US LLC for France Coaches & Consultants: EIN, Mercury & Teachable Access (2026)
France Coaches & Consultants face a specific intersection of banking friction and platform access barriers. Doola solves both with a Wyoming LLC, EIN in 7–10 days, and Mercury banking — entirely remote, no US travel.
Form My US LLC — 🇫🇷 France 🎓 Coaches & Consultants →$397 Year 1 · EIN in 7–10 Days · No US TravelAffiliate disclosure: we earn a commission if you form your LLC through our link — at no extra cost to you. Learn more
Why France Coaches & Consultants Need a US LLC in 2026
French Station F (Europe's largest startup campus) produces SaaS companies that frequently pursue US market expansion. A US LLC is the standard first step for French founders going transatlantic — US clients, US investors, and US market credibility all require it.
Coaching platforms (Kajabi, Teachable, Thinkific) issue 1099-K at $5,000+ in transactions. Consulting clients issue 1099-NEC at $600+. Providing LLC EIN means all tax forms go to your LLC. Enterprise consulting clients require W-9 before payment — EIN is cleaner than SSN.
On the banking side: EUR/USD conversion on USD revenue costs 1–2% plus exchange rate risk. Mercury USD accounts hold USD until French founders choose to convert — protecting purchasing power on large USD contracts. A Mercury USD account — accessible only with a US LLC and EIN — holds your Teachable revenue in USD outside France's banking system until you choose to convert on your own terms.
The Real Cost of Routing Revenue Without a US LLC
The $397 Year 1 LLC cost is recouped in ~2.2 months at $10,000/mo revenue from Payoneer fee savings alone — before counting Stripe access, treaty withholding reduction, or enterprise contract access.
Enterprise clients issue W-9 requests before first payment. At $600+ per client per year, 1099-NEC is issued. An LLC EIN separates your professional identity from your personal SSN across all clients. A Wyoming LLC provides the EIN that satisfies this requirement — protecting your personal SSN from every platform relationship and keeping business and personal tax identities cleanly separated.
Form Your US LLC as a France Coaches & Consultant — EIN in 7–10 Days
Doola handles LLC formation, IRS EIN (no SSN needed), and Mercury banking introduction. No US address required.
Start My Application →Affiliate disclosure: we earn a commission if you form your LLC through our link — at no extra cost to you. Learn more
Payment Stack for France Coaches & Consultants
Stripe
Available in FranceStripe France (EU) is excellent. French founders use US LLC Stripe for US enterprise billing, USD revenue separation, and to avoid TVA (French VAT) on exports to US clients.
Mercury Bank Account
Free · FDIC $5M · No minimumMercury approves French founders with standard processing. 3–5 business days.
Mercury requires: Wyoming LLC Articles (Doola provides), IRS EIN CP575 letter, and your France passport.Teachable payouts deposit to Mercury via ACH at $0 cost on the platform's standard schedule.
Wire fees work one direction only: sending USD from Mercury to your France bank account costs $20 flat per wire (no percentage). Platform → Mercury is always free. Minimize wire costs by accumulating funds in Mercury and batching into larger, less-frequent transfers — e.g. one $10,000 monthly wire costs $20 vs four $2,500 bi-weekly wires costing $80.
PayPal
Full access in FrancePayPal France is fully functional. US LLC PayPal provides USD-holding for French founders with significant USD revenue.
Tax Position: France Coaches & Consultants
US–France Tax Treaty: 15% Withholding Rate (vs 30% default)
The US-France tax treaty reduces dividend withholding to 15% and royalties to 0% (for copyright and cultural royalties, including software). The 0% rate on software royalties is significant for French SaaS companies licensing IP to US clients.
Tax Deductions for France Coaches & Consultants
Form 5472: The $25,000 Penalty Every France LLC Owner Must Avoid
Every foreign-owned US single-member LLC — including France-owned Wyoming LLCs — must file Form 5472 annually. The IRS automatic penalty for non-filing is $25,000 per year per form, regardless of whether the LLC had any revenue. New LLCs with zero income in their first year still owe the filing.
Year 1 trap: Paying the Doola formation fee from your personal funds counts as a capital contribution to the LLC — a reportable transaction under Form 5472. Even a $0-revenue LLC that only received its initial funding must file. Founders who skip this "because we had no revenue" are the ones receiving $25,000 IRS notices.
Doola's Tax & Compliance plan ($1,999/yr) includes Form 5472 preparation and filing — the most common compliance gap for international founders.
High-Ticket Programs, US Client Contracts & Wire Payments
Receiving Large USD Payments: France → Mercury
US banks wire large amounts to US business accounts (Mercury) without compliance friction. A $10,000 wire from a US client to a France personal bank account triggers compliance review, potential holds, and reporting requirements. EUR/USD conversion on USD revenue costs 1–2% plus exchange rate risk. Mercury USD accounts hold USD until French founders choose to convert — protecting purchasing power on large USD contracts. The same wire to your Mercury LLC account arrives same-day with no friction — it's a US-to-US business transfer. When you send EUR home, Mercury charges a flat $20 wire — no percentage markup, no conversion fees on the USD balance.
Contract Enforceability
US clients signing a coaching agreement with "[Name] LLC" can only sue the LLC — not you personally. Wyoming LLCs have the strongest charging order protection in the US: a dissatisfied client who wins a judgment against your LLC cannot force a distribution from it to satisfy that judgment. Your coaching IP, your courses, and your business cash in Mercury are separated from personal legal exposure.
Course Platform Setup
Teachable, Kajabi, and Thinkific all accept Mercury for US payouts. Stripe Checkout for course sales connects to your LLC's Stripe account (EIN verified). Stripe France (EU) is excellent. French founders use US LLC Stripe for US enterprise billing, USD revenue separation, and to avoid TVA (French VAT) on exports to US clients. Calendly, Zoom, and similar tools integrate without entity requirements — but payment collection via Stripe must go through the LLC's Stripe account to maintain proper income separation.
Doola Handles Everything — LLC to Mercury in Under 3 Weeks
Wyoming LLC · EIN (7–10 days) · Mercury banking · Annual compliance. Built for France founders.
Start with Doola →Affiliate disclosure: we earn a commission if you form your LLC through our link — at no extra cost to you. Learn more
Formation Timeline (17–20 Days)
| Step | Action | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Choose Wyoming + Doola plan | Day 1 |
| 2 | LLC filed with Wyoming SOS | Days 1–2 |
| 3 | IRS Form SS-4 → EIN | Days 3–12 |
| 4 | Mercury bank account open | Days 12–17 |
| 5 | Teachable activated | Days 17–20 |
Cost Breakdown
| Item | Year 1 | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|
| Doola Starter Plan | $297 | $297/yr |
| Wyoming State Filing Fee | $100 (one-time) | — |
| Wyoming Annual Report (state fee) | $0 (not due Year 1) | $60/yr |
| Mercury Business Checking | $0 | $0 |
| Teachable setup | $0 | 2.9% + $0.30/txn |
| Form 5472 filing (Tax plan upgrade) | $1,999 opt. | $1,999/yr |
| TOTAL (Starter) | $397 | $357/yr |
$397 Gets You a Fully Operational US LLC
Wyoming LLC · EIN · Mercury · Teachable. The complete stack for France Coaches & Consultants.
Form My LLC with Doola →Affiliate disclosure: we earn a commission if you form your LLC through our link — at no extra cost to you. Learn more
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a French citizen form a US LLC?▾
What is the US-France software royalty withholding rate?▾
What taxes do French founders pay on US LLC income?▾
Do coaches and consultants need an LLC?▾
What is the S-Corp election and should coaches use it?▾
How does Doola's Business In A Box help coaches?▾
🇫🇷 France 🎓 Coaches & Consultants — Start Today
LLC → EIN → Mercury → Teachable. Operational in under 3 weeks.
Get Started with Doola →Affiliate disclosure: we earn a commission if you form your LLC through our link — at no extra cost to you. Learn more