What is the difference between where you live and where the company operates?
Residence is the country you personally live in. Operating location is where the company will actually work from. They are separate questions, and either can be outside the US.
On this page
These are two different questions, asked one after the other.
Residence: where you live
The Residence step asks "Which country do you live in?" Pick the country where you personally live today from the searchable list. It helps our formation partner set up your account correctly. Living outside the US is completely fine.
Operating location: where the company works
The Operating Location step asks "Where will the company actually operate from?" Pick the US state where the company will have its office, staff or regular work. If you'll run the company from outside the US, or you don't know yet, choose Outside the US / not sure. It sits at the top of the list.
Why the operating location matters
Your operating location can differ from the state you form in. If you pick a US state here and then form in a different state, the US State step shows a heads-up: you'll also need to register your company in the state you operate from and pay the fees that state charges. The warning doesn't stop you. You can still continue.
Examples
- You live in Germany and will run the company from Germany: choose Germany, then Outside the US / not sure.
- You live in Canada and will open an office in Texas: choose Canada, then Texas.