Country profile
USA: Wyoming (LLC)
Best : For non-US residents who want a light, cheap LLC to invoice outside the United States.
Wyoming is the least populous US state (under 600,000 people), with no state corporate or personal income tax. Almost nobody moves there: people register an LLC for its simplicity, privacy and low annual cost, while federal rules and the owner's home-country tax remain decisive.
Switch country
International rankings
The main public indices scoring business climate, economic freedom, corruption, peace and domestic safety. Figures copied from the official editions; a weak rank shows where to look closer.
| Index | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Doing Business 2020Banque mondiale / World BankScore 0–100, rank out of 190 economies (1 = best). | 84.0 | #6 / 190 |
| B-READY 2025Banque mondiale / World BankThree pillars scored 0–100 (regulatory framework, public services, operational efficiency). No overall rank: the World Bank publishes a quintile per pillar across 101 economies. |
| |
| Index of Economic Freedom 2026Heritage FoundationScore 0–100, rank out of 184 countries (1 = freest). | 72.8 | #22 / 184 |
| Corruption Perceptions Index 2025Transparency InternationalScore 0–100 (100 = very clean), rank out of 182 countries. | 64 | #29 / 182 |
| Global Peace Index 2026Institute for Economics & PeaceScore 1–5 (lower = more peaceful), rank out of 163 countries. | 2.535 | #134 / 163 |
| GPI 2026 — Societal Safety and SecurityInstitute for Economics & PeaceScore 1–5 (lower = safer), rank out of 163 countries (1 = safest). | 2.454 | #100 / 163 |
Scope : Indices score the whole United States; none measures Wyoming alone. Doing Business was based on New York and Los Angeles.
- Doing Business 2020 : Last published edition (data as of May 2019). The World Bank discontinued the series in 2021 after data irregularities: read it as a historical benchmark.
- B-READY 2025 : Successor to Doing Business. Sample averages: 66.3 / 54.0 / 60.0. The 2026 edition (over 160 economies) is due by end-2026.
- Index of Economic Freedom 2026 : Hong Kong has not been graded separately since 2021 (folded into China).
- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 : Published February 2026.
- Global Peace Index 2026 : Overall rank: conflict, domestic safety and militarisation. Day-to-day safety is the next row. Malta and Hong Kong are not covered.
- GPI 2026 — Societal Safety and Security : Appendix C of the 2026 GPI: homicide, violent crime, terrorism and instability. Excludes armed conflict and militarisation. Malta and Hong Kong are not covered.
Geopolitical risk
Tax by profile
Tax and contributions actually paid on a reference case, for a newcomer who is tax resident in 2026. Where a special regime is open to them, it is applied and flagged. The score out of 10 follows from the effective rate.
Rentier
8.5/10
Effective rate ≈ 7%
- No Wyoming state income tax
- Federal: qualified dividends and long-term gains at 0% then 15%, interest at ordinary rates
Living in the US requires a visa; the LLC alone gives no right to stay.
Employee
6.5/10
Effective rate ≈ 17%
- Employee FICA 7.65%
- 2026 federal tax after the $16,100 standard deduction: about 9%
Entrepreneur
5.5/10
Effective rate ≈ 23%
- Self-employment tax 15.3% on 92.35% of profit
- Federal tax after the 20% QBI deduction
An S-corp election cuts self-employment tax above a certain profit.
Reference cases and scoring
- Rentier: €100,000 a year from a foreign portfolio (€40,000 dividends, €20,000 interest, €40,000 gains on listed shares), no other activity.
- Employee: €60,000 gross a year paid by a local employer, single with no children. Employee contributions included, employer share excluded.
- Entrepreneur: €100,000 profit from a small local business, fully paid to the owner through the most common route (company and dividends, or sole trader).
Score = 10 minus 0.2 per point of effective rate (0% gives 10, 25% gives 5, 50% or more gives 0), rounded to the half point. Foreign withholding taxes and employer contributions are not counted.
Indicative figures as of October 2026 · Main source : irs.gov. Not tax advice.
Business: incorporating
A Wyoming LLC is among the cheapest structures to maintain: no state income tax on profits, annual licence often around $60, online formation. It grants no US visa or residency.
0% (~$60/an maint.)
Corporate tax
$150–$400
Setup
USD, indicative
$110–$350
Per year
USD, indicative
10/10
Ease
Ranking
6.5/10
Banking
Ranking
3/10
CFC
GILTI / Subpart F (si résident US)
Among the cheapest setups here: very low state filing fees and an annual license tax often at the ~$60 floor if few assets sit in Wyoming, plus a registered agent. Real cost shifts to US compliance (IRS filings for non-residents, banking, bookkeeping), not formation itself. Great for a light structure; it grants neither residency nor local substance.
Who it fits
- Non-US residents wanting a light wrapper for non-US activity
- Founders testing a market without Dubai licence or Singapore secretary budgets
- Holding or IP with non-US flows and accepted federal compliance (Form 5472, etc.)
The real drawbacks
- US tax residents. GILTI and the federal chain apply
- Need for premium EU banking credibility without EIN and a solid US file
- Material US-client activity without federal and state tax planning
Real estate: investing
No real-estate row for this hub in the dataset: the structure is used for invoicing, not for living or buying locally.
Moving there: living and residence
Clear split: state company (Wyoming) ≠ visa. Non-residents often use B1/B2 visits, E-2 (treaty), L-1, O-1, EB-5 by profile.
6.1/10
Liberty score
equal weights
0% (résidence hors US)
Income tax
0–40%
Inheritance
Allowed
Homeschool
Residence routes
- B1/B2 visa (visit / business): Temporary stay (often up to 6 months per entry, CBP discretion)
- E-2 treaty investor visa: Renewable visa while enterprise qualifies
- EB-5 (immigrant investor): Conditional then permanent green card
US immigration is highly fact-specific. These bands exclude immigration counsel (often USD 5,000–25,000).
Go deeper on USA: Wyoming (LLC)
The 16 reference countries
Each country fits a different profile. Pick the one that matches yours.
Indicative Liberty Stack data · Methodology · Rankings : Doing Business 2020, B-READY 2025, Index of Economic Freedom 2026, Corruption Perceptions Index 2025, Global Peace Index 2026, GPI 2026 — Societal Safety and Security.