The finance back office
of a real company. From day one.
Most U.S. companies stitch together a bank, a Stripe account, a freelance accountant, and a spreadsheet. Prolify replaces the patchwork with a finance back office that grows with the company.
A real finance back office needs a U.S. bank account, working Stripe or processor access, a consistent bookkeeping cadence, and correct handling of foreign-owner filings like Form 5472. Prolify prepares and routes your banking and Stripe applications, catches up and maintains your books, coordinates year-end tax filings with licensed partners, and shows all of it in the Founder Dashboard.
Who this is for
Founders who need U.S. banking and Stripe access from outside the U.S.
Founders who want a real bookkeeping cadence, not an annual panic.
Foreign-owned U.S. entities that may owe Form 5472 + pro-forma 1120.
U.S. service businesses and consultants who want clean books and a real year-end.
Founders preparing for fundraising, an acquisition, or clean diligence.
Who this is not for
Founders looking for the cheapest possible bookkeeping with no oversight.
Operators who need a full-time in-house CFO, we'll happily refer.
Anyone seeking SEC-registered audit services.
What actually goes wrong.
The bank declined the application and didn't say why.
We don't promise to open the account. No third party can. What we do is help prepare and route your application, formatted to the issuer's requirements, with the documents the reviewer expects to see, sent to the bank most likely to fit your country and business. Bank review varies by issuer.
Stripe rejected the entity.
Stripe doesn't care how good the idea is. It cares whether the paperwork is right. We make sure entity, EIN, address, beneficial ownership, and business description line up before you apply.
The books are a year behind.
We catch up, as many years as needed, reconciled across every account, processor, and platform. Quoted clearly based on volume.
You've never heard of Form 5472.
Many foreign-owned single-member U.S. LLCs treated as disregarded entities owe an annual Form 5472 and pro-forma 1120. Missing a required Form 5472 can trigger a $25,000 IRS penalty; if the failure continues after IRS notice, additional $25,000 penalties can accrue every 30 days. We ask the question on day one and coordinate the filing with licensed tax partners where it applies.
The IRS sent a letter you don't understand.
Most are routine. Some are not. We help you read what arrived and coordinate the response with licensed tax partners.
What the DIY finance stack really costs.
A bank, a Stripe account, a freelance accountant, a spreadsheet. It holds up for a year, maybe two. Then the books are unrecognizable, the foreign-owner filings never happened, and the company looks like a mess the moment someone asks to see it: a bank, an investor, a buyer. Stitching it together yourself doesn't fail loudly. It fails quietly, and you find out at the worst possible time.
What's included today
| Service | What it covers |
|---|---|
| U.S. banking application prepared and routed | Formatted to the issuer's requirements, routed to the bank most likely to fit your country and business. Bank review varies by issuer. |
| Stripe and payment-processor readiness | Documentation prep to reduce common rejection causes. |
| Bookkeeping support | Cadence and close cycle, available on eligible plans. |
| Catch-up bookkeeping | Messy back-years brought current and reconciled. |
| Year-end federal + state tax filing | Coordinated with licensed tax partners. |
| Form 5472 + pro-forma 1120 | Coordinated with licensed tax partners, where applicable. |
| Founder Dashboard | Cash, runway, MRR where applicable, next finance deadline. |
Coming soon: Sales tax registration and ongoing filings (priority for e-commerce) · Payroll · Contractor payments · Invoicing, bill pay, AP/AR · 1099 preparation · R&D tax credit support (coordinated with licensed partners) · Cash flow and KPI forecasting · CFO advisory and investor reporting (partner-led today, by request) · Cap table support and stock administration.
Coming soon means we're not selling it today. If you need one now, talk to our team. We'll coordinate with a partner or tell you honestly when we expect to ship.
How Prolify handles
finance
The Founder Dashboard updates at every step.
Banking application
After formation, we recommend which bank to apply to first, in which order, with which documents.
Bank order and documents recommended
Application formatted to issuer requirements
Stripe / processor readiness
Documents formatted and reviewed before you submit.
Entity, EIN, and ownership checked for alignment
Business description reviewed before you apply
Bookkeeping setup
Connected to your bank, processor, and payout sources. Chart of accounts that matches your business model.
Accounts connected
Chart of accounts built for your business
Close cadence
Regular close cycle on eligible plans. Anomalies flagged early.
Recurring close cycle
Anomalies flagged before they compound
Year-end tax filing
Coordinated with licensed tax partners; Form 5472 and pro-forma 1120 where applicable.
Filing coordinated with licensed tax partners
Form 5472 / 1120 handled where applicable
Founder Dashboard
Cash on hand, runway, last close, next deadline.
Cash, runway, and MRR where applicable
Next finance deadline always visible
Timeline
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Banking pathway recommended. Documents formatted. |
| Following weeks | Application reviewed by issuer. Timelines vary by bank review and customer responsiveness. |
| Month 1 | Bookkeeping set up on eligible plans. |
| Ongoing | Close cycle on cadence (eligible plans). Dashboard reflects your numbers. |
| Year-end | Tax engagement begins ahead of fiscal year-end. Form 5472 / 1120 coordinated where applicable. |
Timelines vary by bank review, IRS processing, and customer responsiveness. The realistic window for your situation is in your written recommendation.
Common finance mistakes (and how we avoid them)
Treating bookkeeping as an annual exercise.
A year of mixed currencies, processor fees, refunds, and chargebacks is unrecognizable in January. A regular close cadence is the only thing that keeps books usable.
Skipping the Form 5472 question.
Most foreign-founder LLC owners learn this form exists from the penalty letter. We ask on day one.
Stripe failing on the entity description.
Vague descriptions and mismatched beneficial ownership cause rejections. We format before you submit.
Mixing personal and business in one account.
Fine for a month. Disastrous in year three. We separate from day one.
Choosing the wrong fiscal year.
Most founders default to calendar year and never revisit. We tell you when it matters.
A note on tax accuracy
Prolify is not a CPA firm. Tax filings are coordinated with licensed tax partners. For positions that require licensed judgment, including FIRPTA, treaty positions, partnership allocations, K-1 strategy, or any IRS notice that requires a representation, we refer or coordinate with qualified professionals.
Recommended plan
Banking prep only, no bookkeeping yet
→ Starter
Year-round tax filings + bookkeeping software
→ Compliance + Tax
Revenue + bookkeeping support and tax coordination
→ Managed Back Office
FAQ
Do you actually open the bank account?
No third party can guarantee a U.S. bank approval. We help prepare and route your application, formatted to the issuer's requirements, sent to the bank most likely to fit your country and business. Bank review varies by issuer; timelines vary by bank review and customer responsiveness.
My books are years behind. Can you fix them?
Yes. Catch-up bookkeeping is one of the most common engagements we run. Quoted separately based on volume.
What if I'm a foreign-owned single-member LLC?
You may have an annual Form 5472 and pro-forma 1120 obligation. We confirm whether your specific entity is in scope and, if so, coordinate the filing with licensed tax partners.
Do you handle sales tax?
Sales tax registration and ongoing filings are coming soon, prioritized for e-commerce. Today we coordinate with sales-tax specialists for customers who need it now.
Do you run payroll?
Payroll and contractor payments are coming soon. Join the waitlist. Today we coordinate with payroll partners for customers who need it now.
Can I keep my current accountant and use Prolify for the rest?
Yes. Many customers keep an external accountant for tax and use Prolify for entity, compliance, and bookkeeping. We'll work with them.