# How to Fill Out Form 5472, Line by Line (Foreign-Owned Single-Member LLC)

> **Short answer**: A foreign-owned single-member LLC normally completes Part I (the LLC), Part II (the foreign owner), Part III (the same owner as related party) and Part V (contributions and distributions, with an attached statement), then answers the yes/no questions in Part VII. Parts IV, VI, VIII and IX are usually blank. Everything in English, amounts in U.S. dollars.

This guide follows the current IRS **Form 5472 (Rev. December 2023)** and **Instructions for Form 5472 (Rev. December 2024)**.

## What you need {#prepare}

- The LLC's legal name, EIN, U.S. address (often the registered agent's) and formation date
- The owner's name, full address, citizenship and country of tax residence
- The owner's foreign tax identification number (FTIN), plus an ITIN or SSN if they have one
- Every money movement between the owner and the LLC during the year: expenses the owner paid for the LLC, deposits into the LLC's account, transfers out to the owner

## Header: tax year {#header}

Enter the beginning and end of the tax year — January 1 to December 31 for a calendar year. **In the formation year**, start from the formation date.

## Part I — Reporting corporation (the LLC) {#part-1}

| Line | Enter | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1a | Name and address | Put the suite or room after the street |
| 1b | EIN | Format 12-3456789 |
| 1c | Total assets | Year-end total assets, usually the bank balance; 0 if none |
| 1d / 1e | Principal business activity / code | Code from the Form 1120 instructions, e.g. 541990 |
| 1f | Total of transactions on this form | Part IV lines 22 + 36, plus Part V amounts |
| 1g | Number of Forms 5472 filed | 1 for a single owner |
| 1h | Total across all Forms 5472 | Same as 1f when you file one form |
| 1i | Consolidated filing | Leave unchecked |
| 1j | First year filing Form 5472 | Check in the first year you file |
| 1k | Number of Parts VIII | Blank (no cost sharing arrangement) |
| 1l | Country of incorporation | United States |
| 1m | Date of incorporation | Date on the state formation documents |
| 1n | Countries where it files as a resident | A DE does not file as a resident anywhere; usually blank |
| 1o | Principal countries where business is conducted | Name the countries; "worldwide" is not accepted |
| 2 | A foreign person owned at least 50% | Check — the owner holds 100% |
| 3 | Foreign-owned U.S. DE | **Must be checked** |

## Part II — 25% foreign shareholder (the owner) {#part-2}

Per the instructions, a foreign-owned U.S. DE reports its **foreign owner** here.

| Line | Enter |
| --- | --- |
| 4a | Owner's name and full address — city, province, postal code, country (spelled out, not abbreviated) |
| 4b(1) | U.S. identifying number (SSN or ITIN), if any |
| 4b(2) | Reference ID number — **required when 4b(1) is blank** |
| 4b(3) | FTIN; enter "N/A" if the owner has none |
| 4c | Principal countries where the owner conducts business |
| 4d | Country of citizenship (for an entity owner, country of organization) |
| 4e | Countries where the owner files an income tax return as a resident |

Lines 5–7 cover a second direct shareholder and ultimate indirect shareholders; leave them blank for a single owner.

You create the **reference ID number** yourself — no IRS application. It must be alphanumeric (no spaces or special characters), at most 50 characters, and **the same every year**. When there is no ITIN, this site generates one from the LLC's EIN plus "FO1", e.g. `881234567FO1`.

## Part III — Related party {#part-3}

Every reporting corporation completes Part III, even if the related party already appears in Part II. For a single-member LLC it is the same owner:

- Check **foreign person** in the heading
- 8a–8b: same as 4a–4b (same reference ID)
- 8c / 8d: the owner's own business activity and code; an individual can enter "Investor" and leave the code blank
- 8e: check **Related to reporting corporation** and **25% foreign shareholder**
- 8f / 8g: the owner's principal countries of business and tax residence

## Part IV — Monetary transactions with a foreign related party {#part-4}

**Usually blank** for a no-activity LLC. Fill it in only for:

- **loans from** the owner — line 17 (beginning balance, and ending balance or monthly average)
- **loans to** the owner — line 31
- payments to the owner for services, rent, interest and the like — the matching lines 23–35

State amounts in U.S. dollars and attach the exchange rates used. If actual amounts can't be determined, a reasonable estimate (75%–125% of the actual amount) is allowed; check the estimates box.

## Part V — Other transactions of a foreign-owned U.S. DE {#part-5}

The part most often missed. **Contributions, distributions and expenses the owner paid for the LLC** go here: check the box and attach a statement listing each transaction. See [Form 5472 Part V explained](/guides/form-5472-part-v).

## Part VI — Nonmonetary and less-than-full-consideration transactions {#part-6}

For barter, free or below-fair-value transactions (for example, the owner letting the LLC use equipment for free). Usually unchecked for a no-activity LLC.

## Part VII — Additional information {#part-7}

All reporting corporations must complete Part VII. For an LLC with no operations the answers are typically **No**:

| Question | About | Typical |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 37 | Imports goods from a foreign related party | No |
| 38a / 38c | Only if 37 is Yes | Blank |
| 39 | Foreign parent in a cost sharing arrangement | No |
| 40a | Interest or royalties disallowed under section 267A | No |
| 41a | Claiming an FDII deduction | No |
| 42a / 42b | Related-party loans under the safe-haven rate rules | No |
| 43a | Covered debt instruments under section 385 | No |

If the LLC imports from or borrows from its owner, go through each question carefully or ask a professional.

## Parts VIII and IX {#part-8-9}

Part VIII (cost sharing arrangements) and Part IX (base erosion payments) don't apply to a no-activity single-member LLC; leave them blank.

## Common mistakes {#mistakes}

- Line 3 (foreign-owned U.S. DE) left unchecked.
- Treating "zero filing" as "all zeros" and leaving out the formation and registered-agent fees the owner paid (Part V).
- No ITIN, yet 4b(2) and 8b(2) left blank — or a different reference ID every year.
- Abbreviated country names (CN, PRC) or entries in a language other than English.
- Skipping Part III because the owner already appears in Part II.
- Sending Form 5472 without the pro forma Form 1120.

## Sources {#sources}

- [IRS: Instructions for Form 5472 (Rev. December 2024)](https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i5472)
- [IRS: Form 5472 (Rev. December 2023), PDF](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5472.pdf)
- [IRS: Instructions for Form 1120](https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1120) — principal business activity codes