators, and other freelancers exporting services. The guest also mentions using U.S. accounts to pay advertising expenses.
• State selection: The guest describes Delaware as more suited to companies seeking investment or using a corporation structure; Florida as a fit for businesses with physical operations or real estate there; and Wyoming and New Mexico as common choices for online businesses. Wyoming is preferred by the guest’s firm for bank-account acceptance and privacy.
• Service model: The guest describes offering formation, banking support, annual compliance, consultations, a WhatsApp community, and educational materials about banks, payment gateways, and investment platforms. The firm says it aims to provide more personalized service rather than high-volume formation.

Suggested decision process and operating playbook

• Evaluate the business need, not just the headline tax benefit. Consider payment access, client requirements, international revenue, advertising spend, and plans to manage funds abroad.
• Use revenue as a prompt to assess the structure. The guest says an LLC becomes worth evaluating around $2,500–$3,000 per month in recurring activity, especially as the business grows. This is a rule of thumb from the interview, not individualized tax advice.
• Avoid forming one for isolated transactions without a broader need. The guest says a sporadic payment may not justify the setup and maintenance costs.
• Plan formation and banking together. The service described delivers a Wyoming or New Mexico LLC in about 7 days and a working bank account within 7–10 days. Delaware and Florida formations are said to take around 15 days. These are the provider’s estimates.
• Maintain annual compliance. The guest says nonresident owners may still have IRS informational filings, even where the business has no U.S. physical presence and owes no U.S. income tax under the circumstances described. The firm begins contacting clients in November–January ahead of the U.S. tax season, which the guest describes as running roughly January–April.
• Keep transaction records. The guest says U.S. tax authorities generally do not prescribe invoicing in the same way as Argentina, but banks may request invoices or other evidence for compliance. The firm reviews bank statements when preparing annual filings.
• Match banking and payment providers to the business. The guest favors neobanks for responsiveness and says the firm works with roughly 5–7 U.S. banks and neobanks. The interview names Relay, Mercury, and Lili, among others.
• Treat crypto activity as a separate banking risk. The guest warns that banks may close accounts when they detect transfers to crypto exchanges. He recommends keeping business banking and crypto activity carefully separated and stresses that account closures can disrupt access to funds.

Metrics and claims cited

• The guest says his firm has served more than 400 clients.
• The guest estimates Stripe’s global card acceptance at 80%–85%.
• As examples of bank-account acceptance by state, the guest gives roughly 60% for New Mexico versus 90% for Wyoming. These are illustrative estimates, not independently verified figures.
• Relay is described as having more than 200,000 clients worldwide.
• The guest cites $250,000 as the FDIC deposit-insurance limit for covered deposits. Business owners should verify how coverage applies to a specific bank, account, and fintech arrangement.
• The guest cites a $25,000 base IRS penalty for failing to submit required information returns. Exact filing obligations and penalties depend on the entity and circumstances.
• For corporate brokerage accounts, the guest estimates about two hours for onboarding and roughly two weeks of document exchanges before approval.
• The guest says a managed investment service offers nine portfolios based on risk-profile questions.
• On investments, the guest claims nonresident foreigners generally do not pay U.S. capital-gains tax on certain investments, while dividends may face 30% withholding. This technical tax claim should be checked with a qualified adviser.

Regulatory and risk caveats

The guest discusses CRS 2.0 and FATCA, claiming Argentina participates in automatic information exchange under CRS while the United States uses FATCA rather than CRS. He predicts that 2027 may be when some account holders learn that foreign accounts have been reported. This is presented as the guest’s forecast, not a verified timetable.

The interview’s discussion of privacy and information exchange should not be interpreted as assurance that an LLC or U.S. account is hidden from Argentine authorities. The guest also says the LLC should be declared in Argentina and taxes paid as applicable.

The guest’s claims about tax treatment, reporting, bank insurance, and penalties are generalizations. Requirements can vary by ownership, income, business activity, account provider, and tax residency. Professional legal and tax advice is important.

Presenters and sources

Agustín Hansen is the host. Lucho is a public accountant who says he has worked for about three years helping freelancers open companies abroad.