Can a non-US founder open a Mercury account with a Maryland LLC?

Yes. Mercury explicitly supports foreign founders with a US LLC. You need the Maryland formation document (the Articles of Organization), the IRS EIN letter, a non-US passport for identity, and a US business address. No US SSN or residency is required.

Does forming in Maryland affect Mercury eligibility?

No. Mercury accepts LLCs from all US states and territories. The formation document name varies by state, and Maryland issues Articles of Organization; Mercury accepts it the same as any other state's.

What does the Maryland LLC itself cost before I can start taking payments through Mercury?

Maryland charges $100 to file Articles of Organization, and that is the state's fee to create the LLC. Maryland publishes a turnaround of 6-8 weeks. Mercury charges nothing for verification itself, so the $100 filing fee and Maryland's ongoing obligations are the real cost of getting verified as a Maryland entity.

I do not live in Maryland. Can I still use a Maryland LLC on Mercury?

Mercury does not check where you live, only that the Maryland entity is validly registered and that the details you enter match Maryland's record. The catch is not Mercury, it is the state you actually operate from: states require an out-of-state LLC to register as a foreign LLC before it transacts business there, which is a second filing and a second fee on top of Maryland's $100. Forming in Maryland while working somewhere else usually means paying both states, not one.

Do I need a Maryland sales-tax permit before my first sale through Mercury?

Probably yes. Maryland charges a 6% state rate, and payments taken through Mercury are not covered by marketplace-facilitator laws, so you collect and remit yourself. Register before your first taxable sale if you have physical presence in Maryland, or once you cross its remote-seller threshold of $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions in the previous or current calendar year.

Marketplace Verification

How to pass Mercury verification with a Maryland LLC

What Mercury asks for at signup, and which Maryland LLC documents satisfy each requirement.

By Edmond Hui · Last updated: August 4, 2026

Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.

A Maryland LLC is generally eligible for Mercury verification — you will need to provide your Articles of Organization, EIN, beneficial-owner ID, and a valid US business address. Nothing about forming in Maryland blocks approval, and nothing about it guarantees approval either: the final call is Mercury's.

Mercury is a fintech banking platform whose deposits are held at FDIC-member partner banks (currently Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC), making it popular with startups and small businesses including those with non-US founders. To open a Mercury account for a Maryland LLC, you must provide the company's formation document (in Maryland, the Articles of Organization), an IRS-issued EIN confirmation, a government ID for the beneficial owner(s), and a physical US address. Mercury supports all US-state LLC types and is commonly used by foreign founders who have formed a US LLC, since it does not require founders to be US citizens or residents.

In Maryland the entity behind that check is an LLC created by filing Articles of Organization, which costs $100. Maryland publishes a turnaround of 6-8 weeks. Because Maryland names a member or manager on a routine public filing, the owner name Mercury asks you to confirm is already a matter of public record.

Not legal advice: Verification requirements change, and so do Maryland's filing fees and forms. Confirm current platform rules with Mercury, and current filing rules with the Maryland filing office, before you file. Mercury's requirements were last reviewed 2026-07-21, and Maryland's figures on this page come from its own published schedule.

What Mercury requires, and how a Maryland LLC meets each

Requirement	How your Maryland LLC satisfies it
LLC formation documents	Upload the Articles of Organization Maryland returned to you, stamped and approved.
IRS EIN confirmation letter	Provide your federal EIN (free from the IRS; non-US founders without an SSN must apply via Form SS-4 by fax or phone rather than the online tool) — independent of Maryland.
Government-issued ID for owner(s)	Provide a government ID for each beneficial owner named in your Maryland filings. Maryland names a member or manager on a routine public filing, so at least one name already matches state records.
US business address	Use a US street address registered to the LLC in Maryland (your Maryland registered-agent or virtual business address), since a PO box is usually rejected.

Maryland-specific things to watch

Maryland names a member or manager on a routine public filing, so Mercury's beneficial-owner check will line up with public state records — you still upload a government ID for each owner. (Maryland requires an authorized person on the Articles and files a Personal Property Return; management information is available on public filings.)
Budget for Maryland's ongoing LLC costs before projecting your Mercury margins: Maryland LLCs owe a $300 minimum annual Personal Property Return fee.

Maryland sales tax & nexus rules for Mercury sellers

Maryland charges a 6% state sales-tax rate. Payments through Mercury are not covered by marketplace-facilitator laws — you collect and remit yourself. Registration is required before your first taxable sale if you have physical presence in Maryland (an in-state location, inventory, or employees), or once you cross Maryland's remote-seller economic-nexus threshold of $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions in the previous or current calendar year.

Maryland has no local sales taxes and a flat 6% statewide rate. Notably, Maryland taxes digital products and services including SaaS, streaming subscriptions, and digital downloads. Maryland was one of the first states to enact a digital advertising tax (though it has faced legal challenges). Register through the Maryland Central Registration portal.

How to verify your Maryland LLC on Mercury

LLC formation documents. Upload the Articles of Organization Maryland returned to you, stamped and approved.
IRS EIN confirmation letter. Provide your federal EIN (free from the IRS; non-US founders without an SSN must apply via Form SS-4 by fax or phone rather than the online tool) — independent of Maryland.
Government-issued ID for owner(s). Provide a government ID for each beneficial owner named in your Maryland filings. Maryland names a member or manager on a routine public filing, so at least one name already matches state records.
US business address. Use a US street address registered to the LLC in Maryland (your Maryland registered-agent or virtual business address), since a PO box is usually rejected.

Non-US founders with Maryland LLCs

Mercury explicitly supports non-US founders who have formed a US LLC, Maryland included. A non-US passport is accepted for identity verification. The entity must be formed and registered in the United States, and a US business address is required, which a Maryland registered agent address satisfies. No US Social Security Number is needed from the founder.

Frequently Asked Questions

: Yes. Mercury explicitly supports foreign founders with a US LLC. You need the Maryland formation document (the Articles of Organization), the IRS EIN letter, a non-US passport for identity, and a US business address. No US SSN or residency is required.
: No. Mercury accepts LLCs from all US states and territories. The formation document name varies by state, and Maryland issues Articles of Organization; Mercury accepts it the same as any other state's.
: Maryland charges $100 to file Articles of Organization, and that is the state's fee to create the LLC. Maryland publishes a turnaround of 6-8 weeks. Mercury charges nothing for verification itself, so the $100 filing fee and Maryland's ongoing obligations are the real cost of getting verified as a Maryland entity.
: Mercury does not check where you live, only that the Maryland entity is validly registered and that the details you enter match Maryland's record. The catch is not Mercury, it is the state you actually operate from: states require an out-of-state LLC to register as a foreign LLC before it transacts business there, which is a second filing and a second fee on top of Maryland's $100. Forming in Maryland while working somewhere else usually means paying both states, not one.
: Probably yes. Maryland charges a 6% state rate, and payments taken through Mercury are not covered by marketplace-facilitator laws, so you collect and remit yourself. Register before your first taxable sale if you have physical presence in Maryland, or once you cross its remote-seller threshold of $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions in the previous or current calendar year.