Founders budget the formation fee and forget the meter that starts running afterward. Nearly every state charges something annually to keep an entity registered. It may be an annual report fee, a franchise tax, or both under one label. The amounts range from zero to four figures, and the calculation methods vary wildly. But every state enforces the deadline the same way: penalties, lost standing, then administrative dissolution.
This page is the map. It shows what every state charges an LLC each year, plus the five systems complicated enough to need their own paragraphs. The concept itself is covered in what franchise tax is. How it fits your federal picture is in the LLC taxes guide.
Annual LLC Costs in All 50 States
Every figure in this table comes from the File.Business state fee record at api/state-fees.json, read on 2026-08-13. None of it was typed in by hand. Thirteen states charge LLCs and corporations differently, so both columns are shown. Where the two differ, the note explains why.
The amounts are the recurring state charge for keeping the entity registered. Some states call that an annual report fee, some call it a franchise tax, and some split it across both. State names link to the full cost breakdown for that state.
| State | LLC | Corporation | Cycle and what the number covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $50 | $50 | Annual |
| Alaska | $100 | $100 | Biennial Biennial. Domestic $100, FOREIGN $200. The $50 often quoted is the Alaska business license, a separate annual charge. |
| Arizona | $0 (no report) | $45 | Annual. Only corporations file; LLCs file no report at all |
| Arkansas | $150 | $150 | Annual |
| California | $820 | $825 | Biennial (llc) / annual (corp) $800 franchise tax plus the Statement of Information ($20 LLC biennial, $25 corporation annual). The tax and the fee are separate obligations to separate agencies. |
| Colorado | $25 | $25 | Annual |
| Connecticut | $80 | $435 | Annual LLC annual report $80. Corporation annual report $435 including the franchise component. |
| Delaware | $400 | $50 | Annual LLCs pay a $400 annual tax by June 1 and file NO annual report. Corporations file a $50 annual report by March 1 plus franchise tax from $175 (authorized shares) or $400 (assumed par value), capped at $200,000. |
| District of Columbia | $300 | $300 | Biennial |
| Florida | $138.75 | $150 | Annual |
| Georgia | $60 | $60 | Annual. Rose from $50 on September 6, 2025; every Georgia fee is now base plus a $10 service charge, identical online and on paper. |
| Hawaii | $15 | $15 | Annual |
| Idaho | $0 | $0 | Annual |
| Illinois | $75 | $75 | Annual |
| Indiana | $32 | $32 | Biennial |
| Iowa | $30 online / $45 paper | $60 | Biennial. LLCs file in odd-numbered years, for-profit corporations in even-numbered years |
| Kansas | $90 | $90 | Biennial K.S.A. 17-76,139 and 17-7503: $90 online, $110 on paper. Biennial, due not later than April 15, forfeiture 90 days later. |
| Kentucky | $15 | $15 | Annual |
| Louisiana | $30 | $30 | Annual |
| Maine | $85 | $85 | Annual |
| Maryland | $300 | $300 | Annual |
| Massachusetts | $520 | $125 | Annual LLC annual report $500 ($520 online). Corporation annual report $125 ($109 online). |
| Michigan | $25 | $25 | Annual |
| Minnesota | $0 | $0 | Annual Annual renewal is free for an active entity, but it is mandatory and due December 31. Reinstatement after administrative dissolution is $65 by mail or $85 online. |
| Mississippi | $0 | $25 | Annual LLC annual report is free. Corporation annual report $25. |
| Missouri | $0 | $20 | Annual, corporations only. $20 online or $45 on paper. Missouri LLCs file no registration report at all. |
| Montana | $20 | $20 | Annual |
| Nebraska | $25 | $26 min. | Biennial. LLCs file in odd years by April 1 at $25 electronically or $30 in writing. Corporations file in even years by March 1 and pay an occupation tax on paid-up capital stock, minimum $26, maximum $23,990. |
| Nevada | $350 | $650 | Annual Annual List plus State Business License. Corporation $650 ($150 list + $500 license). LLC $350 ($150 list + $200 license). Figure shown is the corporation rate per the highest-figure rule. |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $100 | Annual |
| New Jersey | $75 | $75 | Annual |
| New Mexico | $0 (no report) | $25 | Biennial. Only corporations file; LLCs file no report at all |
| New York | $9 | $9 | Biennial |
| North Carolina | $200 | $200 | Annual |
| North Dakota | $50 | $50 | Annual |
| Ohio | $0 | $0 | 5-year (corp only) |
| Oklahoma | $25 | $25 | Annual |
| Oregon | $100 | $100 | Annual Domestic rate. FOREIGN renewal is $275. |
| Pennsylvania | $7 | $7 | Annual |
| Rhode Island | $50 | $50 | Annual |
| South Carolina | $0 | $0 | Corp annual only |
| South Dakota | $55 | $55 | Annual |
| Tennessee | $300 | $20 | Annual LLC annual report is $50 per member, minimum $300, maximum $3,000. Corporation annual report $20. |
| Texas | $0 | $0 | Annual |
| Utah | $18 | $18 | Annual. $18 for corporations, nonprofits, LLCs, LLPs, LPs, LLLPs and DAOs on the FY2026 schedule effective July 1, 2025. |
| Vermont | $35 | $45 | Annual Domestic rates. FOREIGN entities pay more: foreign LLC $140, foreign corporation $200. |
| Virginia | $50 | $50 | Annual |
| Washington | $70 | $70 | Annual |
| West Virginia | $25 | $25 | Annual |
| Wisconsin | $25 online / $40 paper | $25 online / $40 paper | Annual Domestic rates, identical for both entity types; the $15 gap is the paper surcharge. FOREIGN entities pay $65 online / $80 paper. |
| Wyoming | $60 | $60 | Annual |
Read the note column before quoting a number. Nevada is $650 for a corporation and $350 for an LLC, because the state business license differs by form. Kansas is $90 and biennial, not annual. Minnesota is $0 and still mandatory, with the renewal due December 31. Alaska is $100 biennial for a domestic entity and $200 for a foreign one. The $50 figure quoted all over the internet is the separate Alaska business license.
Alaska also has no Secretary of State. Filings go to the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. Verify against your state's agency at filing time, and see the interactive comparison for formation fees alongside.
The Five Systems Worth Understanding
California: the $800 minimum plus a fee schedule. Every LLC owes $800 from its first tax year. Dissolution is the only exit. Gross receipts above $250,000 stack an additional fee from $900 to $11,790. A biennial $20 Statement of Information rides alongside. Full treatment: the California guide.
Delaware: flat $400, no report. LLCs pay a flat annual tax by June 1 with no annual report at all. Corporations instead file the March 1 franchise report with a calculated tax. It is simple and predictable. It is also the largest single reason a dormant Delaware LLC costs $400 a year to forget about.
Texas: a tax report most owe nothing on. There is no annual report fee, but every entity files a franchise tax report by May 15. The no-tax-due threshold is $2,650,000 of annualized total revenue for the 2026 report year. Below it, the tax is zero and the only filing is an information report. Above it, you owe 0.375% to 0.75% of taxable margin. Skipping the $0 filing still forfeits the entity. Details: the Texas guide.
New York: a fee scaled to income, plus publication. LLCs pay an annual filing fee from $25 to $4,500 based on New York-source gross income. They also pay the $9 biennial statement. And once, after formation, they face the notorious newspaper publication requirement.
Tennessee and the net-worth states. Tennessee levies two charges on LLCs. There is a franchise tax (0.25% of net worth, $100 minimum) and an excise tax (6.5% of net earnings). It is one of several states where "franchise tax" is a genuine calculated tax rather than a flat fee. Similar calculated systems appear in Arkansas, Mississippi, and others. Profitable multi-state operations should map them with a CPA.
File your annual report
We prepare it, file it with the agency, and confirm it came back accepted. Or keep reading and file it yourself; this guide covers both.
The Penalty Ladder and What Each Rung Costs
Every state escalates in the same order. But the money at each rung is wildly different, and that is the part owners get wrong. Here are four real ladders, in ascending order of pain.
| State | First consequence | Then | Cash cost of a first miss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $200 penalty plus 1.5% a month | Charter void after one year of non-payment | $600 on a $400 LLC tax, before interest |
| Florida | $400 late fee after May 1 | Administrative dissolution the fourth Friday of September | $539 on a $139 report |
| California | 5% plus 0.5% a month, capped at 25% | Suspension of the right to do business | $892 on an $800 tax six months late |
| Texas | $50 for the late report | Forfeiture of the right to transact business | $50, and the loss of court access |
Notice that Texas has the smallest number and one of the worst outcomes. A forfeited Texas entity cannot sue or defend in Texas courts. Its officers can also carry personal liability for debts incurred while forfeited.
Florida has the largest flat late fee in the country at $400, nearly three times the report fee itself. Delaware is the only one of the four where the charge keeps growing every month indefinitely. The full mechanics of each are in the Delaware guide, the California guide, the Texas guide and the New York guide.
The rung nobody budgets for is the last one. Reinstatement is always possible, and it always costs more than compliance. You pay every missed year of fees, every penalty, interest, and a reinstatement application on top. A three-year lapse in a $300 state is a four-figure recovery. The route back is in the reinstatement guide and how to reinstate an administratively dissolved LLC.
Five Mistakes That Turn a Small Fee Into a Large One
Each of these comes from reading one number where the state actually publishes two. All five are visible in the table above if you read the note column.
Mistake 01
Why it happens: Thirteen states charge LLCs and corporations different amounts, and comparison sites publish one number.
Consequence: Nevada is $650 for a corporation and $350 for an LLC. Tennessee is $300 minimum for an LLC and $20 for a corporation. Connecticut is $80 and $435. Budget from the wrong column and you are out by hundreds.
Prevention: Read the LLC and Corporation columns separately, and check the note. Converting entity type changes the bill in both directions.
Mistake 02
Why it happens: Nine states charge nothing, which reads like an exemption rather than a free filing.
Consequence: Minnesota charges $0 and still administratively dissolves entities that skip the December 31 renewal. Reinstatement is $65 by mail or $85 online. Texas charges $0 and forfeits the right to transact business.
Prevention: Treat $0 states as filings with a fee of zero, not as states with no filing. The deadline is the obligation.
Mistake 03
Why it happens: State fee schedules lead with the domestic number and bury the foreign one.
Consequence: Alaska is $100 domestic and $200 foreign. Oregon is $100 domestic and $275 foreign. Vermont is $35 for a domestic LLC and $140 for a foreign one. Wisconsin is $25 domestic and $65 foreign.
Prevention: If the entity was formed elsewhere and registered in, use the foreign rate. See foreign qualification.
Mistake 04
Why it happens: Nine jurisdictions run on a two-year cycle and an annual calendar entry quietly skips one.
Consequence: Alaska, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York and the District of Columbia are biennial. California is biennial for the LLC statement, while the $800 tax stays annual. A missed cycle is invisible until a certificate is refused.
Prevention: Set the reminder two years out the day you file, and check deadlines by state for the cycle.
Mistake 05
Why it happens: Formation feels like the decision, so owners budget one state's fee and stop.
Consequence: Registering as a foreign entity generally brings that state's report and franchise obligations with it. Three states of operation is three sets of fees, three deadlines and three agencies.
Prevention: Count the states you are registered in, not the state you formed in. The trade-off is worked through in best state to form an LLC.
Three Entities, Three Annual Bills
The table gives a number per state. What an owner actually pays depends on entity type, member count and how many states the business touches.
Example 1 - the conversion that doubled the state bill
Windrow Grain Handling LLC ran for four years in Nevada paying $350 a year. That is a $150 Annual List plus a $200 State Business License. Taking on outside investment meant converting to a corporation. The Annual List stayed at $150 but the corporate business license is $500, so the recurring state charge became $650. Nobody modeled it, because every comparison page publishes Nevada as one number.
Outcome: Entity conversion changes recurring state cost in thirteen states. Check both columns before the conversion, not after the first invoice.
Example 2 - the per-member fee nobody expects
Pallister Dental Arts PLLC added partners as it grew, reaching eight members. Tennessee charges an LLC annual report at $50 per member, with a $300 minimum and a $3,000 maximum. So the report went from the $300 floor to $400. A Tennessee corporation with the same eight shareholders would file a $20 report. On top of the report, Tennessee runs a genuine calculated franchise tax on net worth alongside its excise tax on net earnings.
Outcome: Tennessee is the clearest case of a state where entity form and headcount both move the number. Recheck it in any year the member count changes.
Example 3 - one business, three states, three meters
Estuary Line Logistics LLC was formed in Delaware for the case law. It warehouses in Texas and sells into California. That is three registrations and three separate recurring obligations. Delaware wants a $400 alternative entity tax due June 1 with no report. Texas wants an information report due May 15 with no fee. California wants its $800 franchise tax plus a $20 Statement of Information, which the fee record carries as $820. Three agencies, three calendars, none of which knows about the others.
Outcome: Forming in a cheap state does not make the other states cheaper. It adds one. Put every registration on one monitoring list rather than three calendars.
Deadline Discipline: the Only Hard Part
Franchise obligations fail in a characteristic way. They fail quietly, a year or more after formation, on a date nothing in daily operations surfaces. The escalation is uniform. Late penalties and interest come first. Then you lose good standing, which blocks loans, certificates, and many contracts.
Next comes suspension or administrative dissolution. That ends the liability shield and hands your name to whoever wants it. Reinstatement is always possible and always costs more: back filings, accumulated penalties, and a reinstatement application. The deadline calendar by state lives in annual report deadlines. The recovery process is in reinstatement.
Existence has a price; know yours and calendar it
Every entity you own carries a recurring state obligation somewhere between $0 and $800+. You owe it in profit and loss years alike. Look yours up in the table and put the deadline somewhere that survives a busy year. Then franchise tax stays a line item instead of a crisis.
Frequently asked questions
What is franchise tax?
A state-level tax on the privilege of existing or doing business as a registered entity. It has nothing to do with franchising. Some states charge flat amounts (Delaware LLCs: $400). Some charge minimums regardless of profit (California: $800). And some calculate on margin or net worth (Texas, Tennessee). It is owed on top of, and separately from, income tax. Concept guide: franchise tax requirements.
Which states have no franchise tax and no annual report fee for LLCs?
A handful keep LLC upkeep at or near zero. New Mexico, Arizona, Missouri, and Ohio charge no annual report fee and no LLC franchise tax. Texas charges no report fee but requires the annual franchise filing. Idaho and Minnesota require reports at $0. Formation fees and other taxes still apply. See the full table above.
Do I owe California franchise tax if my LLC made nothing?
Yes. California's $800 is a minimum tax on existence. You owe it from the first tax year until the LLC formally dissolves, profitable or not. Above $250,000 of gross receipts an additional fee stacks on top. The only exit is formal dissolution with final returns. Details: the California LLC guide.
Is franchise tax the same as an annual report fee?
Functionally they overlap. Both are recurring state charges for keeping an entity registered. States label them differently. Delaware calls its LLC charge an annual tax with no report. Most states attach a fee to an annual report. And a few, such as California and Texas, run genuine tax calculations. What matters is the same: a recurring obligation with a deadline. See deadlines by state.
What happens if I do not pay franchise tax?
The state stacks penalties and interest. Then it revokes good standing, which blocks financing and certificates. Then it suspends or administratively dissolves the entity, ending its liability protection. Reinstatement requires all back taxes, penalties, and filings. California and Texas also void the entity's ability to enforce contracts while delinquent.
Do franchise taxes apply to out-of-state LLCs?
Yes. Registering as a foreign LLC in a state generally subjects you to that state's franchise tax and report obligations too. This doubling is exactly why forming out of state usually costs more, not less. See best state to form an LLC.
File your annual report
We prepare it, file it with the agency, and confirm it came back accepted. Or keep reading and file it yourself; this guide covers both.
This guide is written from the official sources below. Fees, forms, and deadlines change. Confirm the current requirement with the agency before you file.
Disclosure. File.Business is a private filing service, not a government agency and not a law firm. We prepare and submit filings at your direction. Nothing on this page is legal or tax advice. Filing fees, deadlines, and statutory references are current as of the last-updated date shown above and can change. Confirm current requirements with the relevant state agency before you file.
