Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Year-one cost
$1,050
Ongoing annual cost (year 2+)
$725
Total cost over 5 years
$3,950
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How to use this
- 1Enter state incorporation filing fee ($).
- 2Enter registered agent (annual) ($).
- 3Enter bylaws + initial resolutions drafting ($).
- 4Enter annual report fee ($).
- 5Enter annual franchise tax ($).
- 6Enter annual compliance (minutes, meetings) ($).
- 7Read your year-one cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Incorporating costs more upfront than forming an LLC in most states because corporations require more formal governance: state filing fees ($50-$300 depending on state and authorized share count), a registered agent, attorney-drafted bylaws and initial board resolutions ($500-$1,500 if not templated), an EIN (free from the IRS but often bundled into formation packages), and stock certificates if physically issued. Ongoing costs include the annual report fee, franchise tax (Delaware's is based on authorized shares or assumed par value and can be $175-$400+ for a small startup, far more if authorized shares are set unnecessarily high), and if electing S-corp tax status, no extra state fee but added payroll/accounting complexity. This calculator totals year-one formation cost and ongoing annual cost separately from the LLC calculator, since corporate formality requirements (bylaws, board minutes, annual meetings) add real recurring cost that LLCs mostly avoid.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- State incorporation filing fee: 150 $
- Registered agent (annual): 150 $
- Bylaws + initial resolutions drafting: 750 $
- Annual report fee: 75 $
- Annual franchise tax: 300 $
- Annual compliance (minutes, meetings): 200 $
Results
- Year-one cost: $1,050
- Ongoing annual cost (year 2+): $725
- Total cost over 5 years: $3,950
What each field means
Inputs
- State incorporation filing fee ($)
- The state incorporation filing fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 150 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Registered agent (annual) ($)
- The registered agent (annual) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 150 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Bylaws + initial resolutions drafting ($)
- The bylaws + initial resolutions drafting used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 750 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual report fee ($)
- The annual report fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 75 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual franchise tax ($)
- The annual franchise tax used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 300 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual compliance (minutes, meetings) ($)
- The annual compliance (minutes, meetings) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 200 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Year-one cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Ongoing annual cost (year 2+)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total cost over 5 years
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why is Delaware franchise tax sometimes much higher than expected?
Delaware defaults to the 'authorized shares method' unless you elect the 'assumed par value capital method,' and startups that authorize a large number of shares (like 10 million) under the default method can owe several thousand dollars instead of the $175 minimum. Always calculate both methods and elect the cheaper one when filing your annual report.
Does electing S-corp status change formation costs?
No additional state formation fee applies; S-corp is a federal tax election made via Form 2553 after incorporating, at no IRS cost. It does add ongoing accounting complexity, since S-corps must run reasonable owner salaries through payroll, which typically costs $500-$1,500/year in additional payroll service and accounting fees.
Is a corporation more expensive to maintain than an LLC?
Generally yes. Corporations have mandatory formalities like annual shareholder/board meetings with documented minutes, which LLCs can skip in most states, and that formal compliance is often outsourced to a lawyer or formation service for $200-$500/year that an LLC wouldn't need to pay.
Do I need a lawyer to draft bylaws?
Not strictly, template bylaws work for a simple single-owner corporation, but multi-founder corporations should have an attorney draft bylaws and a shareholder agreement covering vesting, buyouts, and deadlock provisions, since disputes without these provisions are far costlier to resolve later than the upfront drafting cost.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Corporation Formation Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/corporation-formation-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/corporation-formation-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Corporation Formation Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Corporation Formation Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/corporation-formation-cost) (2026).