Business formation
How much does an LLC cost? Filing fees and yearly costs for 2026
An LLC costs two things you cannot avoid: a one-time state filing fee to create it, and a yearly state fee or tax to keep it active. In Illinois that is $150 to form and $75 a year. In the other states below the filing fee runs from $70 in California to $300 in Texas, and the yearly charge from nothing for most small Texas LLCs to $800 in California. Everything else, from a registered agent to tax prep, depends on how you run it.
LLC costs by state
Fees to form a domestic LLC and to keep it in good standing, from each state’s official fee schedule. These are state charges only; they do not include a registered agent or a formation service.
| State | To form | Each year after | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $150 | $75 annual report | Series LLCs and expedited filing cost more |
| Delaware | $110 | $400 annual LLC tax, due June 1 | No annual report; $200 penalty plus interest if late |
| Wyoming | $100 | $60 minimum annual report fee | Higher only if Wyoming assets exceed $300,000 |
| Florida | $125 ($100 + $25 registered agent designation) | $138.75 annual report, due May 1 | $400 late fee after May 1 |
| Texas | $300 | No franchise tax for most small LLCs | Revenue under $2.65 million: no tax, but a Public Information Report is still due May 15 |
| California | $70 | $800 annual LLC tax, plus $20 every 2 years | The $800 is due even in a year with no business, until the LLC is cancelled |
| New York | $200 | $9 every 2 years | Must publish notice in two newspapers for six weeks, then pay $50; newspaper costs vary by county |
One-time costs
What you pay once, when the LLC is created:
- State filing fee: the only one-time cost every LLC pays. Nobody can waive it, whether you file yourself or use a service.
- EIN: free from the IRS, online in minutes. Anyone charging for an EIN is charging for their own time.
- Operating agreement: no state fee. It is an internal document between the owners, not something you file with the state, but every LLC should have one.
- Local licenses and permits: set by your city, county or industry, from nothing to a few hundred dollars.
- Formation service: optional. It saves the paperwork, not the state fee.
Yearly costs
What it takes to keep an LLC active and its taxes filed each year:
- State annual report or tax: from the table above. Missing it leads to late fees and eventually dissolution by the state.
- Registered agent: free if you act as your own agent with an address in the state and are there in business hours; otherwise a yearly service fee.
- Tax return: a single-member LLC reports on your own Form 1040 (Schedule C), so there is no separate return. A multi-member LLC files a partnership return, Form 1065, with a K-1 for each member, and in Illinois also owes 1.5% replacement tax on its net income.
- If you elect S corp status: payroll, quarterly payroll filings and a Form 1120-S each year. Weigh those against the tax saved.
Illinois LLC cost, start to finish
Forming in Illinois costs $150 in state fees, plus nothing for the EIN. Each year after, the annual report is $75, due before the first day of the month the LLC was formed. A single-member LLC that owns an Illinois business owes no separate Illinois LLC tax; its profit goes on the owner’s Illinois return at 4.95%.
Is it cheaper to form in Delaware or Wyoming?
Only if the business really operates there. An LLC that does business in Illinois has to register in Illinois as a foreign LLC, so a Delaware or Wyoming LLC run from Illinois pays both states’ fees every year, plus a registered agent in the other state. For a business based in Illinois, forming in Illinois is usually the cheapest option.
Form your LLC with USTAXX
We form LLCs and corporations in all 50 states, get the EIN and set up your operating agreement, starting at $250 plus the state fee. In Illinois we can also be your registered agent and file your annual report for $150 a year.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start an LLC?
The state filing fee: $150 in Illinois, $100 in Wyoming, $110 in Delaware, $125 in Florida, $300 in Texas, $70 in California and $200 in New York, plus New York’s publication costs. The EIN is free.
How much is an LLC per year?
It depends on the state: $75 in Illinois, $60 minimum in Wyoming, $138.75 in Florida, $400 in Delaware and $800 in California. Most small Texas LLCs owe no franchise tax but still file a yearly report.
How much does an LLC cost in Illinois?
$150 to file the Articles of Organization and $75 a year for the annual report. A registered agent service, if you use one, is extra.
Can I form an LLC for free?
No. Every state charges a filing fee, and nobody can waive it. A service can waive its own charge, but you still pay the state.
What is the cheapest state to form an LLC?
For a business that operates in one state, its own state, because forming elsewhere means registering and paying fees in both. Among the states above, California has the lowest filing fee but the highest yearly tax.
Where these rules come from
- Illinois Secretary of State: Business Services
- Delaware Division of Corporations: fee schedule (revised August 1, 2026)
- Delaware: annual tax for LLCs, LPs and GPs
- Wyoming Secretary of State: business fees
- Florida Division of Corporations: fees
- Texas Secretary of State: Form 205, Certificate of Formation
- Texas Comptroller: franchise tax
- California Secretary of State: Form LLC-1
- California Franchise Tax Board: limited liability company
- New York Department of State: forming a limited liability company
- IRS: Get an employer identification number
General information, current when written, not advice about your situation. Fees and forms change; the official pages above are the authority.
