Real state fees, not estimates.
What each state actually charges to form, and what it expects every year after. Verified against the state portals, with the franchise-tax fine print spelled out.
Fees most calculators leave out.
Franchise tax
DE: $400/yr LLC annual tax, corp franchise tax from $175. CA: $800/yr min. Massachusetts: $500/yr.
Publication
NY requires publication in 2 papers for 6 weeks. $300-$2,000.
Registered agent
Every state requires one. $100-$300/yr if you do not act as your own.
Annual report fee
Separate from franchise tax. $0-$500/yr.
Apostille / authentication
For international use. $20-$200 per document.
Sales tax registration
Per state where you have nexus. $0-$100 per state.
Four costs live beyond the filing fee.
Required in every state from day one. Serving as your own is free until you move or travel; professional coverage is the standing-infrastructure option.
New York famously requires new LLCs to publish formation notices in local newspapers, a cost that can exceed the filing fee many times over depending on the county.
City and county permission to operate is priced locally and renews on its own cycle. The license lookup resolves yours.
The recurring number matters more than the one-time fee: annual report fees, franchise taxes, and minimums like California's 800 dollars compound every single year.
How this table stays honest: every figure is read from the state's own portal, the page carries its review date, and legislative changes trigger a correction rather than waiting for a schedule. When a state is mid-change, the number links to the state guide where the transition is explained.
Know the fee. Skip the markup.
The state fee is the whole fee.
File.Business charges no markup on state fees: you pay what the state charges, plus only the service you choose.
State fees above are government data, verified July 2026. Service costs live in one place: pricing.