When it is due

Form 5472 has no deadline of its own. It inherits the due date of the return it is attached to. For a foreign-owned disregarded entity, that is the pro forma Form 1120.

The rule

The instructions say to file it “as an attachment to the reporting corporation’s income tax return by the due date (including extensions) of that return.” A foreign-owned disregarded entity files the pro forma Form 1120 “by the due date (including extensions) of that Form 1120.”

Extensions

An extension of the Form 1120 extends the 5472 with it, because the 5472’s deadline is defined by that return. It is requested on Form 7004, and it extends the time to file, a distinction that matters for returns with tax due and less so here, since the pro forma 1120 reports no income.

Where it goes

Foreign-owned disregarded entities have a dedicated address, separate from where ordinary corporate returns go:

• Fax: 855-887-7737, at 300 DPI or higher
• Mail: Internal Revenue Service, 1973 Rulon White Blvd, M/S 6112, Attn: PIN Unit, Ogden, UT 84201

Fax returns a transmission confirmation the same day, which is the cheapest proof of timely filing you are going to get.

If you file it yourself

It is free to do on your own. Here is the whole process, so you can decide whether it is worth your afternoon.

1. Get an EIN. The LLC needs its own employer identification number to be identified on the return. Without one there is nothing to file under.
2. List the transactions. Every amount that moved between you and the LLC during the year, in both directions. Bank statements are the source; the categories go in Part IV.
3. Fill the 5472. Identify the reporting entity, the related party (you) and the reportable transactions. Currency is US dollars.
4. Attach the pro forma 1120. Name, address, items B and E. Nothing else. It is the envelope, not a return.
5. Send it to the right place. The fax number and address above, at 300 DPI or higher.
6. Keep the confirmation.The fax transmission report is the cheapest proof of timely filing you will get. Save it with the year’s records.