Amazon Seller Account with US LLC from India: Complete Setup Guide (2027)

Selling on Amazon.com puts your products in front of millions of American shoppers. For Indian sellers, it's one of the biggest export opportunities available.

But the setup questions start immediately. Do you need a US company? Which tax form do you fill in? Where do the payouts go? And why did Amazon ask for a video call?

This guide answers all of it. You'll learn how to set up an Amazon seller account with a US LLC from India, and when you might not need an LLC at all.

Do You Actually Need a US LLC?

Here's the honest answer: no, not always.

Indian sellers can register on Amazon.com directly as an Indian individual or Indian business through Amazon's Global Selling program. Many successful sellers do exactly that.

A US LLC becomes useful when you want:

• A US business presence that builds trust with customers, suppliers and partners
• US business banking, so payouts land in a US account in your company's name
• Separation between your business and personal finances
• Expansion beyond Amazon, such as your own Shopify store with Stripe US

If you're only testing a few products, starting without an LLC is fine. If you're building a serious US brand, an LLC often makes sense.

What You Need Before You Start

Get these ready first:

• A US LLC with its formation documents
• An EIN for your LLC
• Your passport for identity verification
• A bank account that can receive Amazon payouts in your LLC's name
• An international credit or debit card for Amazon's fees
• A phone number and business email

Choose Your Selling Plan

Amazon offers two plans:

• Individual: $0.99 per item sold, no monthly fee
• Professional: $39.99 per month, no per-item fee, plus access to advertising, bulk listing tools and detailed reports

If you expect to sell more than about 40 items a month, or want to run ads, the Professional plan usually costs less.

The Tax Interview: Where Most Sellers Get Confused

During registration, Amazon asks you to complete a tax interview. This is where your LLC structure matters.

A single-member LLC owned by a non-resident is, by default, a disregarded entity for US tax purposes. That means the IRS looks through the LLC to you, the owner.

So for most Indian sellers with a single-member LLC:

• You complete the interview as an individual, the foreign owner
• You provide Form W-8BEN, not Form W-9
• Your LLC's name can be entered as the disregarded entity

Our guide to W-8BEN vs W-9 for a foreign-owned LLC explains why the form follows the owner, not the company.

Common mistake: Choosing the W-9 because "my LLC is American." For a foreign-owned single-member LLC, a W-9 can be an incorrect certification and can cause problems with year-end tax reporting.

Identity Verification

Amazon verifies every new seller carefully. Expect:

• Passport verification
• A live video call with an Amazon associate, either immediately or at a booked time
• Requests for supporting documents, such as a bank statement

Pro tip: Consistency wins verification. Your name, address and business details should match exactly across your passport, bank statement, LLC documents and tax interview. Amazon compares them all, and small differences are a common reason for delays.

Remember that a single-member LLC doesn't hide you from Amazon's checks. Amazon will still verify you as the owner behind the LLC.

Getting Paid

Amazon pays out to the bank account you add. With a US LLC, a US business bank account in your LLC's name keeps everything clean and consistent. Our guide to opening a Mercury bank account as a non-resident walks through the setup.

When you're ready to move money to India, compare your options in our guide to Wise vs Payoneer for a US LLC.

Sales Tax: Amazon Usually Handles It

In most US states, Amazon acts as a marketplace facilitator, meaning it collects and pays sales tax on your Amazon sales for you. That removes a huge burden for small sellers.

If you also sell through your own website, though, sales tax becomes your responsibility on those sales, so plan for it.

The FBA Tax Question Most Sellers Miss

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) stores your inventory in Amazon's US warehouses and ships orders for you. It's convenient, but it changes your tax picture.

Selling goods from inventory stored inside the US can mean your LLC is engaged in a US trade or business, which can create US income tax obligations that a remote service business usually doesn't have. Our guide to foreign-owned LLC taxes explains how this works.

Before scaling FBA, talk to a tax professional who understands foreign-owned sellers.

Don't Forget the India Side

Selling goods abroad from India brings its own rules:

• Exporting goods from India generally requires an Importer Exporter Code (IEC)
• Owning a US LLC usually requires ODI reporting under FEMA
• Your LLC's income must be reported in your Indian tax return, along with Schedule FA disclosure

Our guide to the US LLC for Indian residents explains these India-side requirements.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mismatched details across documents, which causes verification delays
• Using a registered agent's address as your business address on bank or Amazon forms
• Signing a W-9 as a foreign owner of a single-member LLC
• Scaling FBA without tax advice
• Forgetting yearly LLC filings, such as Form 5472, which applies even when Amazon handles sales tax

Build Your Amazon Business on Solid Ground

The right setup makes Amazon verification smoother and keeps you compliant as you grow. FormLLC helps Indian sellers form a US LLC from India, get an EIN, set up US business banking and stay compliant every year.

Planning to sell on Amazon.com in 2027? Book a free consultation and talk to our team.