Cross-Border Solo Founder Compliance Checklist 2026

I've run businesses across the US, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. At no point did a single advisor hand me a complete list of everything I owed, everywhere. Each jurisdiction assumes it's the only one that matters. Each accountant knows their own filings. Nobody maps the full surface. That's the real gap for cross-border founders. You're not deliberately non-compliant. You just haven't seen the complete inventory. You file US taxes on time, keep your LLC registration current, deposit income into a US bank account, and assume you're covered. Meanwhile you have unfiled FBAR obligations, unreported foreign entity interests, missed state franchise tax deadlines, and documentation gaps that compound every year they sit. This article is a structural inventory of what exists. Not advice on what to do about any of it. Annual compliance calendar There is no "filing season" when you operate across borders. Deadlines are staggered throughout the year. The timeline below covers US-cen