Your Registered Agent and Tax Forms: What You Should Know

A registered agent is a person or company that receives legal and tax documents on behalf of your LLC. If you're an international founder, your registered agent is a critical link in your tax compliance chain.

What does a registered agent receive?

• •IRS correspondence and notices
• •State tax notices
• •Secretary of State correspondence
• •Legal service of process
• •FinCEN correspondence

Why this matters for tax forms

When you file Form SS-4 and list your registered agent's address, the IRS will send your EIN confirmation letter (CP 575) there. All future IRS notices go there too — including penalty notices.

If your registered agent doesn't forward mail promptly, you could miss IRS deadlines.

Setting up mail forwarding

Most registered agent services offer:

• •Scanning and emailing — Immediate notification when mail arrives

• •Physical forwarding — Periodic mailing to your foreign address

• •Digital mailbox — Online access to scanned documents

For tax compliance, scanning and emailing is essential. You need to see IRS notices immediately, not wait for physical mail to arrive internationally.

Address on tax forms

When filling forms with UFF, use your registered agent's address for:

• •Form SS-4, Lines 4a-4b (mailing address)
• •Form 1120, page 1 (entity address)
• •Form 5472, Part I (reporting corporation address)

Use the registered agent's physical office address (not a PO Box) for street address lines.

Changing your registered agent

If you switch registered agents, update your address with:

• •Your state's Secretary of State office

• •The IRS (Form 8822-B, Change of Address)

• •Any banks or financial institutions

• •FinCEN (updated BOI report)

Cost

Registered agent services typically cost $50-300/year. Given that they're your lifeline for receiving IRS correspondence, this is not the place to cut corners.