Doola vs Form5472.ai: What You Are Actually Paying For
By Arik Rozen, CPA, MBA | Form5472.ai | Limited pricing/scope correction on September 24, 2026; the full article and outbound links were not reviewed in this correction.
If you formed your US LLC through Doola, you chose a well-regarded formation service for international founders. Doola handles state incorporation, registered agent service, and business setup efficiently. This article is about what comes after formation: the annual federal IRS filing obligation that Doola's entry-level plan does not cover, what Doola charges to add it, and what a standalone specialist charges for the same filing.
One qualification first: foreign ownership alone does not determine whether Form 5472 is required. The obligation depends on entity classification, ownership, related parties, and whether reportable transactions occurred during the tax year. Verify against the current IRS Instructions for Form 5472 at irs.gov/instructions/i5472 for the applicable year.
What the IRS requires annually from a foreign-owned single-member LLC
If you are a non-US resident who owns a US single-member LLC, the IRS classifies your LLC as a foreign-owned disregarded entity under IRC section 6038A. It must file Form 5472 attached to a pro forma Form 1120 every year. This applies regardless of whether the LLC had revenue, a US bank account, or any business activity, provided reportable transactions occurred between you and the LLC. Common reportable transactions include:
Transferring personal funds into the LLC bank account to cover initial costs (a capital contribution).
Paying the registered agent fee or state fee personally on behalf of the LLC.
Transferring money from the LLC back to your personal account (a distribution).
Paying any business expense from a personal card on the LLC's behalf.
Under IRC section 6038A(d)(1), a failure to file a complete and correct Form 5472 by the due date can result in a $25,000 penalty per form, per year. A substantially incomplete return can be treated as a failure to file. Whether a penalty applies in a specific case depends on the statute, IRS procedures, and the taxpayer's facts.
What Doola's plans actually cover
Doola's pricing page lists separate Starter and Tax and Compliance plans; the latter includes business IRS tax filings, while its tax-filing page lists Form 5472 for non-U.S.-owned single-member LLCs. As checked September 24, 2026, the Tax and Compliance page displayed $1,999/year standard and a $1,599/year promotion, plus state fees. Verify current package scope and pricing directly.
As checked September 24, 2026, Doola's pricing page listed Starter at $237/year promotional ($297/year standard), plus state fees, and Tax and Compliance at $1,599/year promotional ($1,999/year standard), plus state fees. Doola's separate tax-filing page describes Form 5472 filing for non-U.S.-owned single-member LLCs. Confirm current package scope, eligibility, and price directly.
A bundled plan may suit someone who wants its included services. Compare current promotional and standard prices, state fees, and service scope; do not treat the difference between plan prices as the value or cost of Form 5472 alone.
What a standalone Form 5472 specialist costs
Form5472.ai's pricing page lists $299 for eligible straightforward single-member LLC filings; other scopes are priced differently. Check the current provider terms for preparation, review, submission method, and any included monitoring before purchase.
A multi-year comparison depends on each provider's current price, eligibility, included work, state fees, and contract terms. Recalculate using contemporaneous prices and equivalent filing scopes before comparing.
The $5,100 three-year difference is the cost of services inside the Doola bundle that are not the Form 5472 filing: bookkeeping, financial reporting, and account management. If those services are useful to you, the bundle price is the right comparison. If they are not, a standalone specialist costs a fraction of the bundle.
Compare scope and qualificationsPrice alone does not establish comparative quality or guarantee the same IRS outcome. Compare provider qualifications, filing responsibilities, review, submission scope, and terms.
When Doola Total Compliance is the right choice
Doola's package inclusions can change. Review its current pricing and plan terms to see which services are included and whether they fit your circumstances; price alone does not establish service quality or IRS outcomes.
When a standalone specialist is the right choice
A standalone Form 5472 service makes sense if you handle your own bookkeeping, already have a registered agent, and only need the annual federal information return prepared by a named, license-verifiable professional and submitted to the IRS correctly. Form5472.ai is operated by Tax USA Inc., an IRS Authorized e-File Provider since 2004 that has prepared filings for foreign-owned entities across 198 countries (company-reported).
If your situation involves complex transactions, multiple related parties, loans, reimbursements, or missed prior years, our sibling service form5472.online offers fully CPA-prepared and CPA-signed filings from $399 ($448 with IRS submission), with a Zero-Penalty Guarantee under published terms.
See the full $299 package details at form5472.ai/pricing
This article is general information and not legal or tax advice. Whether Form 5472 is required depends on the entity's facts and applicable IRS rules; verify the current IRS instructions for the applicable tax year. Doola pricing is based on published information as of September 2026 and may change; verify current pricing at doola.com. Penalty applicability depends on the statute, IRS procedures, and taxpayer-specific facts. Prices and service descriptions for Form5472.ai are company-reported and subject to change.