I'm an Amazon FBA seller with a US LLC. Do I need Form 5472?

Possibly. Amazon sales alone do not determine the filing obligation. Review the entity classification, foreign ownership, related-party transactions, and current IRS instructions. Owner funding and distributions may need to be evaluated, but the facts determine whether Form 5472 is required.

Does my Amazon seller account activity show up on Form 5472?

Amazon sales revenue and Amazon FBA fees paid to Amazon are ordinary business income and expenses — they are not reported on Form 5472. What IS reported on Form 5472 are your personal transactions with the LLC: money you put in (contributions) and money you took out (distributions). Amazon's payments to you are distributions if the money flows through the LLC to you personally.

I buy inventory from a Chinese supplier owned by my cousin. Is that a reportable transaction?

Potentially yes. If the Chinese supplier is considered a 'related party' under the Form 5472 rules (25%+ common ownership or control), then purchases from that supplier are reportable transactions. If the supplier is genuinely unrelated to you, those purchases are ordinary business expenses, not Form 5472 transactions. The related-party determination requires careful analysis.

My Shopify store revenue goes directly to my Stripe account, which then pays me. Does each Stripe payout to me count?

Each payout from the LLC's Stripe account to your personal bank account is a distribution from the LLC to you — a reportable transaction for Form 5472. For high-frequency e-commerce sellers, this can be dozens or hundreds of transactions per year. You report the aggregate annual amount, not each individual transaction.

Do I need to report my Alibaba inventory purchases on Form 5472?

Only if Alibaba or your specific supplier is a related party (commonly owned or controlled by you or your relatives/affiliates). Purchases from arm's-length, unrelated suppliers on Alibaba are ordinary business expenses — not Form 5472 reportable transactions.

Form5472.ai

Loading Your Tax Return

Form 5472 for E-Commerce & Amazon FBA Sellers

Amazon FBA, Shopify, and other U.S. e-commerce owners can learn when Form 5472 may apply, which transactions to review, and how filing rules work.

Loading Form5472.ai…