Delaware LLC formation for non-residents

A Delaware LLC, with every yearly cost shown

Delaware is the state US investors and partners know best. It's also where quotes go stale: the yearly tax rose to $400, and some sellers still print $300. Here's the real bill, run from anywhere.

No US visit, address or SSN needed.
  • $269 in year one, all in
  • $539 a year after, tax included
  • Nothing charged until you sign
$110Delaware filing fee, passed through at cost
$400Delaware's flat yearly LLC tax, due every 1 June
0%Delaware income tax with no business in Delaware
PrivateThe certificate names your agent, never your owners
01Delaware or Wyoming?

Is a Delaware LLC worth it for you?

Delaware costs more to keep than Wyoming. It's worth it when someone on the other side of the table expects Delaware. Three questions, and we'll say which one we'd pick in your place.

02What's public

What the Delaware record shows about your LLC

Delaware's certificate asks for two things: the company name and the registered agent. Your name isn't one of them.

Free search, anyone

Name, file number, date

  • Your LLC's name and file number
  • The date it was formed
  • Your registered agent
For a state fee

Status and tax history

  • Good standing status, $10
  • Status plus tax and filing history, $20
Never on the record

Who owns it

  • Members and managers aren't on the certificate
  • Your agent, your bank and the IRS still know
03How fast

How long Delaware LLC formation takes, and what speed costs

Standard filing waits in Delaware's queue. If a deadline can't wait, Delaware sells speed. Tap a speed to see what it adds.

Your year one $269 = $110 Delaware + $0 rush + $159 Heirson

Most founders pick standard. Pay for speed only when a deadline needs it.

04The $400 year

Delaware LLC annual tax: $400, every 1 June

Delaware doesn't tax your LLC's income if you do no business there. It charges a flat yearly tax instead, and it just went up.

Here's the catch most quotes miss.

$300
$400
Paid 1 June 2026From 1 June 2027

  • 1The tax is due 1 June for the year before. There's no yearly report for an LLC.
  • 2Late, Delaware adds $200 plus 1.5% a month on tax and penalty.
  • 3Unpaid for three years, the LLC is cancelled. We pay it on time as part of your renewal.
05The form nobody mentions

Form 5472: the $25,000 form for foreign-owned LLCs

If you own your Delaware LLC alone from outside the US, the IRS expects Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 every year, by fax or post, usually by 15 April. Even with no US income.

$25,000The IRS penalty for missing it or filing it incomplete.
Published add-on prices we found elsewhere$899 to $1,999 a year
Heirson, prepared and filed for you$179 a year
Doing nothingUp to $25,000
06The whole bill

How much a Delaware LLC costs, this year and every year

The state's share on its own line, at cost. No renewal surprise, because it's right here.

Year one

Delaware filing feeCertificate of Formation, at cost$110
HeirsonFiling, registered agent, EIN without an SSN, operating agreement, bank account set up with you$159
You pay$269

Every year after

Delaware annual taxDue 1 June, at cost$400
HeirsonRegistered agent, paying the tax on time, reminders$139
You pay$539

Optional: Form 5472 preparation and filing, $179 a year. Delaware rush filing at the state's own price.

Add a nominee to your Delaware LLC if you want one, never to hide an owner from banks or authorities. How nominees work.

Nominee managerUS$480 a yearNamed on state filings instead of you; the IRS still knows the responsible party
07Your first year

Your first year, date by date

Pick the month you start. Every date below moves with it.

    Questions

    Delaware LLC questions, answered

    Looking up an existing company? See our Delaware company search guide. Not sure Delaware is right? Our US LLC guide sets it beside four cheaper states with a ten-year cost calculator. Or read Wyoming vs Delaware LLC, or email info@heirson.com; a person reads every message.

    How much does it cost to form a Delaware LLC?
    With Heirson, $269 in year one: Delaware's $110 filing fee plus our $159, which covers the registered agent, your EIN without an SSN, the operating agreement and setting up your bank account with you. From year two, $539 a year: Delaware's $400 tax plus our $139.
    Is the Delaware LLC tax $300 or $400?
    $400, from tax year 2026. The payment due on 1 June 2027 is the first at the new rate; 1 June 2026 was still $300. Some providers haven't updated their pages yet. When your first payment falls, and what late costs, is in our Delaware franchise tax guide.
    Can a non-US resident form a Delaware LLC?
    Yes. You don't need to live in the US, visit, or have an SSN. Delaware only needs a registered agent in the state, which is included.
    Delaware or Wyoming: which LLC is better for non-residents?
    Wyoming is cheaper to keep: $130.44 a year with us against $539 for Delaware. Delaware is worth the difference when US investors, partners or clients expect it. If they expect shares and stock options, read Delaware C corp vs LLC before you form. See our Wyoming LLC formation page to compare.
    Does a Delaware LLC pay state income tax?
    Not if it does no business in Delaware. It pays the flat $400 yearly tax instead. Your home country may still tax what you take out. When Delaware income or gross receipts tax can apply, and what the IRS expects, see our Delaware LLC tax guide.
    How long does it take to form a Delaware LLC?
    Without a rush fee, it depends on the state's queue. Delaware's own rush options run from within 24 hours for $50 to within 1 hour for $1,000.
    Is a Delaware LLC anonymous?
    Your name isn't on the public certificate, which shows only the company name and registered agent. Private isn't hidden, though: the agent, the bank and the IRS all hold your details.
    Do I have to file a beneficial ownership report?
    No. Companies formed in the US no longer file the FinCEN ownership report, since the final rule of 14 August 2026.
    Can I open a US bank account for my Delaware LLC?
    Yes. With your EIN in hand, we prepare what the bank asks for and set the account up with you, usually online. The bank has the final say, and the account almost always goes through.
    Can I pay in crypto?
    Yes, only in crypto: BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, SOL, BNB, XRP, TRX or XMR. Delaware's own fees are included in what you pay us.
    Ready when you are

    The state investors expect, at the price it really costs.

    $269 in year one, $539 a year after with the $400 tax included, paid in crypto, and only after you sign.

    Delaware LLC$269 all in, year oneStart