A US company, from Turkey.
Turkey now lets qualifying freelancers deduct 100% of foreign-client income from tax, effectively zero income tax, from January 2026. Stripe still will not let a Turkish resident open an account either way. You need a compliant foreign structure to receive the payment before the tax break means anything.
What's included
- LLC or C-Corp filed in the state you choose, in 1-2 business days
- EIN from the IRS with no SSN required
- Registered agent and a US business address
- Operating agreement and your stamped formation certificate
- The domain, if you still need one, at the price you keep renewing at
- Bookkeeping and US tax filing when the company starts trading
What it costs
Plus the state filing fee, paid straight through to the Secretary of State. Wyoming $100, New Mexico $50, Delaware $110 with a $300 annual franchise tax on top.
What Turkish guides skip
Stripe still says no, tax break or not
Turkey is not on Stripe's list of countries where you can open an account directly. The standard workaround among Turkish developers and agencies is exactly what this page offers: a foreign LLC that can hold a real Stripe account, with earnings routed back through Wise.
Service exports are exempt from central bank repatriation, but not from the tax rule
The CBRT's Export Circular exempts service exports from its mandatory FX repatriation requirement. That is not the whole story: to claim the 100% income tax deduction under GVK Article 89/13, the Turkish Revenue Administration requires the qualifying profit to actually reach a Turkish bank account by 31 March of the following year. Money sitting in Payoneer or Wise at year end does not count.
The 100% deduction only covers a specific list of services
Presidential Decree No. 11257 raised the service-export deduction to 100% from January 2026, but it only applies to software development, engineering, architecture, data processing, medical reporting, bookkeeping and a handful of similarly listed services, not consulting, marketing or translation. Confirm your work qualifies with a Turkish accountant before assuming the zero-tax outcome applies to you.
Can you actually open a US bank account?
The honest answer, which is more than most providers will give you.
What actually works for Turkish founders
- Mercury does not list Turkey as a prohibited country.
- Wise Business is widely used to route Stripe payouts back to Turkey at a lower spread than a Turkish bank's SWIFT rate.
- Payoneer works as a transit account for platform payouts, though funds must still move to a Turkish bank to count toward the tax deduction.
- Stripe becomes usable once the LLC has its EIN, the entire reason to form one from Turkey.
What to know before you rely on it
- We cannot confirm Relay's position on Turkey from any official source. Apply and verify directly rather than assuming either way.
- PayPal works but withdrawals to Turkish banks are commonly described as slow and restricted, with FX conversion costs around 3-5%.
- A registered agent address is not a business address, which matters for whichever provider you use.
- The EIN takes 4-6 weeks for non-US founders, and most payment tools need it before they fully activate.
Why we say this out loud. Every competitor advertises a US bank account as though it were part of the package. It is not, for anyone, and pretending otherwise just moves the disappointment to after you have paid. Form the company for the entity, the EIN and the ability to take Stripe payments. Treat the bank account as a separate application with a real chance of rejection.
Real platforms this comes up against
Everything else your US company needs
EIN without an SSN
The step that stalls most non-US founders. We run the SS-4 process end to end.
Form 5472 and US filings
Foreign-owned LLCs file every year even at zero income. The penalty for missing it is $25,000.
Form the company
LLC or C-Corp in any of the 50 states, with the EIN and registered agent included.
Founders from other countries
Exchange control, your SARS position, and the honest answer on US banking.
CBN currency rules, Stripe access, and which banks actually work.
BoG licensing rules, GRA filing, and the Stripe-Paystack workaround.
PayPal's 2026 freeze wave, CBK's no exchange controls, and the KRA position.
PayPal's 8% conversion tax, CBE forex rules, and the zero-rated VAT on exports.
BIR registration, remittance limits, and Mercury vs Relay.
SBP rules, why PayPal is not the answer, and what is.
PayPal's announced-but-not-live access, CBSL's 2026 repatriation rules, and IRD's new freelancer tax.
Bangladesh Bank's 2026 forex overhaul, the IT tax exemption, and Mercury's ban.
SBV forex rules, Decree 117's platform withholding, and why Stripe needs a US LLC.
Why Stripe is invite-only, Mercury's ban, and the DHE repatriation rules.
The cepo cambiario after 2025, why Stripe still won't onboard you, and the LEC.
The 9x IOF shock, why Stripe needs a CNPJ, and the Carne-Leao filing.
The ATO LLC classification trap, CFC rules, and the DTA.
IRD's foreign investment fund rules and the US-NZ DTA.
How this works. NameMarshal is not a law firm or an accountancy practice, and nothing on this page is legal or tax advice. Company formation, EIN and registered agent services here are fulfilled by our formation partner doola. Foreign-owned US LLCs generally have to file Form 5472 with a pro-forma Form 1120 every year, even with no income, and the penalty for missing it is steep. Ask us and we will point you at someone licensed to handle it.