LLC

A Florida LLC costs $125 to form: a $100 filing fee plus a required $25 registered agent designation fee, both charged by the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz). The annual report costs $138.75 and is due between 1 January and 1 May every year. A report filed after 1 May costs $538.75 because of a $400 late fee. Florida has no state income tax on individuals and no franchise tax on LLCs, so the annual report is the only recurring state fee.

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 The $300 figure on many sites is out of date: the Delaware Code sets the tax at $400.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.

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 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 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.

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.