US Company Formation from Guyana (2026): Oil-Sector Suppliers, the Local Content Act, US LLC or C-Corp, Worldwide Tax and No US Treaty

Since the first oil came ashore from the Stabroek block in 2019, Guyana has had the fastest-growing economy in the world. Contracts for logistics, fabrication, catering, security, engineering and training flow from ExxonMobil, its partners and its contractors. US companies, US equipment and US standards are everywhere, and Guyanese entrepreneurs regularly ask whether they should have a US company of their own to win work, buy equipment or deal with American partners.

Sometimes the answer is yes. But Guyana's Local Content Act 2021 rewards Guyanese companies, and a US company is not one. This guide starts there, then explains how Guyana taxes residents who own US companies, why there is no US–Guyana treaty, and how US LLC formation compares with US C-Corp formation, for suppliers, professionals and the large Guyanese diaspora in the USA.

In short: Guyanese and Guyana residents can own 100% of a US LLC or C-Corporation, formed remotely. A US company is not a "Guyanese company" under the Local Content Act, so it cannot take the place of a Guyana-incorporated, majority Guyanese-owned supplier for local content purposes. Guyana taxes residents on worldwide income: individuals pay 25% up to GY$3.36 million of chargeable income a year and 35% above, and companies pay 25% (non-commercial) or 40% (commercial). Payments from Guyana to non-residents carry 20% withholding. There is no US–Guyana treaty, so US corporate dividends carry 30% withholding. With UCB, a Wyoming LLC with EIN is $249, a Texas LLC with EIN is $504 and a Delaware corporation with EIN is $358, all-in.

The Local Content Act and where a US company fits

The Local Content Act 2021 sets minimum percentages of oil-sector spending that must go to Guyanese nationals and Guyanese companies for listed goods and services, such as logistics, accommodation, catering, security, waste management and fabrication. To count as a Guyanese company, a business must:

• be incorporated in Guyana under the Companies Act;
• be beneficially owned and controlled by Guyanese nationals holding at least 51% of the voting rights;
• meet Guyanese staffing and management quotas.

The Local Content Secretariat certifies suppliers and has refused companies whose Guyanese ownership looked nominal. The government has said it is considering adding residency and tax-registration requirements.

So:

• A US company cannot be your local content supplier. Bid through your Guyanese company and keep it registered with the Secretariat.
• A US company can still be useful beside it. For example, to buy and export equipment from the USA, hold a US equipment-leasing business, sign US-law contracts with US partners, or sell services outside Guyana.
• A joint venture with a US firm is usually done through a Guyanese company with at least 51% Guyanese voting control, not by moving the Guyanese business into a US entity.

How Guyana taxes residents

Individuals present in Guyana for 183 days or more in a calendar year are resident and taxed on worldwide income. Under the Income Tax (Amendment) Act No. 3 of 2026:

• 25% applies to chargeable income up to GY$3,360,000 a year, and 35% to income above that;
• the personal allowance is GY$1,680,000 a year or one third of income, whichever is greater (the monthly threshold became GY$140,000 for 2026).

Companies pay corporation tax at 25% if non-commercial and 40% if commercial (broadly, trading in goods they did not make, or in telecoms, banking or insurance), with a 2% minimum tax on turnover in some cases. From 2026, income from agriculture, agro-processing, child care and elder care is exempt.

Guyana also charges:

• 20% withholding on dividends, interest, royalties and certain fees paid to non-residents;
• capital gains tax at 20% on gains from assets held less than 25 years;
• property tax on the net property of individuals and companies above a threshold.

Guyana gives credit for foreign tax on foreign income only where the law provides it, and there is no US treaty to require one. Ask your accountant how a credit for US tax would apply in your case.

For an owner of a US company:

• Work done in Guyana is Guyanese income.
• US income from activity in the USA, and dividends from a US corporation, are foreign income, still taxable in Guyana for a resident.

No US–Guyana treaty

The USA and Guyana have no income tax treaty, so domestic withholding applies on both sides:

• USA to Guyana: 30% on dividends from a US corporation, royalties and related-party interest.
• Guyana to the USA: 20% Guyanese withholding when a Guyanese company pays dividends, interest, royalties or certain fees to a US company.

A Guyanese group paying fees to its own US company, and that US company paying dividends back, can lose both. Plan flows so that they match where work is actually done.

US LLC formation from Guyana

US tax position

A single-member LLC with a non-resident owner is disregarded for US tax. If the owner works from Guyana, and the LLC has no US office, employees or dependent agents, its income is generally not connected with a US trade or business and is not taxed in the USA (see effectively connected income explained). The LLC files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 every year, and the penalty for missing it is $25,000 (see Form 5472 explained).

Example: an HSE consultant in Georgetown

These are illustrative figures, not a client case, at GY$209 to the dollar.

Anita is a health, safety and environment consultant in Georgetown. Her local clients pay her through her Guyanese company. She also trains crews for two Houston-based service contractors working in Suriname and Trinidad, and they want to pay a US vendor. She forms a Wyoming LLC that bills them US$60,000 a year for training she delivers online from Georgetown and on short trips to the region.

• USA: no US tax, because the work is done outside the USA and the LLC has no US office or staff. The LLC files Form 5472 and a pro forma 1120.
• Guyana: as a resident, she declares the LLC's profit (about GY$12.5 million) as her own income, taxed at 25% and 35% after her allowance, with any foreign tax credit her accountant can claim.
• Local content: none of this affects her Guyanese company's certification, which still serves Guyanese clients.

US C-Corp formation from Guyana

US tax position

A US corporation pays 21% federal tax on its profits, plus state tax where it operates, and files Form 1120 and Form 5472 every year (see the 21% corporate tax explained and the C-Corp guide for non-residents). Dividends to Guyana are withheld at 30%.

Example: an equipment supplier's Houston buying company

Take an illustrative case: a Guyanese supplier rents generators, cranes and light vehicles to oil-sector contractors. It buys most equipment in Texas and Louisiana and ships it from Houston. It sets up a Texas corporation with one employee who sources equipment, deals with US dealers, handles export documents and arranges refurbishment.

• USA: the Texas company has US staff and US activity. It pays 21% federal tax and Texas franchise tax on its own margin, which is its buying commission.
• Guyana: the Guyanese company remains the local content supplier and the owner of the rental fleet. It pays the US company's commission, which may attract 20% Guyanese withholding unless the service is performed entirely outside Guyana and is not caught by the rules. Ask your accountant.
• Profits: the Texas company reinvests its margin rather than paying dividends, which would be withheld at 30%.

See US subsidiary for a foreign company and Texas LLC for non-residents.

Other cases

• Start-ups raising investment, which need a Delaware C-Corporation (see raising US investment as a foreign founder).
• Guyanese families investing in US property or US businesses over the long term.

The diaspora: Queens, Brooklyn and Florida

There are more Guyanese in the USA, especially in Richmond Hill in Queens, in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and South Florida, than in many parts of Guyana. Many families now invest at home, from real estate in Georgetown to service businesses supplying the oil sector. Two common set-ups:

• A US-resident relative owns a US company and invests in Guyana. That person is a US taxpayer on worldwide income. Investing in a Guyanese company that wants local content certification must still respect the 51% Guyanese control rule.
• A Guyana-resident relative joins a US family business. A multi-member LLC with a US-resident member is a partnership filing Form 1065. The Guyana-resident member's share of US business income is subject to partnership withholding, and that member reports it in Guyana too.

See single-member vs multi-member LLC and New York LLC for non-residents.

Which state

• Wyoming or New Mexico for a consulting or online LLC run from Guyana.
• Texas for a buying office or a company working with Houston's oil-service industry.
• New York or Florida for diaspora businesses operating there.
• Delaware for a corporation raising investment.

See best state for non-residents and the state selector.

What it costs

UCB's prices include state fees and the first year of registered agent service:

• Wyoming LLC with EIN: $249, or $348 with a US bank account application.
• Texas LLC with EIN: $504.
• New York LLC with EIN: $374.
• Delaware corporation with EIN: $358.

A Wyoming LLC costs $121 a year to keep active, or $421 with the annual federal return. A US business address with your own suite number is $60 a year. See what a US LLC costs every year.

Banking and documents

Use your Guyanese passport. For proof of address, a GPL electricity bill, a GWI water bill, a GTT or Digicel bill, or a bank statement.

US banks and fintechs accept Guyanese owners. The oil boom has brought more scrutiny of money moving through Guyana, so banks want to see a real business. What helps:

• a specific description of what the company does and for whom;
• contracts or purchase orders from named clients;
• an English website;
• a US business address with your own suite number.

Transfers to Republic Bank, Demerara Bank, GBTI or Citizens Bank arrive as US-dollar wires. Guyana does not run exchange control in the way Belize or Barbados do, but your bank will ask about the source of funds, especially for large amounts. See US business bank accounts for non-residents, why banks reject non-resident applications and contracts with US clients.

Mistakes to avoid

• Expecting a US company to count as local content. It does not.
• Moving a certified Guyanese supplier's contracts into a US company, losing its certification advantage.
• Ignoring Guyanese withholding on fees a Guyanese company pays to its own US company.
• Forgetting worldwide income. A resident's US LLC profit is taxable in Guyana.
• Paying dividends from a US corporation to Guyana at 30% with no treaty.
• Missing Form 5472 in a year when no US tax was due.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Guyanese citizen own 100% of a US company? Yes. No US visa, Social Security number or visit is required.

Can my US company bid as a Guyanese supplier? No. A Guyanese company under the Local Content Act must be incorporated in Guyana and at least 51% controlled by Guyanese nationals.

How does Guyana tax income from my US company? Residents are taxed on worldwide income at 25% and 35%. Your US LLC's profit is part of your income.

Is there a US–Guyana tax treaty? No. US dividends, royalties and related-party interest paid to Guyana are withheld at 30%, and Guyana withholds 20% on many payments to the USA.

Does my US LLC pay US tax? Not if it has no US office, staff or agents. It files Form 5472 and a pro forma 1120 every year.

How UCB can help

We form US companies for Guyanese owners remotely: the state filing, EIN, registered agent, US business address and bank application. Each year we file the federal return through our US tax filing service, including Form 1065 for family partnerships. Your Guyanese accountant handles GRA filings, and we give them the US records they need. See our formation, EIN and bank account package, and the Trinidad and Tobago guide for another energy economy in the region.

Setting up a US company from Guyana? WhatsApp us at +1 315 961 2956 or email enquiries@ucbsolutions.com.