How much does an LLC cost?

State filing fees range from about $35 (Montana) to $500 (Massachusetts). This calculator covers all 50 states plus DC. For example: Wyoming charges $100 to form and a $60-minimum annual report license tax; Florida charges $125 to form ($100 filing + $25 registered agent designation) and $138.75 a year; Delaware charges $110 to form and a flat $400 annual LLC tax. On top of state fees, budget for a registered agent (typically $50–150/yr if you hire one) unless you serve as your own.

What does an LLC cost per year after the first year?

The recurring state cost is the annual report or annual tax: $60 minimum in Wyoming, $138.75 in Florida, and a flat $400 in Delaware. Add a registered agent fee if you hire one. Miss the deadline and it gets expensive — Florida adds a mandatory $400 late fee after May 1, and Delaware adds a $200 penalty plus 1.5% monthly interest after June 1.

Is Delaware's annual LLC tax really $400 now?

Yes. Delaware's flat annual tax on LLCs was $300 for years; House Bill 400, signed May 21, 2026, raised it to $400 starting with the 2026 tax year, so the payment due June 1, 2027 (and every year after) is $400. Delaware LLCs don't file an annual report — they just pay the flat tax by June 1 each year.

What's the cheapest state to form an LLC in?

By filing fee alone, Montana (~$35). But the cheapest state overall is almost always your home state: if you form elsewhere and then do business where you live, you'll register as a foreign LLC at home anyway and pay both states' fees plus two registered agents. Out-of-state formation mainly makes sense for location-independent businesses — which is where low-cost, no-income-tax states like Wyoming shine.

Are there hidden costs formation services don't mention?

The classics: a free or cheap year-1 price that becomes $200–400/yr of registered agent and "compliance" subscriptions in year 2, plus paid add-ons for the EIN and operating agreement. The state fees themselves are fixed and public. FilingDesk's pricing is flat — $99 + your state's fee in year 1 with EIN and operating agreement included, then $99/yr — precisely because the industry's year-2 surprise is the thing founders hate most.

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LLC cost calculator

Last updated: July 2026

What an LLC really costs — year 1, year 2, and over 5 years — with exact state fees for Wyoming, Florida, and Delaware, DIY or with FilingDesk.

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One flat price. No year-2 surprise.

$99 + your state's fee, with name check, filing, EIN, and operating agreement included — then $99/yr. See pricing.

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What an LLC actually costs

Every LLC's cost has the same four parts, and only the first one is what most "how much is an LLC" articles quote:

The state filing fee — one-time, $35 to $500 depending on the state, paid when you file the formation document.
A registered agent — every state requires one at a street address in the state. Be your own for $0 if you live there; hire one (typically $50–150/yr) if you don't or want privacy.
The annual report or annual tax — the recurring fee that keeps the LLC in good standing. This is where states differ most, and where late fees hide.
Optional extras — certified copies, name reservations, expedite fees, and, if you use a formation service, whatever it charges on top.

Wyoming: $100 to form, $60 a year

Wyoming charges $100 for the Articles of Organization (about $102.40 online after the card-processing fee), and online filings take effect immediately. The recurring cost is the annual report license tax: $60 minimum — or $0.0002 per dollar of assets located in Wyoming, whichever is greater — due the first day of your anniversary month each year. Most small LLCs pay the $60 minimum, there's no state income tax, and members stay off the public filing. Details in our Wyoming LLC guide.

Florida: $125 to form, $138.75 a year — and a $400 trap

Florida's $125 formation cost is two required fees: $100 for the Articles of Organization plus a $25 registered agent designation. The annual report is $138.75, due between January 1 and May 1 every year starting the year after formation. File even one day late and Florida adds a mandatory $400 late fee — no grace period, no waiver for LLCs. Over five years the reports, not the formation, are most of what Florida charges you. Full walkthrough in the Florida LLC guide.

Delaware: $110 to form, a flat $400 annual tax

Delaware charges $110 to file the Certificate of Formation. The recurring cost works differently than most states: Delaware LLCs don't file an annual report at all — they simply pay a flat annual LLC tax by June 1 each year. That tax was $300 for years; House Bill 400, signed May 21, 2026, raised it to $400 starting with the 2026 tax year, so your first payment (due June 1 of the year after you form) and every one after is $400. Pay late and the state adds a $200 penalty plus 1.5% interest per month. Delaware's legal prestige is real, but for a small business its carrying cost is now the highest of these three states.

DIY vs. a formation service, honestly

Filing yourself means paying only the state fees above — plus a hired registered agent if you need one, and your own time: the name search, the filing forms, the EIN application, an operating agreement, and remembering the annual deadline that carries a $400 sting in Florida. Budget a few focused hours if the filing is straightforward.

A service makes sense when you'd rather spend those hours on the business — the question is what it really costs by year 2, once teaser prices and add-ons kick in. FilingDesk keeps it flat: $99 + your state's fee in year 1 — name check (try it free), state filing, EIN, operating agreement, and registered agent included — then $99/yr. That's $199 all-in to start a Wyoming LLC, $224 in Florida, $209 in Delaware. And once the LLC exists, the next money question is usually the S-corp election — our S-corp savings calculator runs that math.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an LLC cost?: State filing fees range from about $35 (Montana) to $500 (Massachusetts). This calculator covers all 50 states plus DC. For example: Wyoming charges $100 to form and a $60-minimum annual report license tax; Florida charges $125 to form ($100 filing + $25 registered agent designation) and $138.75 a year; Delaware charges $110 to form and a flat $400 annual LLC tax. On top of state fees, budget for a registered agent (typically $50–150/yr if you hire one) unless you serve as your own.
What does an LLC cost per year after the first year?: The recurring state cost is the annual report or annual tax: $60 minimum in Wyoming, $138.75 in Florida, and a flat $400 in Delaware. Add a registered agent fee if you hire one. Miss the deadline and it gets expensive — Florida adds a mandatory $400 late fee after May 1, and Delaware adds a $200 penalty plus 1.5% monthly interest after June 1.
Is Delaware's annual LLC tax really $400 now?: Yes. Delaware's flat annual tax on LLCs was $300 for years; House Bill 400, signed May 21, 2026, raised it to $400 starting with the 2026 tax year, so the payment due June 1, 2027 (and every year after) is $400. Delaware LLCs don't file an annual report — they just pay the flat tax by June 1 each year.
What's the cheapest state to form an LLC in?: By filing fee alone, Montana (~$35). But the cheapest state overall is almost always your home state: if you form elsewhere and then do business where you live, you'll register as a foreign LLC at home anyway and pay both states' fees plus two registered agents. Out-of-state formation mainly makes sense for location-independent businesses — which is where low-cost, no-income-tax states like Wyoming shine.
Are there hidden costs formation services don't mention?: The classics: a free or cheap year-1 price that becomes $200–400/yr of registered agent and "compliance" subscriptions in year 2, plus paid add-ons for the EIN and operating agreement. The state fees themselves are fixed and public. FilingDesk's pricing is flat — $99 + your state's fee in year 1 with EIN and operating agreement included, then $99/yr — precisely because the industry's year-2 surprise is the thing founders hate most.

Fees verified July 2026 against the Wyoming Secretary of State, Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), and Delaware Division of Corporations, but states change fees — the state's own site is always the final word. This calculator and guide are general information, not legal or tax advice. FilingDesk is not a law firm.