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
First-year cost
$555
Recurring annual cost
$175
Five-year total
$1,255
First-year cost per member
$555
Extra for foreign registration
$0
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter state filing fee ($).
- 2Enter registered agent ($/year).
- 3Enter annual report fee ($/year).
- 4Enter franchise / minimum tax ($/year).
- 5Enter publication requirement (ny, az, ne) ($).
- 6Enter operating agreement / legal ($).
- 7Enter forming out of state but operating at home?.
- 8Enter members (people).
- 9Read your first-year cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 10Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
The advertised price of forming an LLC — often under $100 — is the state filing fee alone. The real first-year cost adds a registered agent, the state's annual report or franchise tax, an operating agreement, an EIN-adjacent bookkeeping setup, and in some states a publication requirement that costs more than everything else combined. This calculator totals the first year and then projects the recurring annual cost, so you can compare forming in your home state against the frequently promoted alternative of forming elsewhere. Note the trap in that comparison: an LLC formed in another state but operating where you live usually has to register as a foreign LLC at home anyway, paying both sets of fees. The tool includes that scenario. It also shows cost per member and the break-even revenue at which the annual overhead is a trivial share of the business, which is the practical test of whether the entity is worth maintaining.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- State filing fee: 130 $
- Registered agent: 125 $/year
- Annual report fee: 50 $/year
- Franchise / minimum tax: 0 $/year
- Publication requirement (NY, AZ, NE): 0 $
- Operating agreement / legal: 250 $
- Forming out of state but operating at home?: No — same state
- Members: 1 people
Results
- First-year cost: $555
- Recurring annual cost: $175
- Five-year total: $1,255
- First-year cost per member: $555
- Extra for foreign registration: $0
What each field means
Inputs
- State filing fee ($)
- The state filing fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 130 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–800 $.
- Registered agent ($/year)
- The registered agent used in the calculation, measured in $/year. Starts at 125 $/year so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–500 $/year.
- Annual report fee ($/year)
- The annual report fee used in the calculation, measured in $/year. Starts at 50 $/year so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–800 $/year.
- Franchise / minimum tax ($/year)
- The franchise / minimum tax used in the calculation, measured in $/year. Starts at 0 $/year so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–2000 $/year.
- Publication requirement (NY, AZ, NE) ($)
- The publication requirement (ny, az, ne) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–2500 $.
- Operating agreement / legal ($)
- The operating agreement / legal used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 250 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–3000 $.
- Forming out of state but operating at home?
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: No — same state, Yes — foreign registration needed.
- Members (people)
- The members used in the calculation, measured in people. Starts at 1 people so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–20 people.
Results
- First-year 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.
- Recurring annual cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Five-year total
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- First-year cost per member
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Extra for foreign registration
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Is forming in Delaware or Wyoming cheaper?
Rarely, for a small operating business. If you conduct business where you live, you generally must register there as a foreign LLC too, so you pay two filing fees, two agents, and two annual reports. Turn on the foreign registration option to see it.
Do I need a registered agent service?
You need a registered agent with a physical address in the state during business hours. You can serve as your own in most states, which drops that line to zero — at the cost of putting your address in the public record.
What is a franchise tax?
A flat or revenue-based annual charge some states levy simply for existing as an entity. California's minimum is the well-known example; several states charge nothing. Check your state and enter the figure.
Does an LLC save me tax?
By default an LLC is taxed the same as a sole proprietorship or partnership. Tax savings usually come from an S-corporation election once profit is high enough to justify payroll costs, which is a separate calculation.
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.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). LLC Formation Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/llc-formation-cost-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/llc-formation-cost-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LLC Formation Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [LLC Formation Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/llc-formation-cost-calculator) (2026).