LegalZoom
LLC formation
Basic $0, Pro $249, Premium $299, plus state feesChecked Oct 5, 2026
Start your LLC with the real fees in front of you
State filing fees, yearly taxes, service packages and the first tools a new business buys, each with its source.
- $0
- Basic formation package, plus the state fee
- $800/yr
- California's yearly LLC tax
Bizee, read Oct 20, 2026; California Franchise Tax Board, read Oct 7, 2026. See source
Published prices
Inc Authority
LLC formation
$0 plus state feesChecked Oct 7, 2026
Tailor Brands
LLC formation plans
Lite $0/yr, Essential $199/yr, Elite $249/yr + state feesChecked Oct 12, 2026
- Free to readNo account, no sign-up
- Nobody calls youWe never ask for your number
- Every fee has a sourceState offices, the IRS, providers
- Dated figuresEach shows the day we read it
Three ways to get your LLC filed
The state fee is the same whichever you choose. What changes is who does the paperwork and what comes bundled.
- Simplest option
File it yourself
Submit the formation document to your state and pay only its fee. Then get your EIN from the IRS, free.
See your state's fee Use a formation service
A service prepares and files the paperwork. Basic packages start at $0; bigger ones bundle extras.
Compare packagesAdd a registered agent
Someone to receive legal mail for the LLC, and keep your home address off the filing.
See agent prices
Your first-year cost, before you file
The defaults are California's published fees. Change them to your state's, then add a service package and an agent if you want them.
- California: $70 to file with the Secretary of State and the $800 yearly LLC tax from the Franchise Tax Board. Check your own state's filing office.
- Formation packages run $0 to $299 at the services we list; registered agents typically cost $100 to $300 a year. The EIN is free from the IRS.
With your choices, about
$969
Sources: California Secretary of State and Franchise Tax Board (read Oct 7, 2026), ZenBusiness pricing (read Oct 2, 2026) and Bizee packages (read Oct 20, 2026).
Everything a new business sets up first
First-year costs that are easy to miss
| Cost | What it is | Published cost |
|---|---|---|
| EIN from the IRS3 | Federal tax ID number | Free; the IRS warns against sites that charge |
| California LLC tax1 | Yearly state tax on CA LLCs | $800 a year |
| Delaware LLC tax2 | Yearly tax, due June 1 | $400 a year |
| Registered agent service4 | Receives legal mail for the LLC | $100 to $300 a year typical |
| Formation service fee6 | Service charge on top of the state fee | From $0 (basic packages) |
Providers read October 2, 2026; state and IRS pages read October 7, 2026.
The usual order
Step 3
File the formation document
Yourself with the state, or through a formation service.
Both kinds of cost, in one place
Forming an LLC has two kinds of cost: what the state charges, and what a formation service charges on top. We publish both with the source and the day we read them, plus the yearly costs that surprise new owners, like California's $800 yearly LLC tax1 and Delaware's $400 yearly LLC tax2.
Then we line up the first tools a new business buys: formation services (ZenBusiness, Bizee, LegalZoom, Inc Authority, Tailor Brands, doola, Zenind), a phone line and CRM (Quo, Nextiva, HubSpot), a store (Shopify) and insurance (NEXT Insurance). Every link goes to the provider's own site.
Built from official and provider pages
- Sources cited across the site
- 65
- Provider pages read and linked
- 31
- Startup tools covered
- 5
- Last checked
- Oct 25, 2026
Guides for the paperwork
- State feesWhat states charge to form and keep an LLCFiling fees and yearly costs in California, Delaware, Florida, New York, Texas and Wyoming.Read the guide
- First filingsYour EIN is free. Here is what comes nextThe IRS application, its hours, and the first state deadlines to calendar.Read the guide
- Business phoneNextiva pricing: plans and cost per userCore, Engage and Scale as Nextiva lists them, and who the annual price is for.Read the guide
Questions new owners ask first
Do I need a formation service?
No. You can file directly with your state. A service prepares and submits the paperwork for a fee; basic packages start at $0 plus the state fee at both services we list.
Should I pay someone for an EIN?
No need. The IRS issues EINs free online and warns against websites that charge for one3.
Forming from outside the US?
You can: the state form asks for a company name and a registered agent in the state, and the IRS issues EINs to founders abroad by phone or fax910. See the non-resident guide.
Do I file a BOI report?
Not for a company created in the US. FinCEN's final rule of August 2026 exempts US companies from beneficial ownership reporting11; see the non-resident guide.
Should I wait until January to file?
An LLC that exists on December 31 can owe that year's state tax or report. Several states let you file in December with a January effective date; the year-end timing guide has the rule and the first-year deadline, state by state.
Is this legal advice?
No. For questions about your situation, talk to a licensed attorney or tax professional of your choosing.
Before you file
Know your state's yearly cost
The filing fee is paid once. The yearly tax or report fee keeps coming: $800 in California, $400 in Delaware.
Sources
- Limited liability company
- LLC/LP/GP Franchise Tax Instructions
- Get an employer identification number
- Registered agent service
- Products and pricing
- Formation packages (home page)
- Registered Agent
- Limited Liability Companies (LLC) - California, forms and fees
- LLC Articles of Organization, form and instructions
- Employer identification number
- Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting
About this page
We may be paid when you use partner links on this page.
FormationFile is not a law firm, accountant, insurer or broker, and nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice. We do not file anything for you and do not refer you to lawyers.
Prices and state fees are what the named source published on the date we read it. The state's own filing office and the provider's own page are the final word on fees and terms.