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

Yes. Mercury explicitly supports foreign founders with a US LLC. You need the Washington formation document (the Certificate of Formation), 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 Washington affect Mercury eligibility?

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

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

Washington charges $200 to file a Certificate of Formation, and that is the state's fee to create the LLC. Washington publishes a turnaround of within 15 business days (paper). Mercury charges nothing for verification itself, so the $200 filing fee and Washington's ongoing obligations are the real cost of getting verified as a Washington entity.

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

Mercury does not check where you live, only that the Washington entity is validly registered and that the details you enter match Washington'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 Washington's $200. Forming in Washington while working somewhere else usually means paying both states, not one.

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

Probably yes. Washington charges a 6.5% 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 Washington, or once you cross its remote-seller threshold of $100,000 in sales in the previous or current calendar year.

Mercury asks for "Articles of Organization". Washington gave me a Certificate of Formation. Which do I upload?

Upload the Certificate of Formation. Washington does not issue a document called Articles of Organization; the Certificate of Formation is the same instrument under the name Washington uses for it, and it is what Mercury means by a formation or business-registration document.

Marketplace Verification

How to pass Mercury verification with a Washington LLC

What Mercury asks for at signup, and which Washington 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 Washington LLC is generally eligible for Mercury verification — you will need to provide your Certificate of Formation, EIN, beneficial-owner ID, and a valid US business address. Nothing about forming in Washington 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 Washington LLC, you must provide the company's formation document (in Washington, the Certificate of Formation), 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 Washington the entity behind that check is an LLC created by filing a Certificate of Formation, which costs $200. Washington publishes a turnaround of within 15 business days (paper). Because Washington 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 Washington's filing fees and forms. Confirm current platform rules with Mercury, and current filing rules with the Washington filing office, before you file. Mercury's requirements were last reviewed 2026-07-21, and Washington's figures on this page come from its own published schedule.

What Mercury requires, and how a Washington LLC meets each

Requirement	How your Washington LLC satisfies it
LLC formation documents	Upload the Certificate of Formation Washington 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 Washington.
Government-issued ID for owner(s)	Provide a government ID for each beneficial owner named in your Washington filings. Washington 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 Washington (your Washington registered-agent or virtual business address), since a PO box is usually rejected.

Washington-specific things to watch

Washington 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. (Washington's report records the LLC's governors (members/managers) on the public record.)
Washington issues a Certificate of Formation rather than "Articles of Organization." When Mercury asks for "formation documents," upload your Certificate of Formation.
Budget for Washington's ongoing LLC costs before projecting your Mercury margins: Washington imposes the Business & Occupation (B&O) tax on gross receipts.

Washington sales tax & nexus rules for Mercury sellers

Washington charges a 6.5% 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 Washington (an in-state location, inventory, or employees), or once you cross Washington's remote-seller economic-nexus threshold of $100,000 in sales in the previous or current calendar year.

Washington has no transaction count threshold. Washington's combined state and local rates range from 7.5% to 10.4% depending on location — Seattle is at 10.25%. Washington broadly taxes digital products, streaming services, and SaaS. The state also has a Business & Occupation (B&O) tax on gross receipts which is separate from sales tax. Register through the Washington Department of Revenue.

How to verify your Washington LLC on Mercury

LLC formation documents. Upload the Certificate of Formation Washington 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 Washington.
Government-issued ID for owner(s). Provide a government ID for each beneficial owner named in your Washington filings. Washington 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 Washington (your Washington registered-agent or virtual business address), since a PO box is usually rejected.

Non-US founders with Washington LLCs

Mercury explicitly supports non-US founders who have formed a US LLC, Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington formation document (the Certificate of Formation), 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 Washington issues a Certificate of Formation; Mercury accepts it the same as any other state's.
: Washington charges $200 to file a Certificate of Formation, and that is the state's fee to create the LLC. Washington publishes a turnaround of within 15 business days (paper). Mercury charges nothing for verification itself, so the $200 filing fee and Washington's ongoing obligations are the real cost of getting verified as a Washington entity.
: Mercury does not check where you live, only that the Washington entity is validly registered and that the details you enter match Washington'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 Washington's $200. Forming in Washington while working somewhere else usually means paying both states, not one.
: Probably yes. Washington charges a 6.5% 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 Washington, or once you cross its remote-seller threshold of $100,000 in sales in the previous or current calendar year.
: Upload the Certificate of Formation. Washington does not issue a document called Articles of Organization; the Certificate of Formation is the same instrument under the name Washington uses for it, and it is what Mercury means by a formation or business-registration document.