Blog

A Wyoming LLC costs $100 to form with the Wyoming Secretary of State and at least $60 a year after that. The yearly charge is the annual report license tax: $60 or $0.0002 per dollar of assets held in Wyoming, whichever is greater, due on the first day of the LLC’s anniversary month. Wyoming has no state income tax and no franchise tax, so a Wyoming LLC with no Wyoming property pays $100 in year one and $60 a year after that in state fees. A Wyoming registered agent is required.

A Vermont LLC costs $155 to form with the Vermont Secretary of State and $45 a year for the annual report, due within three months of the end of the LLC’s fiscal year. Those fees rose in 2023 under 11 V.S.A. 4012, and the older $125 and $35 figures are still widely published. A multi-member Vermont LLC taxed as a partnership also pays the $250 minimum business entity tax to the Vermont Department of Taxes each year.

A Nevada LLC costs $425 to form with the Nevada Secretary of State: $75 for the Articles of Organization, $150 for the Initial List of managers or members, and $200 for the State Business License, all due at filing. Every year after that costs $350: a $150 Annual List plus a $200 business license renewal, due by the last day of the anniversary month. Late filing adds $175 in penalties. Nevada has no state income tax, and its Commerce Tax applies only above $4 million of Nevada gross revenue.

An Arizona LLC costs $50 to form with the Arizona Corporation Commission, or $85 with expedited processing. Arizona requires no annual report from LLCs and charges no franchise tax, so the state cost after formation is $0 a year. One extra cost applies to some founders: Arizona requires the Articles of Organization to be published in a local newspaper within 60 days, unless the statutory agent’s street address is in a county with more than 800,000 residents, which covers Maricopa and Pima counties.

A New Mexico LLC costs $50 to form with the New Mexico Secretary of State, and $0 a year after that in state fees. New Mexico requires no annual report from LLCs and charges no franchise tax on LLCs taxed as pass-through entities. The state also does not publish member names on the Articles of Organization. The only ongoing requirement is a New Mexico registered agent, which puts New Mexico among the cheapest states in the US to keep an LLC in, alongside Arizona, Mississippi, Missouri and Montana.

A Utah LLC costs $59 to form with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, and $18 a year to renew. The $18 annual renewal includes a $5 state portal surcharge and is due by the LLC’s anniversary date. A late renewal adds $10. Utah charges no franchise tax on LLCs, so a Utah LLC pays $59 in year one and $18 a year after that in state fees, one of the lowest totals in the country.

A California LLC costs $70 to form with the California Secretary of State, plus a $20 Statement of Information due within 90 days. The real cost is the $800 annual tax paid to the California Franchise Tax Board, due by the 15th day of the 4th month after formation and every year after, whether or not the LLC makes money. The first-year exemption expired after 2023. LLCs with $250,000 or more of California income also pay an LLC fee of $900 to $11,790. A California LLC costs at least $890 in its first year.

A Delaware LLC costs $110 to form with the Delaware Division of Corporations and $400 a year after that. Delaware LLCs file no annual report, but every LLC pays a flat $400 annual tax due by 1 June, whether or not it did business. A late payment adds a $200 penalty plus 1.5% interest a month. The $300 figure on many sites is out of date: the Delaware Code sets the tax at $400. A Delaware registered agent is required.