Instant cost breakdown for all 50 states — filing fees, registered agent, annual costs, and multi-year totals. Compare states side by side.
2025 state filing fees — all costs included
A Limited Liability Company separates your personal assets from your business debts. Members are not personally liable for business obligations, unlike a sole proprietorship.
An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is free from the IRS at irs.gov. Never pay a service to apply for one — it takes about 10 minutes online.
Even single-member LLCs should have one. It documents ownership, how profits are split, and how the business is managed. Some states require it.
If you form in Wyoming but operate in California, you must also register as a foreign LLC in California — paying fees in both states.
Forming an LLC requires paying a one-time state filing fee to your state's Secretary of State office. These range from $35 (Montana) to $500 (Massachusetts). Most states also charge an annual report fee or franchise tax to keep your LLC in good standing each year.
Beyond state fees, most LLC owners also need: a registered agent ($50–$300/yr) if they do not have a physical presence in the state; an operating agreement (free DIY or $100–$300 via a service); and an EIN from the IRS (always free). Local business licenses vary widely by city and county.
California stands out as the most expensive state due to its $800 minimum annual franchise tax — required even if the LLC earns no revenue in its first year (with some exceptions for LLCs formed after September 1). Wyoming and New Mexico are popular low-cost alternatives with no state income tax and no annual report fees respectively.
Delaware and Wyoming are popular with online and remote businesses. Delaware offers flexible corporate law and experienced business courts. Wyoming offers strong privacy protections (members not listed publicly), no state income tax, and low fees. However, if your business physically operates in another state, you will need to register there as a foreign LLC too — paying fees in both states and effectively doubling your compliance burden.
The state filing fee to form an LLC in ${state.name} is ${fmt(state.filing)} — paid once to the ${state.name} Secretary of State. ${state.annual>0?'There is also an annual report fee of '+fmt(state.annual)+' to keep your LLC in good standing each year.':''+state.name+' has no annual report fee — one of the lowest ongoing cost states in the US.'}
With your selected options (${[opts.regAgent?'registered agent':'',opts.opAgreement?'operating agreement':'',opts.bizLicense?'business license':'',opts.expedited?'expedited filing':''].filter(Boolean).join(', ')||'no optional services'}), your total first-year cost is ${fmt(r.yearOne)}. Annual recurring costs from year 2 onward are ${fmt(r.recurring)}/year. Over ${years} years, the total is ${fmt(r.total)}.
${state.notes ? state.notes + ' ' : ''}EIN registration is always free from the IRS — never pay a service to obtain one. Always verify current fees at the official ${state.name} Secretary of State website before filing, as fees can change without notice.
`; g('seo-section').style.display = 'block'; } function calculate() { const stateCode = g('state').value; if (!stateCode) { toast('Please select a state'); return; } const years = parseInt(g('years').value) || 3; const opts = { regAgent: g('tog-agent').checked, opAgreement: g('tog-oa').checked, bizLicense: g('tog-biz').checked, expedited: g('tog-exp').checked, }; const r = calcLLC(stateCode, opts, years); const state = STATES[stateCode]; // Cost hero g('ch-eyebrow').textContent = state.name + ' LLC — ' + years + '-year estimate'; g('ch-yr1').textContent = fmt(r.yearOne); g('ch-yr1-sub').textContent = 'all selected options included'; g('ch-filing').textContent = fmt(r.filing); g('ch-annual').textContent = fmt(r.recurring); g('tb-period-lbl').textContent = 'Total ' + years + '-year cost'; g('tb-total').textContent = fmt(r.total); g('tb-breakdown').textContent = fmt(r.yearOne) + ' yr1 + ' + fmt(r.recurring) + '/yr × ' + (years-1) + ' more years'; // State note const noteBox = g('state-note-box'); if (state.notes) { noteBox.textContent = '⚠️ ' + state.notes; noteBox.classList.add('vis'); } else noteBox.classList.remove('vis'); // Summary strip g('ss-filing').textContent = fmt(r.filing); g('ss-annual').textContent = r.recurring > 0 ? fmt(r.recurring) + '/yr' : '$0'; g('ss-yr1').textContent = fmt(r.yearOne); // Breakdown rows g('bd-filing').textContent = fmt(r.filing); g('bd-annual').textContent = state.annual > 0 ? fmt(state.annual) + '/yr' : '$0'; g('bd-agent').textContent = r.agentCost > 0 ? fmt(r.agentCost) + '/yr' : '—'; g('bd-agent-row').style.display = ''; g('bd-oa-row').style.display = opts.opAgreement ? '' : 'none'; if (opts.opAgreement) g('bd-oa').textContent = fmt(r.oaCost); g('bd-biz-row').style.display = opts.bizLicense ? '' : 'none'; if (opts.bizLicense) g('bd-biz').textContent = fmt(r.blCost) + '/yr'; g('bd-exp-row').style.display = opts.expedited ? '' : 'none'; if (opts.expedited) g('bd-exp').textContent = fmt(r.expCost); g('bd-yr1-total').textContent = fmt(r.yearOne); // Projection grid g('proj-title').textContent = 'Cumulative cost over ' + years + ' years'; const maxYears = Math.min(years, 10); g('proj-grid').style.gridTemplateColumns = 'repeat('+Math.min(maxYears,5)+',1fr)'; g('proj-grid').innerHTML = Array.from({length:maxYears},(_,i)=>{ const cum = r.yearOne + r.recurring * i; const isLast = i===maxYears-1; return `