Form 5472 for Bookkeepers: Hand Off the Filing, Keep the Books

The filing needs totals for the tax year, not the full ledger:

• Owner contributions: money or property the owner put in, including LLC bills the owner paid personally, such as state or registered agent fees
• Owner distributions: money the owner took out
• Loans: amounts lent either way between the owner and the LLC, and repayments
• Related companies: payments to or from another company connected to the owner; the reportable transactions checker shows when these count
• Year-end total assets: the balance-sheet total on the last day of the tax year
• Identity details: the LLC's name, EIN and address, and the owner's name, address and country

Amounts go on the form in US dollars. The IRS yearly average exchange rates page converts foreign-currency entries.

A few ledger habits make the totals quick to pull:

• Keep separate accounts for owner contributions, owner distributions and loans, so each total is one figure.
• Post LLC costs the owner paid from a personal card when they happen, tagged as owner-paid, rather than rebuilding them in January.
• Note the original currency of any foreign-currency entry.
• Close the year early. For a calendar-year LLC the filing is due April 15, and the package still needs review and signature after you hand over.

1. You pull the totals. Take the figures above from the books for the tax year.
2. The filing is started. The owner starts it, or you start it from a partner account and either enter the totals or send the owner a secure intake link.
3. We prepare and review. The package is generated and a qualified accountant checks it against the answers.
4. The owner signs. The person authorized for the LLC reviews the package and signs online.
5. We fax it. The package goes to the IRS Ogden PIN Unit and the timestamped receipt is stored on the filing page.

For one or two clients, refer the owner to start a filing with your totals in hand. If you keep the books for several foreign-owned LLCs, a partner account lets you start and track every client's filing from one dashboard. Firms that want client emails under their own brand can read about white label Form 5472 filing.

• Not your bookkeeping. We do not keep books, reconcile accounts or prepare financial statements.
• Not other returns. No Form 1065, Form 1040-NR, state returns or Form 7004.
• Not tax advice. We prepare forms from the figures provided, and the owner remains responsible for their accuracy.
• Not a promised outcome. If a year is late, nobody can promise the IRS will not assess the $25,000 penalty under IRC §6038A(d).