USD Business Account in Ecuador: 2026 Guide

Key takeaways

The US dollar is the only legal tender in Ecuador, so every current and savings account at an Ecuadorian bank is held in US dollars.
The general rate of the Impuesto a la Salida de Divisas (ISD), Ecuador's currency outflow tax, is 5% in 2026, with 0% for fuel and listed pharmaceutical imports and 2.5% for listed productive-sector imports.
The SRI presumes that payments made from abroad by Ecuadorian residents are made with funds that cause ISD, even when no money is sent from Ecuador.
When proceeds of exports from Ecuador do not enter the country, the SRI presumes ISD is due 6 months after the goods arrive at the destination port.
ISD paid on imports of raw materials, inputs and capital goods on the Tax Policy Committee list can be used as an income tax credit in that year and the following four years.
On 12 August 2024, the Banco Central del Ecuador stated that crypto assets are neither legal tender nor an authorized means of payment in Ecuador.

What a USD business account means in Ecuador

Ecuador uses the US dollar as its currency. The Código Orgánico Monetario y Financiero (COMF), the law that governs money and banking in Ecuador, provides in Article 94 that the US dollar is the only legal tender, so transactions, accounting records and financial operations are expressed in dollars. A company that opens a current account at an Ecuadorian bank is opening a dollar account.

So the question for an Ecuadorian business is not how to hold dollars, but how to receive them from abroad cheaply and what happens when dollars leave the country. A foreign buyer can pay an Ecuadorian bank account by SWIFT, the international network banks use for cross-border payments, identified by an 8 or 11 character bank code. Some exporters also want US account details, so that US buyers can pay by ACH, the low-cost US domestic bank transfer system, or by Fedwire, the Federal Reserve's same-day system for large payments.

Option	Account holder	How dollars arrive	Main point to check
Current account at an Ecuadorian bank	The Ecuadorian company	SWIFT wire from abroad; local transfer from Ecuadorian customers	Bank's inbound fee and correspondent deductions; ISD on payments out
USD account abroad in the company's name	The Ecuadorian company	ACH, Fedwire or SWIFT, depending on the provider	Provider eligibility for Ecuador; ISD presumptions on payments from abroad and on export proceeds kept abroad
US company route	A separate US entity	ACH, Fedwire or SWIFT	US formation, Employer Identification Number (EIN) and US tax filings, plus Ecuadorian tax on the owners
Stablecoins (USDC, USDT)	Company, through a provider	Blockchain transfer	Central bank position that crypto assets are not an authorized means of payment

Comparison of option types, not a ranking. Sources: Código Orgánico Monetario y Financiero, Article 94; Servicio de Rentas Internas (SRI), Impuesto a la Salida de Divisas; Banco Central del Ecuador statement of 12 August 2024, as published on 29 October 2026.

The ISD: Ecuador's tax on money leaving the country

Because Ecuador has no currency of its own, the main rule on dollars leaving the country is a tax rather than an exchange control. The Impuesto a la Salida de Divisas (ISD) is charged on the transfer, sending or carrying of money abroad, in cash, by check, by transfer, by withdrawal or by payment of any kind, with or without a bank. The SRI (Servicio de Rentas Internas), Ecuador's tax authority, administers it, and banks withhold it when a company sends a payment abroad.

The rate was cut in steps from 5% in 2021 to 3.5% in 2023, and returned to 5% from 1 April 2024. The rates published by the SRI for 2026 are:

Payment abroad	ISD rate in 2026
General rate, including most payments to foreign suppliers	5%
Imports of fuels	0%
Imports of tariff lines on the pharmaceutical sector list	0%
Imports of tariff lines on the productive sectors list	2.5%

Source: Servicio de Rentas Internas, Impuesto a la Salida de Divisas (ISD), tariff by year, as published on 29 October 2026.

The two presumptions that matter for a USD account abroad

The SRI applies two presumptions that bring money held abroad into the tax:

Payments from abroad. Any payment made from abroad by individuals or companies domiciled or resident in Ecuador is presumed to have been made with funds that cause ISD, even when no transfer leaves Ecuador and the payment is made with the company's own funds abroad.
Export proceeds kept abroad. When the dollars from exports of goods or services by a company domiciled in Ecuador do not enter Ecuador, ISD is presumed due 6 months after the goods arrive at the destination port. If the arrival date cannot be identified, the 6 months run from the shipment date on the customs declaration. ISD already generated on payments made from abroad can be deducted from that amount.

The practical result: a USD account abroad is a good way to collect from US buyers, but it does not take payments outside the ISD. Bring export proceeds into Ecuador within the 6-month window, or plan for the tax.

ISD exemptions and credits for importers and exporters

The ISD has exemptions set in the Ley Reformatoria para la Equidad Tributaria and its regulation. The ones most relevant to a trading company are:

Item	Treatment published by the SRI
Transfers abroad other than by card	Exempt up to three basic unified salaries, with the period set in specific rules; the excess is taxed
Card spending and withdrawals abroad	Annual exemption of US$5,188.26 for 2025, 2026 and 2027
Dividends paid abroad after income tax	Exempt when paid to foreign companies or non-resident individuals, subject to conditions
Repayment of loans of 180 days or more from international financial institutions for housing, microcredit or productive investment	Exempt, subject to an interest rate below the reference rate and other conditions
ISD paid on listed raw materials, inputs and capital goods	Usable as an income tax credit in the year paid and the following four years; unused credit can be refunded
Habitual exporters	Refund of ISD paid on imports of raw materials, inputs and capital goods used for exports

Sources: Servicio de Rentas Internas, Impuesto a la Salida de Divisas (ISD), exemptions and income tax credit; SRI procedure for refund of ISD to habitual exporters on gob.ec. As published on 29 October 2026.

Ask your accountant which tariff lines on your import list qualify for the reduced rates or the income tax credit, because both depend on lists issued by the Tax Policy Committee.

Foreign USD accounts: who accepts Ecuadorian companies

For an Ecuadorian company, the first question is whether the provider accepts companies registered in Ecuador. Check the provider's own eligibility page, not a third-party summary.

Provider	What its own page says	What it means for an Ecuadorian company
Airwallex	A business must be registered in a supported country or territory; Ecuador is not on the list	Not available to a company registered in Ecuador
Wise	Ecuador is not on the list of countries where customers can hold money in a Wise account	Not on Wise's list for holding a balance; confirm any business options with Wise
Mercury	The company must be formed and registered in the United States or a US territory; founders can live abroad	Only through a US entity

Sources: Airwallex Help Centre, Eligible Countries and Territories; Wise Help Centre, where can I open a Wise balance; Mercury Support, eligibility and requirements. As published on 29 October 2026.

The US company route suits a business that sells mainly to US customers and wants a US contracting entity. It requires forming the entity in a US state and obtaining an EIN from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). A company with no legal residence, principal place of business or office in the United States can apply for an EIN by telephone on 267-941-1099, an option the IRS offers to international applicants only. The US entity has its own US tax filings, and the Ecuadorian owners remain subject to Ecuadorian tax.

Documents banks and providers ask for

Ecuadorian banks identify a company by its RUC, the taxpayer registration number issued by the SRI, and by its registration with the Superintendencia de Compañías, the companies regulator. The list below is typical; each bank and provider sets its own.

Stage	Typical documents
Opening a current account at an Ecuadorian bank	RUC; deed of incorporation and bylaws; registered appointment of the legal representative; identity documents of signatories; list of shareholders and beneficial owners; proof of address
Opening a USD account abroad	Incorporation documents and bylaws, with translation if asked; RUC; identity documents and proof of address of directors and main owners; description of the business, customers and expected volumes
Receiving payment for an export	Commercial invoice; export customs declaration; transport document such as the bill of lading, whose dates matter for the ISD presumption
Paying a supplier abroad	Supplier invoice; import declaration where relevant; supplier's bank name, SWIFT code and account number; information the bank needs to apply the correct ISD rate

Typical checklist; requirements vary by bank and provider. As published on 29 October 2026.

Keep the arrival date at the destination port for each export shipment on file. It starts the 6-month ISD clock if the proceeds stay abroad.

Freelancers and sole traders

Freelancers in Ecuador receive dollars into ordinary bank accounts, since every account is in dollars. A foreign client pays by SWIFT, or through a platform that pays out to an Ecuadorian bank account.

The ISD presumption on export proceeds applies to individuals as well as companies that carry out export activities, including exports of services. A freelancer who keeps foreign client income in an account abroad should take advice on when the presumption applies. Transfers abroad other than by card are exempt up to three basic unified salaries, and card spending abroad has an annual exemption of US$5,188.26 for 2025 to 2027.

Where stablecoins sit legally in Ecuador

On 12 August 2024, the Banco Central del Ecuador (BCE) issued a statement that crypto assets are neither legal tender nor an authorized means of payment in Ecuador. The BCE said it would refer cases in which crypto assets are used as a means of payment to the Fiscalía, the public prosecutor, and cited Article 98 of the COMF, which prohibits the use of unauthorized means of payment and the simulation of currency. It also warned that trading crypto assets could cause large losses.

The statement addresses crypto assets used as payment. It does not say whether holding them is legal or illegal. For a company, that means taking legal advice before accepting USDT or USDC as payment for goods or services, and treating any stablecoin balance as a crypto asset held with a provider, not as dollars in a bank.

Where a Helm USD account fits

Helm serves companies registered in Ecuador. A Helm account gives the company USD account details in its own name, with a US routing and account number that receives ACH, Fedwire and SWIFT. A US buyer pays the invoice as it would a domestic supplier, which avoids the inbound wire that a payment to an Ecuadorian bank requires. Our guide to SWIFT, ACH and Fedwire explains the difference for the buyer.

Collecting from US buyers by ACH or Fedwire, then moving the dollars to the company's Ecuadorian bank within the 6-month ISD window for export proceeds.
Paying suppliers abroad through international payments by SWIFT and by local rails in the supplier's currency where available, with the rate, fee and expected arrival shown before sending. Payments made from abroad by an Ecuadorian resident are presumed to cause ISD, so account for it.
Stablecoins: the account can receive, send and convert USDC and USDT to USD, subject to the BCE position above.
Trade finance: supplier finance, receivables finance and working capital, arranged case by case.

Each company has a named account manager, and review questions are answered in writing within one business day. Helm is a financial technology company, not a bank, and accounts are held with regulated partner institutions. Helm agrees pricing with each business in writing before the account opens. For a neighboring market with its own dollar rules, see our guide to a USD business account in Peru.

Open a Helm account

USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, with a named account manager.

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Questions

Are bank accounts in Ecuador in US dollars?

Yes. The US dollar is the only legal tender in Ecuador under Article 94 of the Código Orgánico Monetario y Financiero, so every current and savings account at an Ecuadorian bank is held in US dollars.

Why would an Ecuadorian company need a US dollar account abroad?

An account with US routing details lets US buyers pay by ACH or Fedwire, as they would a domestic supplier, instead of sending an international wire to Ecuador. It is a collection tool; payments from abroad and export proceeds kept abroad are still covered by ISD presumptions.

What is the ISD rate in Ecuador in 2026?

The SRI publishes a general ISD rate of 5% for 2026. Imports of fuels and of listed pharmaceutical tariff lines are taxed at 0%, and imports of listed productive-sector tariff lines at 2.5%.

Is ISD charged on money received from abroad?

ISD is a tax on money leaving Ecuador, so it is charged on transfers, payments and withdrawals abroad, not on payments received. Export proceeds that are not brought into Ecuador are presumed to cause ISD 6 months after the goods arrive at the destination port.

Does paying a supplier from a US account avoid ISD?

No. The SRI presumes that any payment made from abroad by an individual or company resident in Ecuador is made with funds that cause ISD, even when the payment uses the company's own funds held abroad.

Can ISD on imports be recovered?

ISD paid on imports of raw materials, inputs and capital goods on the Tax Policy Committee list can be used as an income tax credit in the year paid and the following four years, and unused credit can be refunded. Habitual exporters can also request a refund of ISD on imports used for exports.

Can an Ecuadorian company open an Airwallex, Wise or Mercury account?

Airwallex does not list Ecuador among eligible countries, and Ecuador is not on Wise's list of countries where customers can hold money. Mercury requires the company to be formed in the United States, so an Ecuadorian business would need a US entity.

Is crypto legal in Ecuador?

On 12 August 2024 the Banco Central del Ecuador stated that crypto assets are neither legal tender nor an authorized means of payment, and that it would refer their use as payment to the prosecutor. The statement addresses crypto used as payment and does not rule on holding it.

How does a foreign company get a US EIN without a US office?

The IRS lets applicants with no legal residence, principal place of business or office in the United States apply for an EIN by telephone on 267-941-1099. The person calling must be authorized to receive the EIN and answer questions about Form SS-4.

References

HelmHelm is a business account for companies that trade internationally: USD, EUR and GBP accounts, international payments, collections and currency exchange, with a named account manager. Questions: [email protected].

This guide is general information for businesses, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and timings were checked against the sources listed on the review date and may change.

USD business account in Ecuador