State comparison
What each state costs to open — and to keep.
The headline filing fee is the smallest part of the decision. What matters is the recurring report, the franchise tax, and how long the state takes to say yes.
- Cheapest to file
- Montana $35
- Most expensive
- Massachusetts $500
- No annual fee
- 9 states
| State turnaround | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
AL Alabama | $200 | $50Annual Report | 5–10 business days | Form here |
AK Alaska | $250 | $100Biennial Report | 5–10 business days | Form here |
AZ Arizona | $50 | —No annual report | 10–14 business days | Form here |
AR Arkansas | $45 | $150Franchise Tax | 3–5 business days | Form here |
CA CaliforniaAn $800 minimum annual franchise tax applies. | $70 | $800Franchise Tax + SOI | 5–8 business days | Form here |
CO Colorado | $50 | $25Periodic Report | 1–2 business days | Form here |
CT Connecticut | $120 | $80Annual Report | 3–5 business days | Form here |
DE DelawareThe default for startups that plan to raise venture capital. | $110 | $300Franchise Tax | 1–3 business days | Form here |
DC District of Columbia | $99 | $300Biennial Report | 5–10 business days | Form here |
FL FloridaPopular with e-commerce and service businesses. | $125 | $139Annual Report | 2–5 business days | Form here |
GA Georgia | $100 | $50Annual Registration | 5–7 business days | Form here |
HI Hawaii | $50 | $15Annual Report | 5–10 business days | Form here |
ID Idaho | $100 | —Annual Report (no fee) | 3–5 business days | Form here |
IL Illinois | $150 | $75Annual Report | 5–10 business days | Form here |
IN Indiana | $95 | $31Biennial Report | 1–2 business days | Form here |
IA Iowa | $50 | $30Biennial Report | 3–5 business days | Form here |
KS Kansas | $160 | $50Annual Report | 2–4 business days | Form here |
KY Kentucky | $40 | $15Annual Report | 1–3 business days | Form here |
LA Louisiana | $100 | $35Annual Report | 3–5 business days | Form here |
ME Maine | $175 | $85Annual Report | 10–15 business days | Form here |
MD Maryland | $100 | $300Annual Report | 5–8 business days | Form here |
MA Massachusetts | $500 | $500Annual Report | 1–3 business days | Form here |
MI Michigan | $50 | $25Annual Statement | 3–5 business days | Form here |
MN Minnesota | $155 | —Annual Renewal (no fee) | 1–3 business days | Form here |
MS Mississippi | $50 | —Annual Report (no fee) | 1–3 business days | Form here |
MO Missouri | $50 | —No annual report | 1–2 business days | Form here |
MT Montana | $35 | $20Annual Report | 5–10 business days | Form here |
NE Nebraska | $100 | $13Biennial Report | 3–5 business days | Form here |
NV Nevada | $425 | $350Annual List + License | 2–4 business days | Form here |
NH New Hampshire | $100 | $100Annual Report | 3–5 business days | Form here |
NJ New Jersey | $125 | $75Annual Report | 3–5 business days | Form here |
NM New MexicoNo annual report and no public member disclosure. | $50 | —No annual report | 1–3 business days | Form here |
NY New YorkA newspaper publication requirement applies after filing. | $200 | $9Biennial Statement | 3–7 business days | Form here |
NC North Carolina | $125 | $200Annual Report | 5–8 business days | Form here |
ND North Dakota | $135 | $50Annual Report | 5–10 business days | Form here |
OH Ohio | $99 | —No annual report | 3–7 business days | Form here |
OK Oklahoma | $100 | $25Annual Certificate | 2–4 business days | Form here |
OR Oregon | $100 | $100Annual Report | 2–4 business days | Form here |
PA Pennsylvania | $125 | $7Annual Report | 5–10 business days | Form here |
RI Rhode Island | $150 | $50Annual Report | 3–5 business days | Form here |
SC South Carolina | $110 | —No annual report | 1–3 business days | Form here |
SD South Dakota | $150 | $50Annual Report | 2–4 business days | Form here |
TN Tennessee | $300 | $300Annual Report | 1–3 business days | Form here |
TX TexasNo franchise tax below the revenue threshold. | $300 | —Public Information Report | 3–5 business days | Form here |
UT Utah | $54 | $18Annual Renewal | 1–3 business days | Form here |
VT Vermont | $125 | $35Annual Report | 1–3 business days | Form here |
VA Virginia | $100 | $50Annual Registration | 3–5 business days | Form here |
WA Washington | $200 | $70Annual Report | 2–5 business days | Form here |
WV West Virginia | $100 | $25Annual Report | 5–10 business days | Form here |
WI Wisconsin | $130 | $25Annual Report | 3–5 business days | Form here |
WY WyomingNo state income tax, strong owner privacy, lowest ongoing cost. | $100 | $60Annual Report | 1–2 business days | Form here |
Fees shown are indicative LLC amounts reviewed quarterly and are set by each state, not by us. Corporation fees differ in some states. The exact live fee is confirmed in your checkout summary before payment, and every government fee is passed through at cost.
Choosing well
Which state is right for you?
Find the sentence that describes your business. The honest answer is usually simpler than the internet suggests.
Form in the state where that activity happens. Forming in Wyoming to save on fees does not exempt you from registering as a foreign entity in the state where you actually operate — you end up paying both, plus two registered agents. The 'cheap state' strategy only works for businesses with no physical footprint.
Wyoming and New Mexico are the two most sensible choices. Wyoming costs $100 to file and $60 a year, with strong privacy protections. New Mexico costs $50 and requires no annual report at all — the lowest lifetime cost of any state — though it offers fewer of the statutory protections Wyoming is known for.
Delaware, as a C-Corporation. It costs more — $110 to file and a franchise tax starting at $175 that scales with authorised shares — but every U.S. investor's counsel already knows the documents, which removes weeks of negotiation. Reincorporating in Delaware later is possible, and expensive.
Marketplace facilitator laws mean the platform collects and remits sales tax for its own channel, so your state of formation matters less than where you hold inventory. If you use a fulfilment warehouse, that state can create nexus. Wyoming or Delaware for the entity, plus a resale certificate wherever you hold stock, is the usual answer.
Less than most people think. An LLC's profits are taxed where the owner is, not where the company is filed. Wyoming, Nevada, Texas, Florida, South Dakota and Washington have no personal income tax, which helps if you live there. For a non-resident owner with no U.S. trade or business, formation state has little effect on federal liability.