Simplifying US incorporations for Global Founders
Inkle guides you through forming your Delaware C-Corp on Stripe Atlas or Clerky, helps with your EIN and bank application, and stays on as your tax and compliance partner. We add no fee on top of the platform's.
500+
US startups served
5%
of YC companies
Setting up in the US, from anywhere
Founders outside the US face the same handful of decisions before their company is real, and the delay usually comes from working through them alone rather than from the filing itself. Stripe Atlas and Clerky already handle the filing well, so Inkle takes care of everything around it, from the structure you start with to the compliance that follows.
Choose how you incorporate
Pick the platform that files your company. Inkle’s guidance comes with either one, free.
$819 $719 with Inkle
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Complete company paperwork on one platform
Built for frequent fundraising, SAFEs and equity documents
Includes Clerky’s Company Lifetime Package
Incorporate with Clerky
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$500 $250 with Inkle
Self-serve formation, with EIN and banking in one flow
Inkle helps you finish your formation paperwork
Stripe credits across Payments, Billing and Tax
Incorporate with Stripe Atlas
FREE
Included with Inkle, on either platform
01
Structuring advice before you file
02
Guidance through formation
03
EIN support
04
US bank account assistance
You only pay the platform’s own filing fee.
What happens after you incorporate
Formation is a single event. Running a US company isn’t, and this is where Inkle’s paid work actually begins.
Tax
Federal and state returns, Delaware franchise tax, and the forms specific to foreign-owned companies, such as Form 5472, filed by licensed CPAs before each deadline.
Bookkeeping
Monthly books on the accrual method, kept audit-ready so your numbers hold up when an investor or your CPA asks for them.
Transfer pricing
For a parent and subsidiary in two countries, we help price and document the transactions between them so they hold up under scrutiny from either side.
Payroll
Your first US hire brings its own filings and withholdings, and we set payroll up correctly from that first hire rather than let it become next quarter’s problem.
Data room preparation
When a VC or an acquirer asks for diligence materials, we help you put together a data room that holds up, well before you’re asked for it under time pressure.
Tax and bookkeeping, once the company exists
Incorporation is the easy part. What follows, bookkeeping, federal and state filings, and the forms specific to foreign-owned US companies, is where Inkle’s pricing actually lives, and your first year carries a set of waivers to start you off.
Forms priced by the complexity of the filing itself, Form 1120 and Form 5472 among them, sit outside this offer.
YEAR ONE OFFER
Free
Delaware franchise tax filing and annual report
Free
Form 1099, FBAR and Form 7004 filings
Free
Delaware registered agent for your first year
25% off
Inkle bookkeeping for six months, from $49 a month
Why choose Inkle?
Built for global founders
A US company with a foreign owner has filings that domestic founders never see, so we set yours up with those in mind from day one, not when your first tax season arrives.
Help opening a US bank account
We guide you through the application with banks that work with founders who have no US address or SSN, so the paperwork is in order when the bank reviews it.
Structuring advice before you file, not after
A Delaware C-Corp suits most venture-track startups, but not everyone, and if a different structure fits you better, we’ll say so before you file, even when it means a shorter engagement for us.
A team that stays on after incorporation
The people who incorporate your company are the same people you call a year later with a franchise tax question, which is rarely true of a platform you used once and never spoke to again.
FAQs
Is incorporation really free with Inkle?
Inkle doesn't charge anything for guiding you through formation. You still pay Stripe Atlas or Clerky their own fee directly, since they're the ones filing with the state, but Inkle adds nothing on top of that.
What exactly is included at no cost?
Guidance through choosing a structure, the incorporation process itself, your EIN application, your first year of registered agent service, and hands-on help opening a US bank account.
What do I pay for separately?
Ongoing tax filing and bookkeeping, transfer pricing documentation, payroll setup once you hire, and data room preparation when you're raising or in diligence. Delaware's own franchise tax and state fees also apply every year, regardless of who you incorporate with.
Should I use Stripe Atlas or Clerky?
Atlas bundles formation, EIN, and banking into one flow for a flat fee and works well for most founders. Clerky leans toward companies that expect frequent fundraising paperwork, SAFEs, and equity documents down the line. We'll help you decide based on what you're actually building.
Do I need to be in the US to do this?
No. You can incorporate, get an EIN, and open a US bank account without living in the US or holding a visa.
What happens after the company is formed?
Inkle stays on for the filings that follow: franchise tax, annual reports, federal and state tax returns, and anything your structure requires as it grows. This is the part most formation platforms stop short of.