What is the cheapest state to form an LLC in?

Question

Enformly · Accepted Answer

Wyoming is typically the cheapest state for ongoing LLC costs: a $100 state filing fee and a $60 minimum annual report. Home-state formation is almost always cheaper overall than forming out-of-state.

Initial filing fees vary from around $50 to $500 depending on the state. Wyoming ($100), Kentucky ($40), and Arkansas ($45) sit at the low end; Massachusetts ($500) and Tennessee (min $300) sit at the high end.

Ongoing costs usually matter more than the initial fee. Delaware charges a flat $300 annual LLC tax, Florida's annual report is $138.75, New York's biennial statement is $9 (but publication costs $300–$2,000 up front), and Wyoming's annual report starts at $60.

Cheapness in isolation is misleading. If you operate in California but form in Wyoming, you still owe California's $800 minimum franchise tax as a foreign LLC. Multi-state registration almost always erases the savings from picking a 'cheap' state.

For founders optimizing pure cost with no strong home-state tie — common among remote and international founders — Wyoming is the most common answer on Enformly's list.