A California LLC costs $70 to file with the Secretary of State, owes an $800 annual minimum franchise tax every year, and files a $20 Statement of Information every two years. California is not an anonymous LLC state: the Articles of Organization and Statement of Information disclose members or managers on the public record. Founders who want ownership privacy form a Wyoming or New Mexico anonymous LLC and foreign-qualify into California when local operations require it. Anonymousllc.co forms a California LLC for $297 plus the $70 state fee ($367 total), or fulfills the Anonymous LLC package at $397 all-in through Wyoming.
A California LLC costs $70 to file with the Secretary of State, then $800 every year in minimum franchise tax plus a $20 Statement of Information every two years. Anonymousllc.co forms a California LLC for $367 total: a $297 service fee plus the $70 state filing fee, covering the filing, registered agent for year one, operating agreement, EIN, and four to five US bank applications. California adds a graduated gross-receipts LLC fee on top of the $800 once California-sourced income passes $250,000: $900 at $250,000, $2,500 at $500,000, $6,000 at $1,000,000, and $11,790 at $5,000,000 and above. That layered cost is why founders who do not need a California address form in Wyoming ($397 all-in) or New Mexico ($347 all-in, no annual report) instead.
No. California is not an anonymous LLC state, and the Articles of Organization and the Statement of Information both disclose members or managers on the public record searchable through the Secretary of State. Only four US states keep members and managers off the public formation record: Wyoming, New Mexico, Delaware, and Nevada. A founder who wants ownership privacy forms a Wyoming or New Mexico anonymous LLC and foreign-qualifies that entity into California when physical operations, payroll, or a storefront require registration. The anonymous parent LLC holds the ownership; the California registration lists the parent company and a registered agent rather than the individual. Anonymousllc.co fulfills the Anonymous LLC package at $397 all-in through Wyoming and handles the California foreign qualification separately.
Forming a California LLC takes six steps: a name search, Articles of Organization ($70 state fee), a registered agent appointment, an operating agreement, an EIN, and a US bank account. Anonymousllc.co runs all six in parallel and completes the process in 5-10 business days end to end. The Secretary of State accepts the Articles within 1-3 business days. The EIN follows in 5-7 days for non-resident founders filing IRS Form SS-4 by fax, or the same day for US residents applying online. Bank applications go to four or five partner banks at once (Mercury, Relay, Bluevine, and others), and approval averages 8-10 days after the EIN, with an overall approval rate near 90%.
Every California LLC owes an $800 minimum franchise tax each year, paid to the Franchise Tax Board regardless of income or activity. It applies even in years the LLC earns nothing. The $800 is a flat annual floor. On top of it, California charges a graduated LLC fee once total California-sourced income reaches $250,000: $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 franchise tax is the single largest recurring cost of a California LLC and the main reason low-revenue founders form in New Mexico, which charges no annual report and no annual state fee.
California LLCs file a Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) within 90 days of formation and then every two years, for a $20 fee paid to the Secretary of State. The Statement of Information lists the LLC name, principal address, registered agent, and at least one manager or member. Missing the biennial deadline triggers a $250 penalty and moves the LLC toward suspension. Anonymousllc.co tracks the filing date and submits the Statement of Information as part of registered agent service, so the entity stays in good standing without the owner watching the calendar.
By default the IRS taxes a single-member California LLC as a disregarded entity and a multi-member LLC as a partnership, so profits pass through to the owners' personal returns. California layers the $800 franchise tax and personal income tax of up to 13.3% on top of federal pass-through treatment. An LLC can elect S-corporation status with IRS Form 2553 to cut self-employment tax once net income passes about $40,000-$60,000, though that adds payroll compliance. Non-resident owners of a foreign-owned single-member LLC file Form 5472 with a pro-forma Form 1120 each year. Full detail lives on the California LLC tax page.
Yes. Every California LLC must name a registered agent with a physical California street address, available during business hours to receive service of process and state mail. The registered agent's address appears on the public record instead of the owner's home or office. Anonymousllc.co provides California registered agent service at $100/year, included free in year one of any formation package. The agent scans and forwards state notices and legal service the same day it arrives and sends Statement of Information reminders ahead of each biennial deadline. See /california-registered-agent/.
No. California does not authorize statutory series LLCs, so a founder who needs a series structure forms in a state that allows it, such as Delaware, and registers into California. California does recognize a series LLC formed in another state, but each protected series that does business in California is treated as a separate LLC for the $800 franchise tax. A founder weighing a series structure against separate LLCs should price the California franchise tax exposure before deciding. Anonymousllc.co forms a standard single-member or multi-member California LLC for $367 all-in.
Form directly in California when the business has a California office, employees, or storefront and ownership privacy is not the priority. Foreign-qualify a Wyoming LLC when anonymity matters more than a single filing. A California-only business pays the $800 franchise tax either way once it operates in the state, so forming a Wyoming LLC does not avoid the franchise tax on California activity. The Wyoming route earns its keep on privacy: the Wyoming parent keeps members off every public record, and the California foreign registration lists the company and a registered agent rather than the individual owner. Anonymousllc.co maps the two paths on a WhatsApp call and files whichever fits.
Yes. Non-US residents form California LLCs without an SSN, ITIN, or visa, and never need to visit the United States. California places no citizenship or residency condition on LLC ownership. Anonymousllc.co files the Articles, obtains the EIN by fax as third-party designee in 5-7 days, supplies the California registered agent address, and submits US bank applications remotely. Non-resident owners handle the whole process from abroad over WhatsApp. A foreign-owned single-member California LLC files Form 5472 with a pro-forma 1120 each year, and an ITIN ($299) is available when personal US tax filing requires one.
A California LLC stays in good standing by paying the $800 franchise tax each year, filing the $20 Statement of Information every two years, and maintaining a California registered agent. Missing the franchise tax leads to Franchise Tax Board suspension, which strips the LLC of the right to sue, defend a lawsuit, or use its name in California. Missing the Statement of Information adds a $250 penalty and pushes the entity toward administrative dissolution, which reinstatement then requires back filings and fees to undo. Anonymousllc.co tracks the franchise tax due date, the biennial Statement of Information, and the registered agent renewal as part of ongoing service.
5-minute WhatsApp intake. 5-10 day turnaround.