If you're a freelancer or run a digital business, you've probably wondered whether to keep operating as self-employed (autonomo) in your country or make the move to a US LLC. Let's compare with real numbers.
The real cost of being self-employed
In most European countries, being self-employed means a combination of a fixed monthly contribution + income tax + VAT. Here are the numbers for someone billing €5,000/month:
| Item | Spain | Germany | LLC (NM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social security / contribution | ~€300 | variable** | 0 |
| Personal income tax | ~24% | ~28% | 0%* |
| VAT | 21% | 19% | 0% |
| Annual cost LLC/self-employed | ~€3,600 | ~€4,200 | ~$150 |
*A non-resident single-member LLC pays no US federal tax if income is not effectively connected with a US trade or business.
**Germany has no self-employed contribution equivalent to the Spanish one. Self-employed workers pay mandatory health insurance (from ~€200/month based on income) and voluntary pension contributions. Cost varies significantly by income level and insurer.
What operating with an LLC includes
A New Mexico LLC gives you:
- No state tax on income earned outside NM
- US bank account (Mercury, Relay, etc.)
- Get paid via Stripe, Wise, PayPal with no friction
- Bill in USD to international clients
- Privacy: NM does not publish LLC members
But... there are obligations
Operating with an LLC is not "zero taxes" full stop. You still have to:
- File an annual tax filing with the IRS (even if it's informational)
- Keep the Registered Agent active (NM does not require an Annual Report)
- Keep separate bookkeeping from your personal finances
- File FBAR if the LLC has financial accounts outside the US with aggregate balance above $10,000 (applies to the LLC as a domestic entity, not to the non-resident owner for personal accounts)
The LLC is not a tax trick. It's a legal structure that, combined with tax residency outside Europe, can optimize your tax burden in a 100% legal way.
Who it makes sense for
The LLC is ideal if:
- You bill international clients (not just local ones)
- Your income exceeds €2,000-€3,000/month
- You don't have fixed tax residency in a high-tax country
- You want to bill in USD and operate on US infrastructure
If you bill €1,000/month to a single local client, it probably doesn't pay off. But if you work remotely for international clients, the difference can be thousands of euros a year.
The LLC is only half of the equation. The other half is your tax residency. If you're not clear on where you're taxed as an individual, see our guide on tax residency for digital nomads: without that step, the structure is incomplete. For a comparative technical breakdown of business structures, Investopedia's LLC article covers the differences with equivalent European structures.