How much does a US LLC cost? Budget for formation and the first two years
Build an LLC budget around state fees, banking and professional support. Understand each service and calculate the first 24 months without double counting.
A US LLC can bring your business activity, accounts, contracts and investments into a company of your own. To work out what it costs, separate formation, professional services, ongoing upkeep and financial operations. The state filing fee is only one part of the budget.
A useful quote tells you what you will receive, who prepares it, what the first year covers and when the service renews. Those answers make proposals comparable. They also prevent you from paying for the same item twice or mistaking an adviser's fee for a government charge.
Exentax offers defined services, with an individual review before work begins. An owner collecting international client payments needs a different level of planning from several members with investments, different tax residences and multiple accounts. The agreed scope should make that difference clear.
What you pay for when forming an LLC
Formation registers the company. Getting it ready to operate adds decisions about ownership, signing authority, tax identification, documentation and suitable financial providers.
| Cost item | What to check in the proposal |
|---|---|
| State formation | Chosen state, standard filing and included or separate government fees |
| Registered Agent | Provider, covered period and renewal price |
| EIN | Application preparation, follow-up and delivery of confirmation |
| Operating Agreement | Members, ownership percentages, management and agreed rules |
| Banking and payments | Intended accounts, currencies and contracted assistance |
| Ongoing support | Covered tax year, returns and subsequent support |
The value lies in the work behind the documents, not their page count. An agreement for two members contributing different amounts involves decisions that do not arise for a sole owner. Banking authority deserves the same attention: owning part of a company and being authorised to use its accounts are separate questions.
The IRS assigns an EIN free of charge. A professional fee for handling the application pays for that work; it is not a federal issuance fee.
New Mexico, Wyoming and Delaware have different cost structures
Start with the activity, rather than the cheapest opening offer. Where will the work take place? Will the LLC have employees, premises or inventory? How will members manage it? Then compare what maintaining the chosen structure involves.
New Mexico requires no Annual Report for an LLC. That simplifies recurring company filings, but bookkeeping, a Registered Agent and tax work still need their own budget. Tax obligations depend on the activity and its connection with each jurisdiction.
Wyoming's Articles of Organization carry a USD 100 filing fee, before any payment-channel charges. Its Annual Report has a USD 60 minimum; the calculation uses assets located and employed in Wyoming.
Delaware charges an annual LLC tax of USD 400, payable by June 1 for the previous year. Delaware LLCs do not file an Annual Report. Do not budget for both as separate filings.
Our New Mexico, Wyoming and Delaware comparison examines the state choice in greater depth. A cost guide should help you budget, not assign a state automatically to every freelancer, agency or investor.
Three separate calendars affect your budget
The state deadline, the company's tax year and the service contract do not necessarily run together. A Registered Agent renewal may also fall on a different date from tax preparation.
Your contract defines the support period. The state sets its filing or payment dates. Tax preparation follows the relevant year and the LLC's classification.
This is why “everything renews twelve months after formation” is not a reliable budgeting rule. A company formed late in a calendar year may reach its first year-end shortly afterwards. Your proposal should identify that short first period and say who handles it.
A foreign-owned single-member LLC treated as a disregarded entity may need Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 for reportable transactions. A multi-member LLC may instead follow partnership rules unless a different applicable election has been made. The preparation fee needs to match the actual classification.
The single-member and multi-member guide explains the distinction. For a quote, the immediate question is simpler: which entity, tax period and work are covered?
How to calculate the first 24 months
Choose an opening date and a closing date. Place every payment on its actual date and note what period it purchases. This avoids including a third year of service in a two-year comparison.
Illustrative example, not an Exentax quote: service begins on May 10, 2026. We count payments from May 10, 2026 through May 9, 2028, inclusive. Assume the initial price includes twelve months and the contract renews on each anniversary.
| Date | Treatment in this example |
|---|---|
| May 10, 2026 | Initial price and any formation items not included |
| May 10, 2027 | One service renewal |
| May 10, 2028 | Next renewal, outside the calculation period |
| Within the interval | State payments and other services actually falling due |
The contractual calculation is one initial fee plus one renewal, not two renewals. Add state charges on their own dates, excluding anything already included in the contracted price.
Cash paid and cost attributable to a period are also different measures. A prepayment may purchase coverage extending beyond the closing date. Ask for both a payment schedule and a description of the coverage, so that two proposals are compared on the same basis.
Banking, currencies and payment processors
An LLC can use several accounts for different purposes: receiving USD, collecting EUR, paying suppliers or holding working capital. The right combination follows the business activity and expected transactions.
Build a sample month before choosing. List payment volumes, average transaction size, currencies, supplier transfers and conversions. Separate the transfer charge from the foreign-exchange cost. Two accounts with no monthly subscription can produce very different operating costs.
Keep professional assistance separate from provider fees. Exentax can coordinate application preparation and follow-up within the agreed service; the provider controls its charges, checks and account-opening decision. Formation in a particular state does not itself secure a bank account or business card.
You do not need every possible provider at launch. Start with accounts that solve immediate requirements and identify what would justify a second bank, another processor or a brokerage account.
What the Exentax service options cover
Exentax Structure includes formation, EIN, a Registered Agent and US address for the first year, corporate documentation and initial coordination of banking, collections and payments. Structure does not include an ITIN.
Exentax Advisory extends that scope with one ITIN, individual tax and structural planning, account and currency architecture, and coordination of banking, brokerage and investment arrangements as appropriate.
Exentax Private Office builds on Advisory with up to two ITIN applications and deeper planning for several owners, activities or income sources, alongside priority support.
Care services cover ongoing assistance. Before engagement, we identify the appropriate option, its period, the returns covered and any additional work. Current pricing belongs on the service page; your proposal confirms the terms for your circumstances.
Comparing proposals on substance
Ask each provider to describe the same horizon: formation, the first tax period and ongoing support. A state-registration service and a proposal including banking preparation and subsequent assistance are not pricing the same work.
Check who prepares documents, what you supply and how later questions are handled. A clear process has practical value: knowing whom to contact, what is outstanding and what happens next reduces the time spent coordinating separate tasks.
Also identify the changes that might alter the scope: new members, additional activities, related-party transactions, investments or a move to another country. These are reasons to review the work needed, not automatic extra charges.
The strongest choice is not necessarily the most expensive. It is the service you will actually use, with responsibilities clearly assigned and no duplicated items. Our Registered Agent guide separates that role from tax advice and banking support.
For a marketing agency using an LLC, specify who signs client contracts, how many members participate and which payment flows need organising. If the comparison concerns an investment round, first understand the differences between an LLC and a corporation. Entity type changes the work required, not just the filing fee.
Questions about LLC pricing and renewals
Is the state filing fee the full price of an LLC?
No. It pays for the public filing. Documentation, Registered Agent services, EIN assistance, banking preparation and ongoing support have their own scope. A proposal should identify what is included.
Does an LLC with no revenue stop having costs?
It may still need a Registered Agent, applicable state upkeep and tax preparation. We consider owner contributions and expenses as well as sales when planning support, so the company remains ready to operate.
Is an ITIN included in every plan?
No. Structure excludes it, Advisory includes one and Private Office includes up to two applications. We establish the purpose and application requirements before proceeding.
How many renewals fall within the first 24 months?
It depends on the dates and contract. Where the first year is covered and the calculation ends the day before the second anniversary, one service renewal falls inside it. State payments follow their separate due dates.
A company structure with a clear budget
Tell us what you plan to do, where you live, who will participate and how you need to receive payments or invest. We can then recommend the structure, define the work and explain its ongoing cost.
Exentax goes beyond delivering a registered company. Our team coordinates the elements you need to use it, with an understandable proposal and support tailored to your circumstances.