Is software accurate enough for Form 5472?

For a single-member disregarded entity, Form 5472 reports structured data: the LLC, the foreign owner, and totals of reportable transactions with that owner. Filabl was built by tax professionals, follows the current IRS instructions, classifies your bank-statement transactions automatically, and shows you the completed forms for review before anything is sent.

When is a human tax advisor actually worth it?

When judgment is required: multi-member or multi-entity structures, US-source or effectively connected income, tax-treaty positions, or an active IRS examination. For a single-member LLC whose transactions are contributions, distributions, and expenses, the filing itself does not require case-by-case judgment.

Can a CPA e-file my Form 5472?

No one can. The IRS instructions state a foreign-owned US disregarded entity cannot file Form 5472 electronically; fax or mail are the only options. Some firms advertise e-filing for this form anyway. Filabl faxes your forms to the IRS line (855-887-7737) and stores the delivery confirmation with your filing.

What about late filings and the $25,000 penalty?

Filing as soon as possible matters more than who files. Filabl supports multiple catch-up years in one flow and includes a reasonable-cause statement, the same mechanism firms use when requesting penalty abatement for late 5472 filings.

Comparison · Verified July 2026

Filabl vs hiring a CPA

For a single-member LLC with straightforward transactions, Form 5472 is a structured data problem, not a judgment problem. That is why specialist software can do in 20 minutes what firms quote by phone call.

The short version

Published prices at firms that specialize in foreign-owned LLC filings run from $300 (1040 Abroad) to $399 to $498 plus a $49 submission fee (Form5472.online), $450+ (OptimizeTax), and $1,500 to $2,000 per year at SDO CPA — with several requiring a call before quoting and charging 100% surcharges for rush work. Filabl's flow was built by tax professionals and does the same single-member LLC filing from $30: upload your bank statement, transactions get classified automatically, you review and sign, and the forms are faxed to the IRS with confirmation. A human tax advisor earns their fee when your situation genuinely needs judgment: multi-member structures, US-source income questions, treaty positions, or an open IRS audit.

Side by side

	Filabl	a CPA
Price for one 5472 + pro forma 1120	From $30	$300 to $2,000 at specialist firms; several quote only after a call
Turnaround	About 20 minutes of your time, then faxed after your signature	Rarely published; paid expedites are the only speed commitments (e.g. +$199 to +$399, or a 100% rush surcharge)
How it gets to the IRS	Fax with delivery confirmation — the method the IRS itself permits (no e-file for foreign-owned disregarded entities)	Fax or mail, depending on the firm; some advertise "e-filing" the 5472, which the IRS does not permit for foreign-owned LLCs
Late filings	Multiple catch-up years in one flow, reasonable-cause statement included	Offered by some firms; e.g. $2,000 for the first delinquent year at one specialist firm
Process	Self-serve: upload bank statement, review classified transactions, sign, send	Engagement letters, document requests over email, back-and-forth until the firm files
Complex situations	Focused on single-member foreign-owned LLCs; not built for multi-member structures or US-source income analysis	Where a good advisor is genuinely worth the fee: complex structures, treaty questions, audits
Who prepared the logic	Built and reviewed by tax professionals; every filing follows the current IRS instructions	Depends on the firm and who is assigned to your file

Competitor details verified July 2026 from public pricing and product pages. See sources at the bottom. If something is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.

Choose Filabl if

Single-member LLC, straightforward transactions: contributions, distributions, owner expenses
You want it done today, not after an engagement letter and an email thread
You are late and want catch-up years plus a reasonable-cause statement without a $2,000 quote
Zero-activity LLC that still must file — paying a firm $300+ for a zero-transaction form is hard to justify

Choose a CPA if

Multi-member LLC, corporation, or a structure with related entities in several countries
You have US-source income, effectively connected income questions, or treaty positions to take
You are already under IRS examination or received notices beyond a late-filing penalty

File your Form 5472 in about 20 minutes

Upload your bank statement, review the numbers, sign, and we fax it straight to the IRS. From $30 per filing.

Start Filing

Pay only when you're ready to send.

Common questions

Published prices at firms specializing in foreign-owned LLCs range from $300 flat (1040 Abroad) to $399 to $498 plus a $49 submission fee (Form5472.online), from $450 (OptimizeTax), and $1,500 to $2,000 per year (SDO CPA). Several well-known firms publish no prices and quote only after a call. Filabl files the same single-member LLC forms from $30.

Sources

1040 Abroad — Form 5472 service ($300) · checked July 2026
Form5472.online pricing · checked July 2026
OptimizeTax — foreign-owned LLC filing (from $450) · checked July 2026
SDO CPA — Form 5472 pricing (from $1,500) · checked July 2026
IRS Form 5472 instructions (no e-file for foreign-owned DEs) · checked July 2026

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