How to Sell on Amazon USA from India in 2026 - Complete Guide
Selling on Amazon USA from India in 2026 requires five things: a US LLC, an EIN from the IRS, a US bank account, inventory in a US warehouse, and Amazon Seller Central registration. The path is well-trodden - 12 Indian-owned LLCs we operate did $2.14M in 2025 GMV. Here's the playbook.
Setup time: 21 days from contract to first sale.
Setup cost: $1,499–$4,999 one-time.
Monthly cost: $300–$1,500 depending on volume.
Most common mistake: Trying to sell on Amazon India seller account from India - it works only for marketplaces with international seller programs, which Amazon USA is not (you need a US entity).
What's in this guide
Why Amazon USA is worth the effort
Amazon USA does about $400 billion in annual GMV. Amazon India does about $7 billion. The average Amazon USA customer spends 5-6x more per order than the average Amazon India customer. For Indian sellers, the math is brutal but clear: you can sell the same SKU for 3-4x the price in the US, with 4-5x higher unit margins.
Our 12 client LLCs averaged $178K GMV in 2025 from a standing start. The top performer (a Consumer Electronics seller) did $579K. The lowest did $87K. None of these sellers had a US entity 24 months ago.
The structural advantages for Indian sellers right now:
- Manufacturing cost advantage - most categories sell for 4-6x cost in the US. Indian factory costs are 30-50% lower than Chinese equivalents in many categories (textiles, home, beauty, jewelry, handicrafts).
- Less Chinese competition in long-tail SKUs - Amazon USA has been cracking down on Chinese seller accounts since 2021. Indian-owned LLCs (with proper Brand Registry) face less competition than they would have 3 years ago.
- Currency arbitrage - INR has weakened from ₹74/USD in 2021 to ₹83/USD in 2026. Your costs are in INR; your revenue is in USD.
- Lower duty exposure - Indian-origin products do not face the anti-dumping duties that Chinese products face on Amazon USA.
The 5 things you must have
To legally sell on Amazon USA from India, you need:
- A US LLC - the legal entity that contracts with Amazon. (You cannot use your Indian Pvt Ltd directly because Amazon USA requires a US tax ID.)
- An EIN from the IRS - the federal tax ID for your LLC. Yes, you can get one without an SSN.
- A US business bank account - Amazon pays into this. Personal accounts are not accepted.
- Inventory in a US warehouse - Amazon FBA or a 3PL with FBA inbound capability. Cross-border drop-shipping from India does not work for Amazon FBA.
- Amazon Seller Central account - registered with the LLC, EIN and US bank account. Passes Amazon's identity verification.
Step 1: Form a US LLC
Most Indian sellers form a Texas LLC. Reasons:
- No state income tax
- $0 annual franchise tax if revenue is under $1.23M
- Simple Public Information Report (one page)
- Texas does not require disclosure of LLC members on public records
- Filing fee: $300 one-time
Wyoming and Delaware are also options. Wyoming has slightly lower fees ($150 vs $300) but requires a separate registered agent ($100-200/yr). Delaware is the prestige choice for VC-funded companies but charges $300/yr in franchise tax. For an Amazon seller under $5M/year, Texas is the cheapest and easiest.
What you need to file:
- LLC name (check availability at Texas SOS)
- Registered agent in Texas (an online registered-agent service, or our included service)
- Articles of Organization (filed online with the Texas SOS, $300 fee)
- Operating Agreement (not filed publicly, but required by banks)
Time to complete: 5-7 business days. We handle this for $1,499 all-in - includes registered agent, Operating Agreement, and the US business address.
Step 2: Get your EIN from the IRS
The EIN is the federal tax ID number for your LLC. You apply via Form SS-4, which you submit to the IRS via fax (yes, fax - this is the only method that works for foreign founders without an SSN).
The process:
- Fill out Form SS-4 - list the LLC as a "foreign-owned single-member LLC" (or multi-member if applicable)
- In the line asking for SSN/ITIN, write "Foreign"
- Sign as the Responsible Party (this is you, the Indian owner)
- Fax to IRS at +1 (855) 215-1627
- Wait 7-14 business days for the EIN letter (CP575) to arrive
Common mistakes:
- Filing online - the IRS online form requires an SSN. Don't try it.
- Calling the IRS - the international EIN line is open but inconsistent. Fax is more reliable.
- Forgetting Form 8821 - this authorizes a US-based agent (us) to follow up with the IRS on your behalf. Without it, follow-up takes longer.
Step 3: Open a US bank account
This used to require travel to the US. In 2026, it doesn't. Three banks open business accounts for foreign-owned LLCs remotely:
| Bank | Setup time | Monthly fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | 5-10 days | $0 | Best for tech / e-commerce. Strong API. |
| Relay | 3-7 days | $0 | Cleaner for high-transaction-volume businesses. |
| Wise Business | 1-3 days | $0 | Best for multi-currency. Has US, EU, UK accounts. |
All three require: your LLC formation docs, EIN letter, passport, and a US business address (which you have via your registered agent).
Step 4: Set up Amazon Seller Central
Now you have the US entity. Register for Amazon Seller Central with:
- LLC legal name + EIN
- US business address
- US bank account
- International credit card (your Indian credit card works for billing)
- Passport (for identity verification)
Amazon will run a video verification call. Be on the call from a quiet, well-lit room with your passport ready. The interviewer will ask:
- What is your business and what do you sell?
- Where will your inventory be stored?
- Who else has access to this account?
The video call typically takes 15-20 minutes. Approval comes in 24-72 hours after. Failure rate is about 15% for first-time international sellers - usually because of address mismatches, payment method issues, or unclear answers in the video call.
Step 5: Ship inventory to a US warehouse
You have two paths:
- Ship directly to Amazon FBA - works only if your inventory is FBA-ready before leaving India (proper packaging, FNSKU labels, Amazon-compliant shipment plan). Requires precise inbound shipment creation; one mistake means rejection.
- Ship to a US 3PL first, then to FBA - recommended for first-time sellers. Your inventory lands at a US warehouse (like ours in United States), gets QC'd, prepped, and forwarded to FBA in waves.
Freight options:
- Air - 3-5 days, $4.50-$8/kg. Use for first shipments and high-value items.
- Ocean LCL - 25-40 days, $90/CBM. Use for replenishment.
- Ocean FCL - 30-45 days, $3,500-$5,500/20ft. Use when you have 8+ CBM.
Read more: India to USA Shipping - Air vs Sea Freight Cost Comparison
Ongoing operations
Once you're live, you need to maintain:
- Amazon account health - Order Defect Rate under 1%, Late Shipment Rate under 4%, Valid Tracking Rate above 95%
- Sales tax filings - Amazon collects in 45+ states under Marketplace Facilitator laws, but you still need to register in nexus states
- Federal tax filing - Form 5472 + Form 1120 annually for foreign-owned LLCs (penalty for non-filing: $25,000/year)
- BOI report - Beneficial Ownership Information filing with FinCEN (penalty for non-filing: $500/day)
- Texas LLC annual report - May 15 each year, free if revenue under $1.23M
- Inventory replenishment - Amazon's IPI (Inventory Performance Index) needs to stay above 400 to avoid storage limits
Cost summary
| Category | One-time | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation + EIN + bank | $1,499–$2,499 | - |
| Brand registration (optional) | $2,000–$3,500 | - |
| Initial inventory (varies) | $5,000–$30,000 | - |
| First freight to US | $1,000–$8,000 | - |
| Amazon Professional Plan | - | $39.99 |
| FBA prep (500–2K units/mo) | - | $225–$1,400 |
| US warehouse storage | - | $30–$200 |
| PPC ad spend (if running) | - | $500–$5,000 |
| Account management | - | $499 |
| Sales tax + IRS | - | $299–$500 |
| Realistic total | $10K–$45K | $1.5K–$8K |
Common questions
Can I sell on Amazon USA without forming an LLC?
Technically, you can register as a sole proprietor with your Indian PAN, but: (1) most US banks won't open a business account for an Indian sole prop, (2) Amazon's identity verification has a much higher failure rate, (3) you'll face higher tax withholding on payouts. The LLC is worth the $1,499 setup cost.
How much can I realistically make in year one?
Across 12 client LLCs in their first 12 months: median GMV was $87K, top quartile crossed $250K. Profit margin (after Amazon fees, freight, ad spend, ops) averaged 18-25% for branded private label, 8-15% for unbranded resale.
What category should I sell in?
Indian sellers do best in: home textiles, kitchen/cookware, beauty, yoga/wellness, jewelry, handicrafts, leather goods. We avoid: electronics (FCC required), toys (CPSC testing), supplements (FDA registration). See our category breakdown.
Do I need to come to the US?
No. We have done this for 12 LLCs over 24 months - zero of those founders have visited the US. The entire LLC + EIN + bank + Amazon registration process is done remotely from India.
The single biggest mistake we see is sellers trying to do this themselves, getting stuck at the bank step or the Amazon video verification step, losing 3-6 months. The $1,499–$4,999 we charge for the full launch is less than the value of the time you save.
If you want help, book a free 30-minute discovery call and we'll walk through your specific case.