Delaware LLC Fees (2026).
Delaware LLC fees: $90 state filing fee, $100 per year for the registered agent, $300 per year Delaware franchise tax. delewarellc.com bundles the state fee, EIN filing, agent, and operating agreement into one $397 fee. This guide breaks out every cost and audits what competitors omit from their pricing pages.
How much are Delaware LLC fees in total?
Delaware LLC fees total $397 in Year 1 through delewarellc.com — that includes the $90 state filing fee, $100 Year 1 registered agent, EIN filing, and operating agreement. Year 2 onward costs $400 per year: $100 registered agent plus the $300 Delaware franchise tax paid to the state. The 3-year total is $1,197 for a Delaware LLC formed and maintained through delewarellc.com.
What does the Delaware Division of Corporations charge?
Every fee paid directly to the State of Delaware. delewarellc.com forwards the $90 state filing fee from the $397 charge and you pay the $300 annual franchise tax to the state directly each year.
| Fee | Cost | Paid to | Frequency | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Formation filing | $90 | Delaware Division of Corporations | One-time, at formation | corp.delaware.gov · LLC fees |
| Expedited 24-hour processing (optional) | $50 | Delaware Division of Corporations | Optional add-on | corp.delaware.gov |
| Same-day processing (optional) | $100 | Delaware Division of Corporations | Optional add-on | corp.delaware.gov |
| Annual franchise tax | $300 | Delaware Division of Corporations | Due June 1 every year | corp.delaware.gov · pay taxes |
| Late franchise tax penalty | $200 + 1.5% monthly | Delaware Division of Corporations | If unpaid past June 1 | corp.delaware.gov · penalties |
How do Delaware LLC fees compare across formation services?
Every service files the same Delaware LLC. The difference is what each one charges to maintain it. All totals include the unavoidable $300/yr Delaware franchise tax that most competitors hide.
| Service | Year 1 | Year 2+ | 3-year total | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| delewarellc.comYou | $397 | $400/yr | $1,197 | One-time + $100 agent + $300 tax |
| Stripe Atlas | $500 | $400/yr | $1,300 | One-time + $100 agent + $300 tax |
| Firstbase | $399 | $599/yr | $1,597 | One-time + $299 agent + $300 tax |
| Doola Starter | $597 | $597/yr | $1,791 | $297/yr subscription + $300 tax |
| StartGlobal Pro | $2,699 | $2,100/yr | $6,899 | $599 one-time + $150/mo + $300 tax |
Competitor pricing verified from public pricing pages in May 2026. All 3-year totals include the $300/yr Delaware franchise tax.
What fees do competitors hide in their Delaware LLC pricing?
Four fees that show up after checkout but rarely appear on competitors' pricing pages. Each is unavoidable. delewarellc.com discloses every one on the homepage.
Often omitted
$300 Delaware franchise tax
Hidden by: Doola Starter, Firstbase, StartGlobal headline pricing
Real cost: $300 every June 1, $900 over 3 years
Often omitted
Registered agent renewal
Hidden by: Firstbase ($299/yr after Year 1)
Real cost: $100 to $299 per year depending on provider
Often omitted
EIN filing add-on
Hidden by: Some incfile / older formation services
Real cost: $70 to $150 if not bundled — delewarellc.com bundles it
Often omitted
Year-1 franchise tax filing
Hidden by: Most Starter-tier plans
Real cost: delewarellc.com Compliant ($747) handles it; Starter sends a reminder
How do Delaware LLC fees compare to other US states?
Six popular formation states compared on filing fee, annual fee, and 5-year total state cost. Delaware sits mid-priced: cheap to form, expensive to maintain. California is the trap — $800 minimum annual tax regardless of revenue.
| State | Filing fee | Annual fee | 5-year state total | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DelawareYou | $90 | $300 franchise tax | $1,290 | VC fundraising, enterprise buyers |
| Wyoming | $100 | $60 annual report | $340 | Solo SaaS, agency, ecommerce |
| New Mexico | $50 | $0 | $50 | Maximum privacy, no annual report |
| Texas | $300 | $0 (under $2.47M revenue) | $300 | Founders living in Texas |
| Florida | $125 | $138.75 annual report | $680 | Founders living in Florida |
| California | $70 | $800 minimum franchise tax | $3,270 | Founders required to register by physical presence |
State fee data verified from each state's Secretary of State or Division of Corporations website in May 2026. 5-year totals exclude registered agent fees.
Why Delaware costs more per year than Wyoming or New Mexico
Delaware's $300 franchise tax funds the Delaware Court of Chancery and the Division of Corporations infrastructure. Wyoming and New Mexico do not run dedicated business courts, so their annual fees stay at $60 and $0 respectively. The $240 to $300 annual premium buys access to the most predictable corporate dispute resolution system in the US.
Why California is a tax trap for non-resident LLCs
California assesses an $800 minimum annual franchise tax on every LLC registered in the state, regardless of revenue. Forming in California while living abroad is rare, but founders who relocate to California and operate from there must register their Delaware LLC as a foreign LLC in California and pay the $800 minimum, on top of the $300 Delaware franchise tax.
What can change your Delaware LLC fees over time?
Four scenarios that move the standard $397 / $400-per-year structure. Each is rare for non-resident founders running typical SaaS, ecommerce, or consulting businesses, but worth tracking.
Adding US employees or a physical Delaware office
Hiring W-2 employees in any US state triggers state payroll tax registration in that state, plus federal payroll obligations. A physical Delaware office triggers Delaware corporate income tax on Delaware-source revenue at 8.7%. Both are uncommon for non-resident-operated LLCs but reshape the fee structure entirely.
Converting from LLC to C-Corp before a priced round
Conversion to a Delaware C-Corp costs $214 for the Certificate of Conversion plus $90 for the Certificate of Incorporation. Annual fees jump from $300 to a minimum $400 franchise tax (or higher based on authorized shares), plus a $50 annual report fee unique to corporations.
Adding registered agents in additional states
An LLC operating physically in another state files as a "foreign LLC" in that state and pays a separate registered agent fee plus state-specific annual fees. Foreign-LLC registration is unnecessary for online businesses operated by non-residents — there is no physical presence to register.
Late franchise tax penalties
Missing the June 1 deadline triggers a $200 penalty plus 1.5% monthly interest on the unpaid $300. After 3 years of non-payment, Delaware administratively cancels the LLC and the original member remains personally liable for the accumulated penalties — $1,776 on a 3-year non-payment example. Restoring an administratively cancelled LLC costs an additional $200 reinstatement fee plus full settlement of every back tax year.
Delaware LLC fees — frequently asked questions
Every answer matches the FAQPage schema on this page exactly. Sourced from real WhatsApp conversations with founders comparing formation services.
What are the Delaware LLC formation fees?
What is the Delaware state filing fee for an LLC?
Does Delaware charge an annual fee for LLCs?
How does the Delaware LLC fee compare to other states?
Are there hidden fees in Delaware LLC formation?
Can you reduce Delaware LLC fees?
Read next
Delaware LLC Formation
The full 12-section formation guide — cost, timeline, requirements, compliance.
Benefits of a Delaware LLC
5 measurable benefits, 3 honest disadvantages. When Delaware is worth the $240 premium.
How to Dissolve a Delaware LLC
The exit process: $200 Certificate of Cancellation, back-tax requirements, final IRS return.
Form your Delaware LLC this week.
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$397
Formation, one-time
24 hr
Documents filed
10
Business days to EIN
40+
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