Best Firstbase Alternative for Annual LLC Compliance in 2026
Updated August 2026 · Sources verified against current IRS releases · Reviewed by a Form 5472 specialist
Updated August 2026 · Sources verified against current IRS releases · Reviewed by a Form 5472 specialist
The short answer
Key takeaways
form5472.tax is a focused Firstbase alternative for the annual filing: it prepares and files Form 5472 with the pro forma Form 1120 for a flat $299, versus Firstbase's $899 per-year plan — a saving of $600.
Firstbase is a popular formation-and-compliance platform that packages many services into an annual subscription. For a founder whose only recurring legal requirement is the Form 5472 filing, that subscription bundles in services they may never touch — at a price several times the cost of the filing itself.
form5472.tax does one thing: it prepares and files the Form 5472 and pro forma Form 1120 that a foreign-owned single-member LLC must file each year. The price is a flat $299. Against Firstbase's $899 annual Tax Filing plan, that is a saving of $600for the same required filing.
Firstbase's Tax Filing plan for non-US-owned single-member LLCs is $899 per year; form5472.tax charges a flat$299. For an LLC that only needs the 5472, that saves $600 each year.
| Provider | Annual price | What it covers | Saving vs Firstbase |
|---|---|---|---|
| form5472.tax | $299 | Form 5472 + pro forma 1120, filed | — |
| Firstbase | $899/year | Annual tax filing plan | $600 |
Source: published provider pricing, September 2026.
Like any subscription, Firstbase's price recurs annually. Because Form 5472 is an annual obligation, a founder on a Firstbase plan pays $600 more per year than they would for the focused filing — every year the LLC stays active.
Yes. Your LLC, EIN, and bank account are yours, not Firstbase's. You simply use form5472.tax for the annual Form 5472 filing instead of renewing Firstbase's compliance plan. The entity itself is unaffected.
There is nothing to transfer. Your LLC was registered with the state in your name, your EIN belongs to the entity, and your bank account is the LLC's. Firstbase is a service provider layered on top of those assets — not the owner of any of them. You can let a Firstbase plan lapse and route the Form 5472 filing through a specialist with zero disruption to the business.
| Item | Affected by switching? |
|---|---|
| Your LLC registration | No — stays as is |
| Your EIN | No — belongs to the entity |
| Your business bank account | No — unaffected |
| Who files your Form 5472 | Yes — form5472.tax instead of Firstbase |
| What you pay per year | Yes — $299 instead of $899 |
Source: form5472.tax and Firstbase published pricing, September 2026.
The combined switcher guide covering doola and Firstbase walks through the same move if you are comparing both providers.
No. Your LLC is registered with the state in your name; Firstbase is a service provider, not the owner. Ending a Firstbase plan does not affect your LLC, EIN, or bank account — only who files your Form 5472 changes.
Leaving a compliance platform never dissolves your company. The LLC lives at the state level and is owned by you. Ending a Firstbase subscription is like changing accountants — the business carries on exactly as before; only the service relationship ends.
The one thing that must continue is the filing. Form 5472 is due every year regardless of which provider — or no provider — handles it. Drop the subscription if you wish, but never drop the filing: missing it triggers the $25,000 penalty.
Firstbase sells formation, registered agent, mailroom, and accounting as separate products, and bundles several of them into Firstbase One ($2,388/year). form5472.tax is focused on filing the Form 5472 and pro forma 1120 you are legally required to file. You pay only for the filing.
Firstbase’s catalogue goes well beyond the filing: company formation, a registered agent at $299/year per state, mailroom plans from $315/year, and accounting, with Firstbase One bundling several of them at $2,388/year. Whether any of that is worth it depends entirely on whether you use it. For a founder whose LLC is already formed, most of it is redundant.
| Service | Firstbase | form5472.tax | Need it yearly? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 filing | $899/year (Tax Filing) | Yes — the focus | Yes — legally required |
| LLC formation | Start plan, $99 one-time | Not needed (already formed) | One-time only |
| Registered agent | $299/year per state | Buy separately if needed | Maybe |
| Mail handling | From $315/year | Not included | Optional |
Source: Firstbase published pricing, September 2026.
If you actively use Firstbase One’s bundle, it may fit. But if your only recurring requirement is the Form 5472, paying $899 a year to obtain a $299 filing is simply overpaying.
Yes, for the Form 5472 filing. form5472.tax is a flat $299 per year versus Firstbase's $899 Tax Filing plan. Because Form 5472 is an annual obligation, the $600 saving repeats every year you file.
| Period | Firstbase ($899/yr) | form5472.tax ($299/yr) | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $899 | $299 | $600 |
| Years 1–2 | $1,798 | $598 | $1,200 |
| Years 1–3 | $2,697 | $897 | $1,800 |
Source: Firstbase published pricing, September 2026.
The recurring nature of Form 5472 is what makes the focused service compounding-ly cheaper: each year you file, you keep hundreds of dollars that a subscription would have absorbed.
Same Form 5472 + pro forma 1120, filed by a specialist for a flat $299. Your LLC stays exactly as it is.