Form 5472 guide
How to File Form 5472
Filing is a sequence: confirm the requirement applies, identify the entity, the related parties and the reportable transactions, prepare Form 5472 with the pro forma Form 1120, review and sign, submit, and keep the confirmation. Here is each step in order.
Written and reviewed by Michal Zacik, US Tax Professional · Last updated 2026-09-01
If the year is already late
The sequence below is the same for a late year; only the timing differs. Where a filing we prepare is past its deadline, we review the circumstances and, when appropriate, prepare a reasonable cause statement to accompany it at no additional charge, including for eligible prior tax years. It does not guarantee penalty relief — see late Form 5472 filings.
The ten steps
- 01
Determine whether Form 5472 applies
Confirm foreign ownership, disregarded-entity treatment and the presence of at least one reportable transaction in the tax year. If any of the three is unclear, resolve it before preparing anything.
- 02
Identify the reporting entity
The LLC itself is the reporting entity. You need its legal name, EIN, formation state and date, principal business activity, and the country where business is conducted. Without an EIN the filing cannot be completed.
- 03
Identify the related parties
The foreign owner is the obvious one. Other entities the owner controls, and in some circumstances family members, can also be related parties whose transactions belong on the form.
- 04
Identify the reportable transactions
Go through the year's money movements: contributions, distributions, amounts paid on behalf of the LLC, payments for services, rent, interest or royalties, and formation-related payments. Bank statements plus records of anything paid personally are the source material.
- 05
Prepare Form 5472
The reporting entity, the related party and the transaction categories with amounts are completed in the currency and format the instructions require. One form is generally filed per related party.
- 06
Prepare the pro forma Form 1120 where applicable
For a foreign-owned disregarded entity the Form 5472 is carried by a pro forma Form 1120, completed only to the extent the instructions require rather than as a full corporate income tax return.
- 07
Review the filing
Check identifying details against the EIN letter and formation document, and check that every transaction category ties back to a document. Substantially incomplete information is treated much like not filing.
- 08
Complete the signature step
The pro forma Form 1120 contains the applicable signature and paid preparer information. In our workflow, the client reviews the completed documents and signs the pro forma Form 1120 electronically before anything is sent.
- 09
Submit using the applicable IRS procedure
We submit the completed package to the IRS via online fax to the number designated for this filing, rather than through an individual e-file channel.
- 10
Retain evidence of submission
Keep the submitted documents and the transmission confirmation with your records. If a question arises later, the confirmation is what shows when and what was sent.
Form 5472 and the pro forma Form 1120 are not the same document
Form 5472 is the information return: it reports who the related party is and what moved between them and the LLC. The pro forma Form 1120 is the cover return that carries it and holds the signature and paid preparer information. Neither replaces the other, and for this filing type the pro forma return is not a full corporate income tax computation. See the side-by-side comparison.
Submission method
For a foreign-owned US disregarded entity, the package is submitted to the IRS using the procedure designated for this filing. In our workflow the completed Form 5472 and pro forma Form 1120 are submitted to the IRS via online fax, and the transmission confirmation is stored with the filing. An EFIN is a separate preparer credential and is not the mechanism used to send this package.
Document checklist
- EIN confirmation letter
- LLC formation document from the state (showing name and address)
- Bank statements covering the tax year being filed
- Records of any payments made outside the LLC bank account
- Owner identification details and country of tax residence
How our workflow runs
You complete the questionnaire and upload documents, a US tax professional prepares and reviews the filing, and only then is payment requested. After payment you review the completed Form 5472, sign the pro forma Form 1120, and we submit the package and upload the confirmation to your dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
Written and reviewed by Michal Zacik
US Tax Professional · IRS PTIN Holder · PTIN: P03281868
Over 10 years in US corporate tax and more than 7 years working with nonresident taxation. A PTIN is a paid tax preparer identification number issued by the IRS; it is not an IRS endorsement, approval or certification. This page is general information, not tax or legal advice for your specific situation.
Sources
- IRS — Instructions for Form 5472
- IRS — Instructions for Form 1120
- IRS — Employer identification number
- IRS — Single member limited liability companies
Rules can change and many situations have exceptions. Where guidance is nuanced, the IRS instructions above control.
Related guides
What is Form 5472?
The information return behind the requirement, and how it fits with the pro forma Form 1120.
Form 5472 vs. Form 1120
Two different documents that travel together in one filing package.
Form 5472 deadline
Original due date, Form 7004 extensions, and what late filing means.
Late Form 5472 filing
Late and prior-year filings, and how a reasonable cause statement works.
No upfront payment to get started.
We prepare your filing first. Once it is ready, payment is required before you review the completed documents, sign the pro forma Form 1120 and authorize submission to the IRS.