"So what does it actually cost?" It is the first question of any entrepreneur considering a U.S. LLC — and the honest answer comes in two parts: state fees (once at formation, then each year) and optional support. This guide prices out every item, state by state, with figures verified for 2026, holding nothing back. Being transparent about costs is not a weakness: it is the best way to make an informed choice.
This guide is not tax or legal advice
The amounts below are administrative fees (state fees, services, form preparation), not income taxes. What you will actually owe in taxes depends on your country of residence and your personal situation. For any tax question, work with a licensed tax professional in your jurisdiction.
How much does a U.S. LLC really cost?
There is no single price, but a clear range. State formation fees run from about $50 (New Mexico) to $90–110 (Delaware), with Wyoming around $100 — paid once. On top of that, each year, you keep a registered agent and meet the state's annual obligation (annual report or franchise tax). The EIN, the federal tax identifier, is free from the IRS.
In other words, on official fees, an LLC costs tens to a few hundred dollars a year. The rest — and it is often the bulk of the budget — depends on the level of support you choose: do it all yourself (DIY) or delegate to a done-for-you service.
We walk through the full formation journey in our pillar guide How to form a U.S. LLC as a non-resident. Here, we talk money, line by line.
In short: low state fees ($50–$110 to form, $0–$300/year after), a free EIN, and optional support that shapes most of the budget.
Formation costs, item by item
Forming an LLC means a handful of formalities, each with its real cost:
- State fee (filing fee). The amount paid to the Secretary of State to register the Articles of Organization. It varies by state: $100 in Wyoming, ~$90–110 in Delaware, ~$50 in New Mexico. This is a one-time payment.
- Registered agent. A mandatory official address in the state that receives legal mail. Since a non-resident has no local address, this service is essential: budget $50 to $150/year on your own (often free the first year in a formation package).
- Operating agreement. The internal document that defines ownership and how the LLC runs. It has no state cost: a good template is enough for a single-member LLC, or it is included in a service.
- EIN. The Employer Identification Number is obtained free from the IRS via Form SS-4. Without an SSN, the procedure (fax or mail) is slower but still carries no official fee. Support may be charged to secure the filing, but the EIN itself costs nothing. We detail the process in Getting an EIN without an SSN.
- Support service. This is the variable that weighs most: a provider charges for its work (filing, EIN, documents, initial compliance) on top of the state fees. This is where the real budget difference between DIY and done-for-you plays out.
The EIN is free — a real trust signal
No provider "sells" an EIN: the IRS charges nothing. What a service legitimately charges for is the time and expertise to complete and file the SS-4 correctly without an SSN — not the number itself. An offer that presents the EIN as a paid product is trading on confusion.
The cost table by state (Wyoming, Delaware, New Mexico)
Here is the heart of the matter: what you actually pay to the state and the IRS, independent of any provider. Amounts are in USD, verified for 2026 (euro equivalents are indicative, at a rate of about $1 ≈ €0.92).
Official formation fees — year 1
| Item (year 1) | Wyoming | Delaware | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|
| State fee — filing the Articles | $100 | ~$90–110 | ~$50 |
| Registered agent (1 year) | $50–150 | $50–150 | $35–150 |
| Operating agreement | $0 (template) | $0 | $0 |
| EIN (IRS, Form SS-4) | Free | Free | Free |
| Total official fees, year 1 | ≈ $150–250 | ≈ $160–260 | ≈ $85–200 |
Recurring fees — year 2 onward (per year)
| Item (per year) | Wyoming | Delaware | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual report / franchise tax | $60 | $300 | $0 |
| Registered agent | $50–150 | $50–150 | $35–150 |
| IRS compliance (Form 5472 + pro forma 1120) | $0 DIY, otherwise ≈ $200–600 | same | same |
| Recurring total (excl. IRS prep) | ≈ $110–210 | ≈ $350–450 | ≈ $35–150 |
Three clear takeaways emerge:
- New Mexico is the cheapest over time: no annual report, so $0 in recurring state obligation. The price of that saving is a lower profile.
- Wyoming stays very affordable: $60/year annual report, no franchise tax and no state income tax.
- Delaware costs more each year because of its $300 franchise tax, due every June 1, even with zero revenue.
To choose a state on criteria other than price (privacy, credibility, fundraising), see our dedicated comparison Wyoming vs Delaware vs New Mexico.
Franchise tax ≠ income tax
Delaware's franchise tax ($300) and Wyoming's annual report ($60) are flat fees to keep the company in good standing, owed regardless of your results. They have nothing to do with a tax on profits. What you may owe in taxes depends on your tax residency — a domain for a professional, not for this guide.
The recurring costs you shouldn't forget
An LLC "lives" every year, and its upkeep has a cost. The three recurring items to budget:
- The state's annual obligation. Annual report (Wyoming: $60) or franchise tax (Delaware: $300). New Mexico is exempt. Neglecting it exposes you to penalties, or even administrative dissolution of the company.
- The registered agent. To renew each year ($50–150). Without a valid registered agent, the company falls out of good standing with the state.
- Federal IRS compliance. A non-resident-owned single-member LLC is a disregarded entity that must file, every year, a Form 5472 together with a pro forma 1120, even with no income or activity in the U.S. It is purely informational, but mandatory: the IRS sets a $25,000 penalty per missing or incomplete form. Preparation, if you delegate it, often costs $200 to $600.
Form 5472: the cost most people forget
Many founders discover this obligation too late. Filing Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 is annual and unavoidable for a non-resident single-member LLC, regardless of revenue. We explain the logic in The tax obligations of a non-resident LLC.
Hidden costs to anticipate
Beyond the "visible" fees, a few items regularly show up in an LLC's real budget:
- U.S. business address. Useful to receive business mail or appear on platforms. A mail-forwarding service costs from a few dollars a month to a few hundred dollars a year.
- Bank account and flow fees. Opening an account (Mercury, Relay) is generally free, but international wires and currency conversion (via Wise, Payoneer) carry fees on the order of 0.5% to 2% depending on amounts. See Opening a bank account for your LLC.
- Accounting. Beyond Form 5472 alone, real activity (sales, expenses) calls for bookkeeping and sometimes additional filings — an item to plan for as revenue grows.
- Possible dissolution. Closing an LLC cleanly also has a cost: state dissolution fees (variable) plus, where applicable, support. Planning the exit avoids nasty surprises.
A realistic budget, not a teaser price
A "cheap" LLC that neglects the registered agent, the annual report or Form 5472 ends up costing more (penalties, bringing it back into compliance, reinstatement). The real budget is worked out over the full year: formation + upkeep + compliance.
DIY or supported: what does a done-for-you service cover?
Both routes are legitimate, and the right choice depends on your time, your comfort with U.S. administration, and your tolerance for risk.
On your own (DIY), you pay "only" the official fees: cheapest on paper (a few hundred dollars the first year). In exchange, you handle the Articles filing yourself, the SS-4 without an SSN (fax/mail procedure, sometimes rejected if poorly completed), the annual report follow-up, and the yearly Form 5472 — with the $25,000 penalty if it slips. It is doable, but time-consuming and unforgiving of errors.
Supported (done-for-you), you pay a flat fee that bundles and secures all of this. At Statecove, prices are deliberately clear and all-inclusive:
| Statecove package | Year 1 | Recurring |
|---|---|---|
| Formation Pack — Wyoming or Delaware | €2,000 (state fees included) | — |
| Formation Pack — New Mexico | €1,850 (state fees included) | — |
| Annual maintenance | — | €450/year |
| Accounting (Form 5472 + 1120, bookkeeping) | — | from €800/year |
| Express Mode (company formed within 72h) | +€200 | — |
The Formation Pack includes state fees, formation, the registered agent for the first year, EIN support and documents. Maintenance then takes over each year (registered agent, annual report, address, support). Accounting covers IRS filings and bookkeeping, as a separate service. We are neither attorneys nor accountants: we handle formation and administrative compliance, and point you to a licensed professional for tax advice.
All-inclusive packages, state fees included, no surprises — cost transparency is exactly our commitment.
What should you budget, in the end?
For a non-resident LLC in 2026, keep three reference points:
- State fees alone: from ~$50 (New Mexico) to ~$90–110 (Delaware) to form, then $0 to $300/year. The EIN is free.
- On your own: a few hundred dollars the first year, provided you handle the EIN, annual report and Form 5472 yourself.
- Supported and all-inclusive: on the order of €1,850 to €2,000 the first year, then ~€450/year in maintenance, with IRS compliance optional from €800/year.
The right budget is not the lowest advertised, but the one that covers the full year with no blind spots. If you want a precise estimate for your situation and state, tell us about your project: together we'll go through it item by item, with no tax promises and no hidden costs.