Delaware LLC Formation

You probably don't need Delaware.

A Delaware anonymous LLC costs $407 all in: $297 our fee plus $110 state. Your name never hits the public filing. It ships in 5 to 10 days. Delaware then bills $300 a year in franchise tax. Pick it when investors ask for Delaware. Skip it otherwise - most founders here pay for a courtroom they never enter.

$297 service + $110 state$407 all in

Start my Delaware LLC Ask on WhatsApp

What $407 actually buys

One flat fee. Everything a Delaware LLC needs to open a bank account.

✓Certificate of Formation, filed the same day
✓The $110 Delaware fee, broken out, never buried
✓Registered agent, year one on us
✓A custom operating agreement, not a template
✓Your EIN, straight from the IRS
✓4 to 5 US business bank applications
✓BOI compliance guidance
✓WhatsApp support, from first message to funded

$407

Service fee$297

Delaware state fee$110

Total, all in$407

Start on WhatsApp

Not the cheapest sticker. The cheapest once you count the upsells everyone else bolts on at checkout.

Who Delaware is actually for

Delaware is the right answer for a narrow group of founders. For everyone else, it is a tax on a courtroom they will never enter. Here is how to tell which one you are.

✓ Choose Delaware if you

Are raising institutional venture capital
Are taking on professional investors (board seats, preferred shares, protective provisions)
Plan a future C-corp conversion or acquisition
Have a lawyer or investor who requires Delaware

✕ Skip Delaware if you

Run a typical small business or solo venture
Want the cheapest, simplest setup
Care most about single-member asset protection
Will never face sophisticated litigation

Why the Court of Chancery matters

A court of equity, not a court of law
No juries. Judges with decades of corporate-law expertise decide cases
Precedent on LLC governance, fiduciary duties, and M&A that no other US court matches
Investors and acquirers can predict how disputes resolve, with high confidence

The catch: if you never face sophisticated litigation, you pay for a feature you never use. Wyoming's courts handle routine LLC matters for about $60 to $100 a year less.

Delaware vs Wyoming, over 10 years

Cost	Delaware	Wyoming
First year, all in	$407	$397
Every year after	$400	$160
10-year total	$3,400	$1,600

10-year total counts state and registered-agent fees. The $1,800 gap is the price of Court of Chancery jurisdiction. Delaware's $300 franchise tax is flat and due every June 1, whether your LLC made $0 or $10M.

Effective year 1: $507 once you budget the $100 registered-agent renewal and the $0 to $100 franchise-tax filing on top of the $407 formation cost.

Good to know

No public member or manager listing on the Certificate of Formation
Series LLC available; Delaware originated the structure
Strong precedent on operating agreement enforceability
Fees are broken out, not bundled; there is no all-in SKU for Delaware

Filed honestly: Delaware's $300 annual franchise tax is separate from the $407 formation cost - you pay Delaware directly every June 1. The year-2 registered-agent renewal, any ITIN, and foreign-state registration are separate too. If the franchise tax is a dealbreaker, pick Wyoming ($60 annual report) or New Mexico ($0 annual). Add-ons: EIN ($99), ITIN ($299), registered agent ($100/yr). Compare on the pricing page.

The honest summary: Delaware is the most over-chosen state for LLC formation. Pick it only if you are raising institutional capital, converting to a C-corp, or your investors require it. If Delaware is right for you, here is exactly how we file it, day by day.

Detailed process timeline

Day-by-day breakdown so you know what's happening at every stage.

Day 0
WhatsApp intake + Stripe invoice
Send 3 LLC name options, legal name, mailing address, member structure, and use case. Stripe invoice for $297 + $110 state = $407 issued.
Day 1
Name availability + Certificate of Formation drafted
Check name at icis.corp.delaware.gov. Draft Certificate of Formation with Anonymousllc.co Delaware office as registered agent. File same day.
Day 2
Delaware filing accepted
Delaware Division of Corporations is fast. Most filings accept in 1 to 2 business days standard, or same-day for a $50 expedited fee. File-stamped Certificate of Formation delivered.
Day 3 to 5
EIN Form SS-4 submitted
Form SS-4 with you as responsible party. US residents: online, same-day. Non-residents: fax to IRS Cincinnati, EIN in 5 to 7 days.
Day 5 to 7
Delaware operating agreement delivered
Custom OA with Delaware statutory citations (6 Del. C. § 18-101 et seq., § 18-703 charging order, § 18-1101 contractual freedom). Drafted for VC-track or holding use case as needed.
Day 7 to 10
Bank applications submitted
Delaware LLCs are well-known to all major US business banks. Mercury, Relay, Bluevine, and partner banks; 4 to 5 applications submitted concurrently.
Day 10 to 15
First bank approval expected
Bank approvals come in 3 to 10 days post-application. Delaware LLCs have among the highest approval rates because banks recognize Delaware as a legitimate-business signal.
Year 2, June 1
Franchise tax due (you pay directly)
$300 annual franchise tax due June 1 of year following formation. Filed via corp.delaware.gov. We send a reminder 30, 14, and 3 days before deadline if enrolled in our compliance calendar.

What's NOT included

We try to be explicit about scope so there are no surprises. Anything below is either outside this SKU, sold separately, or handled by you directly.

×$300 annual Delaware franchise tax (you pay directly to Delaware every June 1)
×Year 2+ registered agent renewal ($100/year, see /services/registered-agent/)
×BOI filing if foreign reporting company ($150, see /services/boi-filing/)
×ITIN for personal tax ID ($299, see /services/itin-application/)
×Series LLC sub-cell setup ($150 add-on per protected series)
×LLC-to-C-corp conversion (custom quote: $397 + $204 state)
×Foreign qualification in another state if you operate there (custom quote)
×Tax preparation, Form 1120, and Form 5472 (a separate accounting engagement)
×Bank account approval guarantee; the final decision is the bank's
×Legal advice on VC term sheets, founder agreements, IP assignment, or litigation

Why our price vs competitors

Honest line-by-line. We're not the cheapest sticker price in every cell - we're the cheapest after the upsells the others bolt on at checkout.

Vendor	Sticker price	What you actually get	Hidden cost
Anonymousllc.co Delaware LLC	$297 + $110 = $407	Filing + RA Y1 + custom OA + EIN + 4 to 5 bank apps + BOI guidance + WhatsApp support	Y2+ $300 DE franchise tax (explicit), $100 RA renewal
Stripe Atlas	$500 flat (Delaware)	Delaware C-Corp (NOT LLC), Stripe account, OA template. Different entity type.	C-corp double taxation, $300 franchise tax, $400 to $1,000+ accounting/year
Clerky	$799 (Delaware LLC formation)	Delaware filing + RA Y1 + OA + EIN. No bank apps. Lawyer-tier presentation.	+$300 DE franchise tax Y2, +$220 RA Y2, no banking = $1,300+ Y1
LegalZoom	$0 + $110 = $110 sticker (Basic)	Filing only. RA $249/yr. EIN $79. OA $99. Heavy upsells.	+$249 RA, +$79 EIN, +$99 OA = $537+ Y1, +$300 franchise tax Y2
Northwest Registered Agent	$39 + $110 = $149	Filing + RA Y1. EIN $50. OA template. No bank apps.	+$50 EIN, +$125 RA Y2, no banking = $224 effective Y1, $300 franchise tax Y2

Sample intake - what we'll ask on WhatsApp

The intake is short. Five minutes, maybe ten. Below is exactly what we'll ask and why we need each piece.

1. Three LLC name options
Why we ask: Delaware allows reservation but rejects matching names. Three options means same-day filing without back-and-forth.
2. Whether you plan to raise VC or convert to C-corp later
Why we ask: Affects operating agreement language (we add convertibility provisions for VC-track founders) and whether to recommend C-corp instead.
3. Your legal name as on government ID
Why we ask: Required for EIN responsible party and bank KYC. Does NOT appear on Delaware Certificate of Formation or franchise tax filings.
4. Mailing address for physical mail forwarding
Why we ask: Our Delaware RA receives mail; we scan and forward. International addresses fine.
5. Member structure (single-member or list with %)
Why we ask: Drives OA template, EIN classification, and tax form selection.
6. Whether you anticipate a US co-founder, employee, or board member
Why we ask: Drives whether the OA needs board governance provisions, vesting language, or employee equity language vs. simple member-managed LLC.
7. Country of residence
Why we ask: US residents apply for EIN online (same-day); non-residents go via fax (5 to 7 days typical).
8. Whether you want series LLC structure
Why we ask: Delaware is the original series LLC state (6 Del. C. § 18-215). Adds $150 and enables protected sub-cells for multi-asset structures.

Common buyer questions, answered inline

Quick answers to the things people ask in WhatsApp before they invoice.

Is Delaware better than Wyoming for asset protection?

No. Wyoming's § 17-29-503(a) is statutorily cleaner for single-member charging order protection. Delaware is comparable for multi-member but has weaker single-member doctrine. Pick Wyoming if asset protection is the primary driver.

Can I form a Delaware LLC and operate primarily in California?

Yes, but you'll need to foreign-qualify the Delaware LLC in California. California adds an $800/year minimum franchise tax on top. Total Y1 cost: $407 (DE formation) + $70 (CA foreign qualification) + $800 (CA franchise tax) = $1,277. Many CA founders form directly in CA to skip the dual state. We handle foreign qualification at /services/foreign-qualification/.

Does Delaware require a registered office address vs a registered agent?

Just a registered agent with a Delaware physical address. The agent's address is the registered office for state-mail-receipt purposes. We provide both as part of the $100/year RA renewal.

What if my Delaware LLC is taxed as an S-corp?

S-corp election is filed via IRS Form 2553, independent of Delaware state filings. Delaware permits S-corp election; the LLC remains an LLC at the state level and is taxed as an S-corp federally. We don't file 2553 by default. Mention S-corp election on intake and we'll handle it for a $99 add-on.

Related on Anonymousllc.co

Delaware LLC FAQ

Why is Delaware priced $297 + $110 instead of all-in?

What's the $300 annual franchise tax I keep hearing about?

Is Delaware LLC actually anonymous?

When should I pick Delaware over Wyoming or New Mexico?

What's included in the $297 service fee?

Do I need to live in Delaware?

Is there a $407 all-in version of this?

Can my Delaware LLC convert to a C-corp later for VC fundraising?

What is the Court of Chancery and why does it matter?

Does Delaware have charging order protection like Wyoming?

The honest answer

You need Delaware only if you:

Raise venture capital
Take on institutional investors
Plan to convert to a C-corp
Have a lawyer or investor who requires it

Nothing ticked? Then Delaware is a tax you don't need to pay.

Every box above is empty. So Delaware would cost you $300 a year in franchise tax. You would pay it for a courtroom you never enter. Wyoming ($397) and New Mexico ($347) give cleaner single-member protection and no franchise tax. We will set it up, zero hard feelings.

Show me Wyoming instead

Or see New Mexico for $347.