Starting an LLC is cheaper than most people expect — and much, much cheaper than the sites telling you about a "$0 LLC" want you to believe. Here's the honest breakdown, from the state fee you can't avoid to the add-ons you almost certainly can.
The same LLC costs very different amounts depending on where you file. Here are the fees that matter — filing fee (paid once), annual report (paid forever), and whether the state has a franchise tax.
| State | Filing fee | Due today | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $236 | $435 | Guide → |
| Alaska | $250 | $449 | Guide → |
| Arizona | $50 | $286 | Guide → |
| Arkansas | $45 | $244 | Guide → |
| California | $70 | $269 | Guide → |
| Colorado | $50 | $249 | Guide → |
| Connecticut | $120 | $319 | Guide → |
| Delaware | $90 | $309 | Guide → |
| Florida | $125 | $324 | Guide → |
| Georgia | $100 | $309 | Guide → |
| Hawaii | $51 | $250 | Guide → |
| Idaho | $100 | $302 | Guide → |
| Illinois | $150 | $349 | Guide → |
| Indiana | $95 | $294 | Guide → |
| Iowa | $50 | $249 | Guide → |
| Kansas | $160 | $284 | Guide → |
| Kentucky | $40 | $239 | Guide → |
| Louisiana | $100 | $329 | Guide → |
| Maine | $175 | $424 | Guide → |
| Maryland | $100 | $349 | Guide → |
| Massachusetts | $500 | $719 | Guide → |
| Michigan | $50 | $249 | Guide → |
| Minnesota | $155 | $354 | Guide → |
| Mississippi | $50 | $249 | Guide → |
| Missouri | $50 | $249 | Guide → |
| Montana | $35 | $234 | Guide → |
| Nebraska | $100 | $299 | Guide → |
| Nevada | $75 | $624 | Guide → |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $301 | Guide → |
| New Jersey | $125 | $299 | Guide → |
| New Mexico | $50 | $249 | Guide → |
| New York | $200 | $399 | Guide → |
| North Carolina | $125 | $327 | Guide → |
| North Dakota | $135 | $334 | Guide → |
| Ohio | $99 | $298 | Guide → |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $303 | Guide → |
| Oregon | $100 | $299 | Guide → |
| Pennsylvania | $125 | $324 | Guide → |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $355 | Guide → |
| South Carolina | $110 | $309 | Guide → |
| South Dakota | $150 | $349 | Guide → |
| Tennessee | $300 | $499 | Guide → |
| Texas | $300 | $556 | Guide → |
| Utah | $59 | $258 | Guide → |
| Vermont | $125 | $354 | Guide → |
| Virginia | $100 | $299 | Guide → |
| Washington | $200 | $399 | Guide → |
| West Virginia | $100 | $300 | Guide → |
| Wisconsin | $130 | $329 | Guide → |
| Wyoming | $100 | $301.40 | Guide → |
Every possible cost that comes up when starting and running an LLC — worth paying, optional, or overpriced.
Unavoidable. Paid once, directly to your state. Ranges from $50 (Colorado) to $500 (Massachusetts). This is what actually creates your LLC.
Most states charge a yearly fee to keep your LLC active. Some are trivial ($9 in NY every 2 years); some are painful ($800/yr in California no matter what).
$199 plus your state's fees if you want us to file on your behalf, with the first year of registered agent service included. Totally optional — you can do it yourself with our guides for free.
You can be your own for free. Hiring a service costs $100–$200/year and mainly buys you privacy on the public record.
Other services charge $50–$150 for "rush." States offer the same expedited option directly for $10–$50. Most filings don't need it.
The IRS gives out EINs for free. Any service charging $75+ to "register your EIN" is selling you back something the IRS offers in 10 minutes.
A free template from a reputable source is fine for single-member LLCs. Pay a lawyer if you have complex partnership terms — not a filing service.
Whether you need a business license depends entirely on your city and industry, not your LLC. Check with your county clerk — don't buy a bundle.
You've probably seen a competitor advertising a free LLC. Here's what's really happening, and what you end up paying.
The "$0 LLC" is a loss-leader. The service's formation fee is genuinely free, but they need to make money somewhere — so the checkout page layers on registered-agent subscriptions (~$125/yr, sometimes auto-renewing), EIN fees ($50–$80), operating agreement upsells ($50–$100), "compliance kits," domain services, and a variety of branded extras.
None of those are inherently bad. But by the time you finish checkout, you've often paid more than $200 — for things that cost $0 from the source (the IRS) or $100 from a focused provider.
We charge $199 plus your state's fees, with the first year of registered agent service included. That's the whole menu.
Each state sets its own fees, and they're mostly political, not economic. Some states view LLCs as a revenue source (Massachusetts, Tennessee); others keep fees low to attract businesses (Colorado, Kentucky). It has nothing to do with the quality of your LLC — a $50 Colorado LLC has exactly the same legal protections as a $500 Massachusetts one.
Almost never. If you don't live there, you'll still have to register as a foreign LLC in your home state, pay that state's fees too, and hire a registered agent in the forming state. The savings vanish. Form in the state where you live and work.
No. Compliance is mostly "file your annual report on time and keep your registered agent current." Both are things you can do yourself for free (annual report) or $0 (being your own agent). "Compliance services" repackage this into a subscription. You don't need it.
Standard LLCs are pass-through entities — the LLC itself doesn't pay federal income tax. Profits flow to your personal return. States vary: California has an $800 minimum franchise tax, Tennessee and a few others have gross receipts taxes, most states have nothing. Check your specific state's page for the real answer.
$199 plus your state's fees, paid to the state at cost. Your first year of registered agent service is included.