I just spent three hours trying to figure out what my cousin's filing fees would be for a tiny LLC in three different states. Every state has a different fee schedule, some list it as a flat rate, some have franchise taxes, some have publication requirements. I get that each state has its own rules but could they at least put the total upfront? Feels like a cheat code just to compare two states side by side.
LLC Costs
I wish every state made LLC filing costs easier to compare
Totally agree. I had to call the secretary of state office in two states just to confirm what the website was actually saying. One sitee had a PDF from 2019 buried somewhere.
It's almost like they don't want you to compare them easily. Hmm.
There are some third party sites that sort of do this, but honestly they always feel like they're trying to sell you a filing service. Not great for just getting raw numbers.
NJ here. Our fees are online but the information page for LLCs has like four different links. I think it's gotten better but still not a siple comparison chart.
Wait until you factor in annual report fees vs. biennial reports vs. franchise taxes. The filing cost is just the entry fee. The ongoing cost is what really varies.
Yeah, that's the part that got me. Some states hit you every year, others every two. That's a big difference over five years.
I gave up and just made a spreadsheet for the three states I cared about. Took me about two hours. Not fun but it worked
Honestly the publication publication requirement in some states (hi NY) is the hidden cost that really throws off comparisons. You pay the state fee and then you pay a newspaper to publish your formation notice. That's not usually listed on the main fee schedule page.
New York's publication thing is wild. I remember hearing about that and thinking it was a joke.
It's real and it can be hundreds of dollars depending on the county. Definitely should be part of any fair comparison.
Some states are flat fee and done. Wyoming was pretty simple from what I remember. But yeah, it's not like there's a Yelp for secretary of state websites.
There should be though. RateMySecretaryOfState.com. Just star reviews like 'fees listed clearly, would incorporate again.'
The real answer is most people only ever file in one state. So there's no pressure for states to standardize anything. If you're filing in there states, you're the weirdo (no offense).
I think it's less about standardizing and more about just a clearer summary page. Like a 'total first year cost' and 'total recurring annual cost' in a table. That doesn't seem like too much to ask.
You'd think. But some states have fees that depend on the number of members or the amount of capital. So it's not always a simple flat number. Still, a basic estimate for the most common case would go a long way.
Or just a CSV. Let me download a CSV of all all the fees. I'll do the rest.