LLC costs, tax deadlines and formation steps

Your first-year cost is the state filing fee plus anything the state charges up front (publication, expedited handling, minimum tax), plus the formation package and add-on services you choose. State filing fees range from about $35 to $500, and our Starter plan is $165/year while Growth is $297/year. The calculator adds all of it together for the exact state you pick.

Every state charges a card processing fee at checkout. Instead of splitting it into a confusing second line, we quote one clean state fee that already includes it — for example Wyoming shows as $105 rather than $100 plus a separate charge. Our own service prices carry no card surcharge.

By filing fee alone, states like Montana, Kentucky and Arkansas are the lowest. But the cheapest state over time is usually the state you actually live and operate in, because registering elsewhere means paying foreign qualification fees plus a registered agent in both states. Use the comparison tool to see first-year and year-two totals side by side.

Typically the annual or biennial report fee, any minimum franchise or license tax, and your registered agent renewal. Some states (Delaware $300, California $800, Nevada's annual list plus business license) are far more expensive to maintain than to start. The maintenance calculator shows the yearly figure for your state.

Deadlines differ by state. Some are fixed calendar dates (Delaware franchise tax June 1, Florida annual report May 1, Texas franchise report May 15) and others fall on your LLC's anniversary month. Most state income or franchise taxes are first settled after your first year of operation. Every state's exact report and tax deadline is listed in the maintenance calculator and on that state's guide.

Generally not at formation. Sales tax is collected only once you make taxable sales and register for a sales tax permit, and state income or franchise tax is normally filed after your first tax year ends. That is why the formation calculator and the maintenance calculator are separate — the second one shows what starts once your first year is behind you.

1) Check that your company name is available. 2) Appoint a registered agent with a physical address in the state. 3) File the Articles of Organization and pay the state fee. 4) Receive state approval and your stamped documents. 5) Apply for an EIN from the IRS (or an ITIN if you have no SSN). 6) Sign an operating agreement. 7) File the BOI report where required. 8) Open a US business bank account and payment processing.

Standard processing runs from same day in states like Colorado and Minnesota to several weeks in states like Maryland and Nevada. Most states offer an expedited option for an extra fee. Each state's standard and expedited turnaround is shown on its guide page.

A registered agent is legally required in every state. An EIN is required to open a bank account, hire, or file most tax returns — we file it for $80, and $199–$299 for an ITIN when you have no SSN. An operating agreement is not always filed with the state but banks and partners ask for it; ours is $50.

Yes. You do not need to be a US citizen or resident, and you do not need a US address of your own — the registered agent and business address services cover that. You will need an EIN, and an ITIN if you have no SSN, before most banks and payment processors will open an account.

Your calculation is saved as an order with the state, plan and add-ons you selected. We review it, confirm the total, and your order dashboard then tracks each formation step — name check, documents, filing, state approval, registered agent, EIN, operating agreement, BOI and banking — as it is completed.