LLC vs C-Corp cost calculator

How to use it

Pick the state you will register in and the entity you are considering. The calculator adds the one-time filing fee to the recurring costs that state charges an LLC or a corporation, such as annual reports and franchise tax, and shows the total over three years.

Compare the LLC and the corporation side by side for the same state, then compare your home state with any state you are tempted by. An LLC that operates in one state but is formed in another usually has to register in both, and the calculator lets you see that doubled cost.

What the result means

State fees are only part of the picture. The bigger differences between an LLC and a corporation are how profit is taxed and what investors expect: venture-backed companies almost always end up as Delaware corporations, while most owner-run businesses are better off as an LLC in the state where they work. The LLC vs C-Corp guide covers that side.

What it leaves out

Registered agent services, newspaper publication in the few states that require it, city and county licences, and federal tax. The state filing fees behind the calculator are the same reviewed figures used on the LLC filing fees by state pages, which also list the annual costs and quirks for the most-searched states.