A California LLC costs $70 to file, then $800 every year in minimum franchise tax plus a $20 Statement of Information every two years. Registered agent renewal is $100/year. Anonymousllc.co forms a California LLC for $367 in year one ($297 service fee plus the $70 state fee), covering filing, registered agent year one, operating agreement, EIN, and 4-5 bank applications. Founders who want to skip the $800 franchise tax and gain anonymity form in Wyoming ($397) or New Mexico ($347, no annual report).
A California LLC costs $367 all-in through Anonymousllc.co in year one: a $297 service fee plus the $70 state filing fee. That price covers filing, registered agent for year one, operating agreement, EIN, and four to five US bank applications. Year two onward, the recurring cost is the $800 minimum franchise tax, a $20 Statement of Information every two years, and $100/year for registered agent renewal. Add-on services are priced separately: EIN $99, ITIN $299, and BOI $150 per report where applicable. The $800 franchise tax makes California one of the most expensive states to maintain an LLC. That recurring floor, not the formation fee, is what separates California's total cost from a flat state. In year two the $800 lands regardless of whether the LLC has traded, which is the surprise most first-time California owners report.
The California Secretary of State charges a $70 filing fee for the Articles of Organization, paid once at formation. This is the only mandatory state fee at filing time. A separate 60-day name reservation is available for a $10 state fee, but standard formation does not require it. Anonymousllc.co folds the $70 filing fee into the $367 all-in price, so the founder pays a single figure rather than piecing together state and service charges.
A California LLC costs $800 every year in minimum franchise tax, a $20 Statement of Information every two years, and $100/year for registered agent service if you use a commercial agent. The $800 franchise tax is due even in years with zero revenue, which sets California apart from flat states. California also charges a graduated LLC fee once California-sourced income passes $250,000. Anonymousllc.co tracks the franchise tax due date and the biennial Statement of Information and files the Statement of Information as part of registered agent service. Budgeting the $800 franchise tax from the first year prevents the common surprise of a tax bill that arrives months before the LLC earns revenue. The $20 Statement of Information every two years is minor next to that annual charge.
Every California LLC owes an $800 minimum franchise tax each year to the Franchise Tax Board, regardless of income. On top of that floor, a graduated LLC fee applies once California-sourced income reaches $250,000. The graduated fee runs $900 from $250,000 to $499,999, $2,500 from $500,000 to $999,999, $6,000 from $1,000,000 to $4,999,999, and $11,790 at $5,000,000 and above. The first $800 payment is due by the 15th day of the fourth month after formation. This layered cost is the single largest reason low-revenue founders form in New Mexico instead. New Mexico charges no annual report and no annual state fee, so a founder with no California nexus saves the full $800 every year. The graduated LLC fee then stacks on top once California-sourced income passes $250,000, which raises the ceiling for high-revenue businesses.
The cheapest hard-cost route is filing the $70 Articles yourself and handling the name check, operating agreement, EIN, and bank applications alone. Most owners spend more in time and missed steps than the $297 service fee would have cost. Anonymousllc.co charges $297 plus the state fee and completes the entire process in 5-10 business days, including the EIN and four to five bank applications. The DIY path also leaves the founder to obtain a non-resident EIN by fax without a designee, which extends the timeline. Neither route avoids the $800 franchise tax on California activity. The time cost of a DIY non-resident EIN, filed by fax without a designee, is the step most owners underestimate. Anonymousllc.co as third-party designee removes that bottleneck and returns the EIN in 5-7 days.
The $367 all-in California package includes the state filing, registered agent for year one, a California-specific operating agreement, the EIN, and four to five US bank applications through Mercury, Relay, Bluevine, and others. There are no upsells hidden behind that number. Add-on services are priced transparently and separately: EIN standalone $99, ITIN $299, BOI $150 per report, and registered agent renewal $100/year from year two. The package is designed so a founder pays one figure at formation and knows the recurring costs in advance. Every line item is quoted before payment, and there is no charge for the operating agreement that banks require to open the account. The founder compares the California total against Wyoming and New Mexico with full numbers before deciding.
No. California is one of the most expensive states to maintain because of the $800 annual franchise tax. New Mexico is the cheapest at $347 all-in with no annual report, and Wyoming is $397 all-in with strong anonymity. Delaware is $407 all-in with a $300 flat annual franchise tax, and Nevada is $722 all-in with an annual list and state business license near $350/year. California costs $367 in year one but adds $800 every year after, so total multi-year cost climbs faster than any of the four anonymous states. Over three years, the $800 annual franchise tax makes California the most expensive of the states Anonymousllc.co forms in, ahead of even Nevada's annual list and business license.
Only partly. A business that operates in California owes the $800 franchise tax on California activity whether the LLC is formed in California or foreign-qualified from another state. Out-of-state formation buys privacy, not franchise-tax relief. Where a founder has no California nexus, forming in New Mexico ($347, no annual report) or Wyoming ($397) avoids the $800 entirely. Where California operations exist, a Wyoming anonymous LLC foreign-qualified into California keeps ownership off the public record while the franchise tax still applies to California income. Anonymousllc.co prices both routes on a WhatsApp call. The deciding question is whether the business has a California office, employees, or storefront that creates nexus and pulls the franchise tax in regardless of formation state.
The Anonymous LLC package is $397 all-in through Wyoming, or $347 all-in through New Mexico, both keeping members and managers off the public record. Neither carries California's $800 franchise tax unless the LLC does business in California. A founder who wants both privacy and a California presence forms the Wyoming anonymous LLC ($397) and foreign-qualifies it into California, paying the California registration and the $800 franchise tax on California activity while ownership stays private. Anonymousllc.co fulfills the anonymous route and the California foreign qualification as separate line items. The two are billed separately, so the founder sees exactly what privacy adds to the California total before committing.
5-minute WhatsApp intake. 5-10 day turnaround.