How much will it cost to form your entity?
Pick your state and entity type. We show the exact state filing fee and our $0 service fee for upfront cost, plus the typical annual cost over 5 years. Real 2026 data for all 50 states + DC.
Three things that make Formation cost calculator useful in the real world.
Not a calculator that ships you to a paywall after the result.
Real state fees, not stale tables
Pulled from each Secretary of State quarterly. The number you see is the number that gets paid.
Add-ons priced inline
Expedited filing, certificate of good standing, BOI: each priced as you click.
One total, no surprises
Service + state fee + add-ons in a single number. No checkout-stage surprise.
Pick your formation
What goes into your total.
State filing fee: The fee charged by the Secretary of State to file your Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation (Corp), or Articles of Incorporation as a Nonprofit. Ranges from $35 (Montana) to $725 (Nevada with initial list + license). We pass these through at cost.
Our service fee: $0 on Starter for the core filing service. Add-ons like BOI filing $249 one-time), foreign qualification ($149/state) are separate.
Registered Agent: Free for the first year with every formation. $99/year on renewal. You can be your own agent if you have a physical state address and are available during business hours; most founders use a service.
Annual ongoing: Most states require an annual report ($10-$300 typical) plus, depending on the state, a franchise tax or business privilege tax. Massachusetts is the most expensive annual ($520). Missouri, Ohio, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Arizona have no annual report for LLCs.
Common questions.
How accurate is this calculator?
What is not included?
Why is the state fee at cost?
Can the cost change after I file?
How does Growth save money?
On the $129/yr Compliance Annual Filings plan, we cover state late fees.
When you autofile your annual report through the $129/yr plan and we miss the deadline, we pay the state's late fee. The guarantee applies to that specific plan and the filings it includes. Other File.Business services are billed at the prices on this page.