LLC Costs
US LLC Cost for Non-Residents: First Year and Renewals
Separate government charges from service fees and plan the first annual cycle, renewals and tax work before choosing a formation package.
The total US LLC cost for non-residents includes more than the state formation fee. Your budget should account for provider services, registered-agent renewals and any required tax preparation. Separate the initial filing from the first annual renewal, which may arrive sooner than twelve months after formation.
This guide shows how to build that budget without mistaking a low advertised entry price for the full cost of ownership.
Government figures checked 5 October 2026. Amounts are in US dollars. Provider fees, taxes based on business activity and optional services are additional unless stated otherwise.
US LLC cost for non-residents: five budget categories
| Cost category | What to include | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Government formation | State filing fee and any chosen expedited processing | Is this included in the advertised price? |
| Formation assistance | Provider preparation and submission services | Exactly which tasks are covered? |
| Registered agent and address | Agent coverage, renewals and any separate mail service | Which services renew, and when? |
| Annual compliance | State maintenance plus bookkeeping and required returns | Are tax preparation and state filing assistance separate? |
| Operating costs | Banking, transfers, currency conversion, licenses and software | Which depend on usage or my country? |
Use one row for each actual charge. A package can include several categories, so do not count an included state fee or first-year registered-agent fee twice.
Wyoming and Delaware: government costs compared
The comparison below covers formation plus one annual maintenance cycle. It is not a complete business budget and does not mean all charges fall in the same calendar year.
| Government item | Wyoming domestic LLC | Delaware domestic LLC |
|---|---|---|
| Base formation filing | $100 | $110 |
| One annual maintenance charge | At least $60 | $400 |
| Formation plus one annual cycle | At least $160 | $510 |
Wyoming's annual license tax is the greater of $60 or $0.0002 per dollar of assets located and employed in Wyoming. Online payment charges can be additional. Delaware's LLC annual tax is $400 under the current statute and payment instructions; some older pages still display $300. The comparison uses the current $400 figure. Wyoming formation form, Wyoming business FAQs, Delaware fee schedule, Delaware annual-tax instructions.
At Wyoming's minimum annual charge, the difference in these two government items is $350. That does not establish the difference between two provider packages, because their services may differ.
What belongs in your first-year budget?
Start with the state filing and any formation service. Add registered-agent coverage if it is not included. Then list the services you actually need: EIN assistance, mail handling, document copies, bookkeeping setup or advice on the ownership structure.
The IRS issues an EIN without a government application fee. If a provider charges for EIN assistance, list that under professional services. IRS EIN information.
Leave room for filings relating to your first tax year. Those may be due after the calendar year ends, even though the transactions arose while you were launching. A first-year budget based only on payments made before 31 December can understate what the launch has committed you to pay.
Your LLC budget checklist: copy and fill in your costs
This is a planning worksheet for you, the reader—not a PrimeRegister price list. Copy it into your notes and enter the amounts from your chosen state and service quotes. The blank amounts are intentional.
| Budget line | Your amount |
|---|---|
| State formation fee | $_____ |
| Provider formation service, excluding included government fees | $_____ |
| Agent and address services not already included | $_____ |
| Optional EIN assistance | $_____ |
| Bookkeeping and tax preparation for the first tax year | $_____ |
| Licenses, additional-state registrations and other required work | $_____ |
| Bank, transfer, software and operating expenses | $_____ |
| First annual state charge, when it becomes due | $_____ |
Request actual quotes for blank entries. Guessing a tax-preparation fee before the ownership and transactions are known can create a misleading total.
Why the second year can cost more than expected
The formation service itself is usually a one-time task. Registered-agent coverage, an address subscription, bookkeeping and annual filing support may recur. Introductory discounts can expire.
Put each renewal in a calendar with the supplier, renewal date, amount and cancellation terms. Check whether “annual compliance” means reminders, preparation of a state report, payment of the government fee or federal tax work. Those are different deliverables.
For example, a plan that sends filing reminders has value, but it does not establish that someone has submitted your tax return. Ask what proof you receive after each filing.
Formation dates affect your cash-flow calendar
Wyoming's annual report is generally due on the first day of the LLC's anniversary month. Delaware's LLC annual tax is due on June 1 for the preceding calendar year and is not prorated simply because the company existed for only part of that year. Wyoming renewal rules, Delaware LLC annual-tax statute.
An illustrative Delaware LLC formed in December therefore should not budget as if its first state annual-tax deadline must be twelve months away. Build your forecast around the actual state schedule, not an anniversary assumption borrowed from another state.
Before delaying or accelerating formation for cost reasons, consider contracts, banking, tax periods and your intended start of business as well.
Costs that depend on your circumstances
Running operations in another US state can create additional registration and maintenance work. Employees, inventory, taxable sales and regulated activities can introduce other obligations. International founders also need to consider advice and filings where they live.
Do not use “no state income tax” as a substitute for a complete budget. A formation state's headline tax treatment does not settle all federal, other-state or home-country questions.
Similarly, compare transfer and foreign-exchange costs using the payment flows you expect. A small monthly subscription can be less important than the cost of converting a large share of revenue.
How to compare formation offers fairly
Send every provider the same questions:
- What is payable today, broken into government and service fees?
- Which services are included, and for how long?
- What renews in the next twelve months?
- Does the annual price include government maintenance charges?
- Are bookkeeping, Form 5472 work and other tax returns included or separately quoted?
- What charges apply for changes, extra documents, cancellation or reinstatement?
A clear answer should let you produce a dated two-year cash forecast. Save the quote and terms, rather than relying on a headline price you remember from the website.
Get a budget based on your business
Review PrimeRegister's current pricing, then ask for a scope-specific quote. Share your preferred state, number of owners, countries of residence and expected activity.
Ask us to identify the formation items, recurring services and separately priced tax work. The useful outcome is a budget you understand before committing to registration.
