Illuminous Accounting vs. Form5472.online: Form 5472 Filing Comparison (2026)

By Arik Rozen, CPA, MBA · Virginia License #025991 · Updated October 2026

QUICK SUMMARY

• What: Side-by-side comparison of Illuminous Accounting vs. form5472.online for Form 5472 filing

• Pricing: form5472.online publishes $448 all-in (inactive LLC) or $547 all-in (active LLC); Illuminous quotes after a fit call and document review

• Who handles it: form5472.online: tax team supervised by Arik Rozen, CPA, MBA, Virginia License #025991; Illuminous: Gurleen Kaur, CPA (BC + Washington State)

• Market focus: Form5472.online serves foreign founders worldwide; Illuminous is built primarily for Canadian founders with U.S.-Canada cross-border needs

• How to start: form5472.online: order online, no call required; Illuminous: free 15-minute fit call, then document review, then written scope and fee

THE SHORT ANSWER

If you own a foreign-owned U.S. LLC and are searching for a Form 5472 filing service, two names that come up are Illuminous Accounting (ilmcpa.com) and form5472.online. Both are run by licensed CPAs. Both prepare Form 5472 and the required pro forma Form 1120. But the differences in pricing transparency, who they primarily serve, and how you get started are significant.

This comparison uses only published information from each provider's own website, verified as of October 2026.

PRICING: PUBLISHED FLAT RATE VS. QUOTE AFTER A CALL

form5472.online publishes its prices directly on its website with no call required. For a foreign-owned single-member LLC with no reportable activity, the all-in price is $448. With reportable activity, it is $547. Both include CPA preparation, the pro forma 1120, IRS submission, and written confirmation. You know the price before you commit.

ILLUMINOUS PRICING: WHAT THEIR SITE ACTUALLY SAYS

Illuminous does not publish a price on its Form 5472 service page. Its page states: "Clear written scope, timing and fee before work begins" and "We confirm the entity, tax year, ownership, reportable transactions and records before providing a written scope, timing and fee." The process is: book a free 15-minute fit call, then document review, then receive a written scope and fee. Multiple items are quoted separately: multiple years, transaction reconstruction, EIN applications, IRS notices, and reasonable-cause analysis.

For a foreign founder who wants a clear cost before investing time in a provider relationship, this is a meaningful difference. The Illuminous model suits complex or unusual situations where a custom scope makes sense. The form5472.online model suits founders who want a known, flat price for a standard filing.

WHO EACH SERVICE IS BUILT FOR

Illuminous Accounting's homepage states: "Illuminous Accounting helps Canadian founders and owner-led businesses operate in the United States." The founder Gurleen Kaur is a CPA licensed in British Columbia and Washington State, with offices in Surrey, BC and Kalispell, MT. The firm's primary service roster covers Canadian-U.S. cross-border work: TFSA and PFIC traps, snowbird tax rules, CRA hybrid-mismatch problems, and U.S. returns for Americans in Canada.

The Form 5472 page says "remote support for foreign owners worldwide" but the platform, credentials, and practice focus are built around Canadian cross-border complexity.

form5472.online is built specifically for foreign founders of U.S. LLCs worldwide. Every service, every page, and every content piece is focused on non-U.S. residents who own a U.S. entity. The CPA credential is Virginia (U.S.), and the practice is focused on Form 5472, penalty removal, and IRS compliance for a global client base.

SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON

Factor	form5472.online	Illuminous Accounting
Published price	$448 inactive / $547 active, all-in	No price listed. Quote after fit call and document review.
How to start	Order online, no call required	Free 15-min fit call, document review, then written scope and fee
Who files	Tax team supervised by Arik Rozen, CPA, MBA, Virginia #025991	Gurleen Kaur, CPA (BC and Washington State)
Primary market	Foreign founders worldwide, all U.S. states	Canadian founders primarily; brand is U.S.-Canada cross-border first
CPA license	Virginia, USA	British Columbia, Canada + Washington State
IRS submission	Yes, included in all-in price	Within agreed scope; confirmed after review
Late filing	$448/$547 per year + $499 penalty removal	Reasonable-cause statement included; price quoted after review
Penalty guarantee	Zero-Penalty Guarantee on returns they prepare	Not advertised
IRS notice support	Free CPA consultation for years they prepared	Scoped separately after notice arrives

LATE FILINGS: HOW EACH HANDLES MISSED YEARS

Both services handle late Form 5472 filings. The approach and pricing structure are different.

FORM5472.ONLINE: LATE FILING STRUCTURE

• $448 or $547 per late year: same price as a current-year filing

• $499 penalty removal per year: separate service for requesting IRS penalty abatement with a reasonable-cause statement

• Zero-Penalty Guarantee: applies to returns they prepare; free CPA representation if a penalty results from their preparation error

• IRS notice support: free CPA consultation on any notice for years they prepared

ILLUMINOUS: LATE FILING STRUCTURE

• Reasonable-cause statement: included in late-year package per their service page

• Year-by-year transaction reconstruction: advertised as included

• IRS notice response: scoped separately after a notice arrives

• Price: quoted after fit call and document review; no published flat rate

The key structural difference: form5472.online separates the filing from the penalty removal as two clearly priced services. Illuminous bundles a reasonable-cause statement into the late-year package but prices the package after review.

WHICH SERVICE TO CHOOSE

Choose form5472.online if: you want a published flat price before committing, you are not a Canadian founder with cross-border complexity, you want to start online without a call, or you want a U.S.-licensed CPA with an explicit penalty guarantee.

Consider Illuminous if: you are a Canadian founder with U.S. LLC activity that connects to your Canadian personal or business taxes, or you have complex multi-entity or cross-border bookkeeping needs that benefit from a CPA licensed in both Canada and the U.S.

CPA-Prepared Form 5472. Published Pricing. No Fit Call Required.

$448 all-in for an inactive LLC. $547 all-in with reportable activity. Supervised by Arik Rozen, CPA, MBA, Virginia License #025991.

Start your filing at form5472.online

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. All competitor information is sourced from published pages on ilmcpa.com as of October 2026. Consult a licensed CPA for advice specific to your situation.