How to Start a U.S. LLC for Shopify Stores

Building a Shopify store starts with a business idea, but setting up your company involves a separate process. This guide explains how to start a U.S. LLC for Shopify stores using a Wyoming formation example through Northwest Registered Agent. Follow the screenshots to select your entity type and state, enter your company name, create an account and review payment. The guide also covers the important filing steps after payment, including providing the remaining business details and checking your application status. Use your own accurate information throughout, and review each selection carefully as you prepare your LLC application for submission.

Step 1: Begin Your LLC Application

Go to the Northwest Registered Agent formation page from here and choose LLC as shown in the example.
Jurisdiction: Pick the state where you want to set up your company.For example Wyoming, New Mexico, or another suitable state.
Confirm that the order summary, including the service fee and state filing fee, the selections match your intended application, then click Continue.

Step 2: Enter Your Company Name and Review EIN Assistance

Company Name: The example given is Anatolian Horizon Trading. Put in the name you want to use for your LLC.
Designator: The name preview shows Anatolian Horizon Trading LLC. Please check your full company name before you proceed.
EIN Filing Service: This optional service is turned off in the example and the fees shown are $50 for applicants who have a U.S. SSN and $200 for those who do not.
Apply Yourself: If you choose the EIN application assistance offered by Northwest, the company will charge you a service fee.Alternatively, you can apply directly to the IRS without having to pay an IRS application fee by using the correct step-by-step guide.

For people who are residents or citizens of the United States: you can find our guide to the U.S. EIN application here.

For non-U.S. residents: Follow our complete non-U.S. EIN application guide from here.

Review your company name and EIN service choice, then click Continue.

Step 3: Create Your Northwest Account

First Name and Last Name: please put your correct name in the spaces provided.
Mobile Phone Number: For two-factor authentication, give us a number that you can control.
Email Address: For your email address, use one that you regularly check in order to receive account access and order updates.
Create A Password and Confirm Password: Enter a strong and unique password and type it again to confirm.
Check your account information, then click Continue.

Step 4: Complete Payment and Submit Your Order

Card Number: Enter the details of the payment card that you are authorised to use.
First Name On Card and Last Name On Card: Enter the name of the cardholder as it appears on the card.
Exp Month, Exp Year and Security Code: Fill in these fields with the details from your own card.

Country and Address: Turkey is given as an example. Please choose the country with which you want to bill and fill in the address linked to your payment card.
City, State / Province and Zip / Postal: For the fields relating to City, State / Province and Zip / Postal code, fill in your correct billing details.
Account Contact Address: choose to use a different address for your account contact details only if you need such a separate
Order Summary: The total amount for this order is $142.00, which includes the $39 formation fee and the $103 Wyoming state fee; the registered agent service is included and the renewal cost is $125 each year.
Submit Order: Review your entries and the Terms of Service, then click Submit Order to place the order.

Step 5: Add State Filing Details and Save Your Invoice

Payment Confirmation: We confirm the payment, but further filing information is still required. This does not indicate that your LLC has obtained state approval.
Remaining Details: The checklist has The Basics checked off, then lists Business Details, People & Roles, and finally Review & Submit.
Add State Filing Details: click on Add State Filing Details to input the remaining information for your own LLC.

The page in the northwest section showing the option to Add State Filing Details together with a checklist of the other LLC filing tasks.

Summary of the order: Check the services and the charges pertaining to your own order. Since this screenshot relates to an order from New Mexico, its state fee does not match the example from Wyoming in this guide.
Download: Please click on Download in order to save your invoice for your records.

Step 6: Complete Your Business Details and Addresses

Business Name: For your application, check the name shown here. If a correction is required, click Edit and check the name, Northwest’s search shows that the example name is available, but final availability and approval are still subject to the state.
Industry: The example shows ‘Other Services (except Public Administration)‘. Please select the category that correctly describes the business activity of your Shopify store.
Business Purpose: The option for a generic business purpose is turned on, showing that any legal business purpose applies. Check if this option is appropriate for your application.
Effective Date: The example shows ‘Upon Filing‘. Select the option that corresponds to the date on which you want to start.
Trade Name: Choose your Trade Name only if your business uses one.
File EIN Paperwork For Me: Northwest shows a processing fee of $50 for applicants who have a U.S. SSN and $200 for those who don’t.
Apply for an EIN Yourself: You can apply for your EIN yourself, although Northwest will charge you a service fee if you choose their assistance with the EIN application.
Principal Address: The page indicates that this address will be included in the public records, and in the example the Registered agent address has been chosen and is marked FREE.
Virtual Business Address: A virtual business address is an optional service that begins at $20 per month and includes a private suite along with mail delivery. You should only consider looking at it if you need to.
Mail Plan: For the virtual address service, you should look at the dropdown list under ‘Select your plan‘.
Enter a Different Address: If you want to enter a different address then select this option.
Mailing Address: The mailing address is set to be the same as the principal address and should only be left selected if it is accurate; the page states that the mailing address then becomes public information.
After having looked over all the business details and the various address options, click Continue.

Step 7: Confirm Management and Member Details

List Managers or Members: For the section on managers or members, select ‘Yes‘ if you want managers or members to appear on the state record. Choose the option that suits your application.
Management Type: Select the Management Type. Choose Member Managed if the owners will run the day-to-day operations, or Manager Managed if an appointed manager will operate the business.
Members: For each member, check their Member Name, Type and Filing Address. Use your real ownership information rather than reproducing the example.
Add or Edit: click Add to include another member or choose Edit to correct the current entry.
Registered Agent: Check the registered agent information.
check the management and member details and then click Continue.

Step 8: Review, Submit and Confirm Your Order

Processing Speed: Optional Rush Processing — costing $97.00 — accelerates the submission to the state; it does not however guarantee that the state will approve it within that time.
Final Review: When carrying out the final review, make sure that all the details in your filing have been checked before you click Submit Your Order. If you decide on rush processing, look at the additional charges first.
Business Details: For the business details, you need to verify your company name, sector, purpose of the business, the date on which it comes into effect, the trade name, the principal address and the mailing address. To make any corrections, click on Edit.
Additional Items: The screenshot illustrates Rush Processing — an amount of $97.00 has been added. You should keep it only if you want to, or use the trash icon to get rid of it.
Continue to Checkout: If you want to go ahead with the additional paid service, click on Continue to Checkout.
Order Received: We have received your order: Northwest has confirmed receipt of it. This, however, does not indicate that the state has approved your LLC.
What Happens Next: Next steps will involve Northwest looking over your details, filling in the necessary forms and sending them to the state; the page states that you will receive an email update once the state has approved them.
Continue to Home: click on Continue to Home if you want to track your order and see the next steps.

Step 9: Check Your Dashboard and Manage Services

Formation Status: This status comes after the initial order was received. You should check the status in your own account and Click on View Details to examine your formation order.
Action Items: The dashboard also offers phone number and domain setup. Review these optional services only if needed.
Account: Open Account to access Invoices, Filing Orders, Registrations & Renewals and other account settings.
Contact Details: Use Contact Details to review your account contact information.
Services: Open the Services menu to manage available business services, including Registered Agent, Mail, Phones, Domains, Hosting, Email, Renewals, and other services.
Other Services: Review any terms and charges before adding a service.

Step 10: Review Your Available LLC Documents

Documents: To view the files available for your LLC, select My Documents from the Open Documents menu.
Available Files: The files listed here are the Initial Resolution, the Operating Agreement and the Formation Document, all of which are marked Read.
Search and Filters: You can use Search Documents or Filters to find a file and make sure it belongs to your LLC by checking the company name and the jurisdiction.
Organize Files: For organising files, you can use Upload to add your own documents or use Manage Folders to organize your records.

What to Do After Submitting Your LLC Application

The dashboard illustrated has ‘Formation Complete!’ and you should check your own account to see its current status as well as any further tasks.

Monitor Updates: When checking the dashboard and email alerts, make sure to quickly deal with any requests for further information.
Save Documents: For saving documents, make sure you retain copies of your invoice and all the available files, such as the Initial Resolution, the Operating Agreement and the Formation Document.
Follow Up on Your EIN: If you have bought EIN assistance, you should check the status of this assistance on its own. The completion of the formation process does not mean that an EIN has been issued.
Prepare Your Shopify Business: Get your Shopify business in order by checking your eligibility for various business banking(Mercury,Airwallex) and payment options such as(stripe). Before buying any extra services, make sure you have considered your store’s domain and business email requirements.

Helpful Resources

Start Your LLC here
Read the EIN Guide here
Explore ITIN Assistance here (Save $50 with code
REGISTERUSLLC50)
Review Square Payments here
Check Mercury Bank Eligibility here
Explore Airwallex here
View Hostinger Plans here
Explore Google Workspace here

Final Thoughts

Setting up an LLC in the United States for your Shopify store requires more than just making the payment; you need to enter the correct information, check over your filing options and keep your company documents in order.

As your application progresses, keep an eye on your Northwest dashboard and carry out any outstanding tasks. When you are in a position to start, go through the Northwest Registered Agent partner link here.

Create a US LLC for Shopify Stores-Complete Guide step-by-step