Form 5472 + 1120 filing service
Pro Forma Form 1120 — Plain-English Guide
Foreign-owned US single-member LLCs file pro forma Form 1120 as the procedural envelope for Form 5472. "Pro forma" means most of the form stays blank — you only fill in entity identification fields and stamp "Foreign-Owned U.S. DE" at the top. This guide shows exactly which fields to fill, which to leave empty, why the form even exists in this format, and how to assemble the full package the IRS expects.
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What does 'pro forma' mean here?#
Pro forma means "as a matter of form" — you file the form for procedural compliance, not to calculate tax. The IRS requires Form 5472 to be attached to a tax return, but a foreign-owned disregarded LLC is not subject to US corporate income tax (the LLC is disregarded — income flows to the owner, not the entity). So the 1120 becomes a near-empty envelope just to give Form 5472 something to attach to.
Do NOT fill in income, deductions, or tax calculations on a pro forma 1120. Doing so would incorrectly suggest your LLC is a real C-corporation owing US tax. The IRS specifically designed the pro forma format to keep your LLC's disregarded-entity status intact while still satisfying the §6038A reporting attachment requirement.
Which fields do you fill in on the pro forma 1120?#
On page 1 of Form 1120:
• Top margin: stamp or write "Foreign-Owned U.S. DE" — required by IRS instructions.
• Item A (Check if): leave blank unless you have a specific situation.
• Item B (Employer identification number): your LLC's EIN.
• Item C (Date incorporated): date your LLC was formed.
• Item D (Total assets): year-end total assets in USD (sum of cash + receivables + inventory + fixed assets).
• Item E (Check if initial / final / amended): check "Initial return" for your first year, "Final return" for the dissolution year, blank otherwise.
• Name and address block: legal name + US address (typically registered agent's address) exactly as on CP-575.
• Signature block at the bottom: sign in pen, date, print name, list as "Member" or "Owner".
Schedule L (Balance Sheets per Books):
• Line 15, column (d) end of year — total assets. This must match Item D on page 1.
That's it. Maybe 8 fields total.
Which fields do you leave blank on the pro forma 1120?#
Almost everything else:
• Income section (lines 1a through 11): leave blank.
• Deductions section (lines 12 through 29): leave blank.
• Tax computation (lines 30 through 37): leave blank.
• Schedule C (Dividends, Inclusions, Special Deductions): leave blank.
• Schedule J (Tax Computation and Payment): leave blank.
• Schedule K (Other Information): leave blank unless something specifically applies.
• Schedule L (Balance Sheets per Books): only line 15 column (d) needs a value; all other lines blank.
• Schedule M-1 (Reconciliation of Income per Books with Income per Return): leave blank.
• Schedule M-2 (Analysis of Unappropriated Retained Earnings): leave blank.
Leave them empty. Don't write "0" or "N/A" — write nothing. The IRS instructions for foreign-owned DEs are explicit: these sections stay blank on a pro forma filing.
Filling in income would incorrectly treat your LLC as a C-corp owing tax. Filling in "0" is technically also wrong (it asserts a calculation was performed). Empty is correct.
What is the 'Foreign-Owned U.S. DE' stamp?#
This is a literal requirement from the IRS instructions for Form 5472. At the top of page 1 of Form 1120, write or stamp:
"Foreign-Owned U.S. DE"
This tells the IRS Ogden PIN Unit how to route and process the return. Without this stamp:
• The IRS may try to process it as a regular 1120 — triggering deficiency notices for missing income data.
• The Form 5472 attachment may not be correctly linked to your LLC.
• The return may be misrouted within the IRS, delaying processing.
• Worst case: the filing is treated as incomplete, triggering the $25,000 §6038A penalty.
You can hand-write it, type it, or stamp it — any visible "Foreign-Owned U.S. DE" notation at the top margin works. Our wizard automatically adds this text when generating the PDF.
Why a 'pro forma' format and not a separate form?#
The IRS doesn't have a dedicated form for foreign-owned DE disclosure. Form 5472 was designed for 25%+ foreign-owned US corporations (where the corporation files a real Form 1120). When the IRS extended §6038A to foreign-owned single-member LLCs in 2017, they needed a way to receive Form 5472 attachments — but those LLCs aren't real corporations and don't owe corporate tax.
The pro forma 1120 solution: file the existing 1120 structure with only the procedural fields completed, marked "Foreign-Owned U.S. DE" to flag the special status. This avoided creating a brand-new form and integrated cleanly into the existing IRS Ogden processing channel.
The downside: it's confusing for foreign LLC owners who see "file Form 1120" and assume their LLC has become a corporation. It hasn't — your LLC stays a disregarded entity for all other tax purposes.
How do you file the complete package?#
Once your pro forma 1120 is filled and stamped, the full package order is:
1. Cover letter (1 page) identifying the filing.
2. Pro forma Form 1120 (1-2 pages, with the "Foreign-Owned U.S. DE" stamp).
3. Form 5472 (2 pages).
4. Part V supporting statement (1+ pages).
5. Reasonable Cause Statement (only if filing late under DIIRSP).
Sign the 1120's signature line in pen on the printed page. Fax the entire package to the IRS Ogden PIN Unit at +1-855-887-7737. Save the fax transmission receipt as proof of timely filing.
Our service generates the entire correctly-formatted package automatically. You sign one PDF on screen (the signature embeds into every required signature box), an accountant on our team reviews it, and we fax it to the IRS. IRS fax delivery is included in every plan — no separate fee.
What are common mistakes on pro forma 1120?#
• Filling in income/deductions/tax: turns it into a real corporate return, can trigger US tax liability and audits.
• Writing "0" in blank fields instead of leaving empty: technically incorrect; the IRS instructions specify these fields stay empty.
• Missing the "Foreign-Owned U.S. DE" stamp: causes routing/processing issues at Ogden.
• Wrong tax year: form is for the tax year that ENDED, not the year you're filing in. 2024 return = tax year 2024 = filed by April 15, 2025.
• Wrong EIN: must match your CP-575 exactly. A digit transposition can trigger rejection.
• Missing signature: the 1120 signature line must be signed in pen — Form 5472 doesn't have a separate signature.
• Filing only the 1120 without Form 5472 attached: the whole point is the 5472 attachment; missing it defeats the purpose.
• Filing only Form 5472 without the pro forma 1120: also invalid; the IRS won't process a 5472 without its envelope.
What's the difference between pro forma 1120 and regular Form 1120?#
Pro forma 1120 (for foreign-owned DEs):
• Used as a procedural envelope for Form 5472.
• Most fields blank.
• No tax owed.
• Stamped "Foreign-Owned U.S. DE".
• Filed once a year by April 15.
Regular Form 1120 (for real US C-corporations):
• Real corporate income tax return.
• All income, deductions, and tax fields filled.
• Tax owed at corporate rates (21% federal).
• No special stamp.
• Filed once a year by April 15 (calendar-year corps).
If your LLC was structured as a C-corp election (Form 8832 "check the box" election to be taxed as a corporation), you'd file a regular 1120, not pro forma. Most foreign-owned LLCs do NOT make this election and remain disregarded entities.
What about Form 1120-F or 1120-S?#
Form 1120-F: "U.S. Income Tax Return of a Foreign Corporation." Filed by foreign corporations (not US-formed entities) that have US-source income or a US trade or business. Your foreign-owned US LLC is a domestic (US) entity, not a foreign corporation — so 1120-F doesn't apply to your LLC.
Form 1120-S: filed by S-corporations. S-corps require all owners to be US persons, so foreign-owned LLCs can never elect S-corp status. 1120-S is never the right form for a foreign owner.
Form 1120 (regular): filed by US C-corporations. Pro forma 1120 (same form, used differently) is the right answer for foreign-owned single-member LLCs.
Summary: 1120 pro forma = right; 1120-F = wrong (you're not a foreign corp); 1120-S = wrong (foreign owners can't have S-corps); 1065 = wrong (single-member LLCs aren't partnerships).
Use our pre-filled pro forma 1120#
Our wizard generates a correctly-formatted pro forma Form 1120 with:
• "Foreign-Owned U.S. DE" stamp at the top.
• Entity name, EIN, US address pre-filled from your wizard answers.
• Date of incorporation pre-filled.
• Total assets at year-end pre-filled from your year-end total.
• Signature line ready for your in-portal canvas signature.
• All income/deduction/tax fields correctly left blank.
• Schedule L line 15 column (d) pre-filled to match Item D.
No manual form-filling. The signed PDF is ready to fax to +1-855-887-7737, and we handle that for you — IRS fax delivery is included in every plan.
Pricing: Standard $199 · Rush $279 · Premium $449. +$149 per additional past year. 100% money-back guarantee if we fail to submit.
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Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to fill in Schedule L (balance sheet)?
- Only line 15, column (d) — total assets at year-end. The other balance sheet detail isn't required for pro forma filings. Line 15 (d) must match Item D on page 1.
- Can I e-file the pro forma 1120?
- No. Foreign-owned disregarded entities are explicitly excluded from e-filing for 1120 and 5472. The IRS Modernized e-File system can't process them. Fax (+1-855-887-7737) or paper mail (IRS Ogden, UT 84201-0023) only.
- Do I need to attach Form 1125-A or 1125-E?
- No. Those schedules are for active C-corporations with cost of goods sold or executive compensation. Pro forma 1120 for foreign-owned DEs doesn't require them — leave them out entirely.
- What if my LLC has subsidiaries?
- If your foreign-owned LLC owns other entities, each subsidiary may need its own Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 depending on the structure. Get a CPA involved for multi-entity setups — our wizard supports single-entity filings only.
- Do I file pro forma 1120 if my LLC owes US tax?
- No. If your LLC actually has US-source effectively connected income and owes corporate tax, you'd file a full Form 1120 (not pro forma) with all income and tax calculations. This is rare for foreign-owned single-member LLCs but happens with US warehouse/employee setups. Consult a CPA.
- Should I fill in 'foreign-owned' on item A?
- Item A is for specific check-box situations (consolidated return, personal holding co, etc.) — not typically for foreign-owned DEs. The "Foreign-Owned U.S. DE" stamp at the top is what flags your status, not Item A.
- What goes in Item D — total assets?
- Total assets at year-end in USD: sum of cash + receivables + inventory + fixed assets (whatever the LLC owns on December 31). This should match your accounting records' end-of-year balance sheet total.
- Do I sign the 1120 or the 5472?
- The 1120 — Form 5472 itself doesn't have a signature line. The 1120's signature block at the bottom of page 1 covers both forms in the package. Sign in pen.
- Can I use last year's pro forma 1120 as a template?
- Yes. The structure is identical year over year — only the year, total assets, and dates change. Our wizard pre-fills from your prior year's filing if you're a return customer.
- What if I forget the 'Foreign-Owned U.S. DE' stamp?
- The filing may be misrouted or processed incorrectly. If you've already faxed without it, you can fax a corrected version with the stamp added. Better: catch the missing stamp before sending. Our wizard adds it automatically.
Related guides
Form 5472 vs Form 1120 — What's the Difference?
Form 5472 and Form 1120 are two separate IRS forms that foreign-owned US LLCs must file together as one package. Form 1120 is the US corporate income tax return. Form 5472 is an information return about related-party transactions. For most foreign-owned single-member LLCs, the 1120 is filed "pro forma" — meaning most boxes are blank. Here's exactly what each form is, why you need both, and how the IRS expects them combined.
How to File IRS Form 5472
Foreign-owned US single-member LLCs must file Form 5472 with an attached pro forma Form 1120 by April 15 each year. You can't e-file — the IRS only accepts these forms by mail or fax to the Ogden PIN Unit at +1-855-887-7737. Below is the full step-by-step process, broken down into every form, field, and decision you'll face — or skip the work entirely and use our accountant-reviewed 15-minute online filer from $199.
Form 5472 Instructions: Plain-English Walkthrough
The official IRS instructions for Form 5472 are 12 pages of dense regulatory language written for tax professionals. This is what each part actually means without the jargon, exactly what to put in each box, the common mistakes that trigger the $25,000 penalty, and how to put together a complete filing that the IRS will accept on the first read.
Form 1120 for a Disregarded Entity (Foreign Owner)
A US LLC owned by a single non-US person is a "disregarded entity" — meaning the IRS treats it as if it doesn't exist for income tax purposes. So why does it file Form 1120? Because Treasury Regulation § 1.6038A-1 requires Form 5472 to be attached to a tax return, and a pro forma Form 1120 is the IRS-specified attachment vehicle. This is the complete explanation, the regulation's history, what the filing looks like, and how to avoid the common pitfalls.