Wyoming vs Delaware LLC for Non-US Founders: Which State Wins?

• Wyoming. Filing Wyoming LLC Articles of Organization costs $100.00.[3]Wyoming Secretary of State, Business Division Filing Fee Schedule Wyoming charges an annual report license tax of $60 or two-tenths of one mill on the dollar of assets located in Wyoming, whichever is greater, due the first day of the anniversary month of formation.[1]Wyoming Secretary of State, Annual Report and License Tax Rules
• Delaware. Forming a domestic Delaware LLC costs $110.00, which is the filing fee plus the municipality fee.[4]Delaware Division of Corporations, Corporate Fee Schedule (August 2026) Every domestic and foreign Delaware LLC owes a flat $400 annual tax, due on or before June 1, and files no annual report.[2]State of Delaware, Delaware Code, 6 Del. C. § 18-1107(b)
• Florida. Forming a Florida LLC costs $125.00 in total, a $100.00 filing fee plus a $25.00 registered agent designation fee.[5]Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, LLC Fees The Florida LLC annual report fee is $138.75 when filed between January 1 and May 1; filing after May 1 adds a $400 late fee.[6]Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, File Annual Report
• New Mexico. We could not verify New Mexico's formation fee or its annual-report position from the Secretary of State's own pages. Business filings moved to the portal at enterprise.sos.nm.gov and no fee schedule was retrievable there. Confirm both in the portal before budgeting for New Mexico.

Add a registered agent fee in any state. Agents set their own prices and we publish no figure for them here. Confirm the state fees above on the state's official page for your filing year.

Wyoming and New Mexico are known for not requiring member names in public formation filings, which appeals to founders who want privacy. Delaware is famous for its corporate law and court system rather than anonymity.

If you intend to raise venture capital, investors and accelerators overwhelmingly expect a Delaware C-corp, for its well-developed case law and standardized financing documents. That's a different entity decision (LLC vs C-corp) layered on top of the state decision; see the LLC vs C-corp guide.

New Mexico has a low formation fee and no annual report, making total cost of ownership very low. The trade-off is fewer of the brand/credibility signals some founders associate with Delaware or Wyoming.

Most default everyone to Delaware because "that's where startups incorporate." For a solo non-resident not raising VC, that often just means paying Delaware's flat annual tax for prestige you don't need. Every domestic and foreign Delaware LLC owes a flat $400 annual tax, due on or before June 1, and files no annual report.[2]State of Delaware, Delaware Code, 6 Del. C. § 18-1107(b) Match the state to your actual plan: bootstrapping → Wyoming/New Mexico; raising VC → Delaware (likely C-corp).

If you're a freelancer/agency/bootstrapped SaaS founder, Wyoming (or New Mexico for lowest cost) is usually the practical pick. If you're on a venture track, plan for Delaware, and revisit the entity-type question. Note: your state choice does not change your federal filing duties (Form 5472 still applies).

Franchise tax / annual fee: recurring state cost to keep the LLC active. Registered agent, required in-state contact. C-corp, corporation type investors expect for VC. Member. An LLC owner.