Every state · DC
Forming an LLC in the District of Columbia from outside the United States.
Here's what the District of Columbia charges to form and keep a company, what it asks for every year, and what its public record shows about you. You'll also get a straight answer on whether a founder abroad should form here at all.
See why founders abroad choose Wyoming The District of Columbia figures
01The figures
What does a District of Columbia LLC cost to form and keep?
State fees for a domestic LLC filed online, checked against the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection in September 2026.
- Filing fee
- $99
- Recurring charge
- $300 every two years
- Processing
- Online filings are usually approved within a few business days
- Five-year state cost
- $699
By 1 April every second year, starting the year after the LLC is formed
As the state publishes it
The filing fee and every state charge due in the first five years
State income tax
DC taxes an LLC's own profit from business in DC, at 8.25%. The tax applies once gross income from DC passes $12,000, with a $250 minimum, and an LLC with no DC income owes none.
The public record
The articles list every member or manager who owns more than 10% of the company or controls it, with a home address and a business address for each. The articles are public.
On the recurring charge
Filing the report late adds a $100 fee.
Checked September 2026 against the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. If a figure here has changed, email us and we'll correct it.
02The straight answer
Should a founder abroad form in the District of Columbia?
DC asks for more about who owns an LLC than most states do. The articles have to list everyone who owns more than 10% of the company or controls it, with home and business addresses, and the filing is public. There's also a $300 report every two years, and a company doing business in DC needs a business licence and pays tax on its own profit. That's reasonable for a business that's actually in Washington. For a founder abroad who isn't, Wyoming asks for none of it.
The District of Columbia is right anyway when
- You'll have staff, an office or property in DC
- A bank, a marketplace or a licensing body has told you the company must be formed in DC
| District of Columbia | WyomingWe file here | DelawareWe file here | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file | $99 | $102.40 | $110 |
| Every year | $300 every two years | $60 a year | $400 a year |
| Five years | $699 | $342.40 | $1,710 |
| Owners public | Yes | No | No |
| State income tax | DC taxes an LLC's own profit from business in DC, at 8.25% | No personal or corporate income tax | No Delaware income tax on a company that doesn't do business in Delaware |
03What we would file instead
The same company, in Wyoming.
A Wyoming LLC costs $102.40 to file, keeps owners off the public record, and is the state banks and payment processors are used to seeing from founders abroad. Here's the whole first year, from the same price list checkout uses.
| WYOMING | Starter | StandardMost chosen | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our feeCharged once, when you confirm | $289 | $499 | $1,299 |
| Wyoming filing feePaid to the state, passed through at cost | $102.40 | $102.40 | Included |
| Due on the dayBefore any extras you choose | $391.40 | $601.40 | $1,299 |
| Then, every yearOur registered agent renewal and Wyoming's yearly charge | $179 | $309 | $1,059 |
Extras are optional and asked one at a time, each with its price. Filing yours ahead of our next batch costs $75. We email you before anything renews.
04Questions
Questions about a District of Columbia LLC.
If yours is not here, email us at [email protected] before you order.
Yes. The articles of organization name every member or manager who owns more than 10% of the company, and anyone with a smaller share who controls its finances or runs it day to day. Each person's home and business addresses go on the form, and the filing is public.
Yes. The District of Columbia, like the fifty states, doesn't require an LLC's owners to be US citizens or residents. It does require a registered agent with a street address in the District of Columbia. Its recurring filing is due by 1 April every second year, starting the year after the LLC is formed.
It costs $99 to file, and then $300 every two years. Over five years that comes to $699 in state charges. A Wyoming LLC costs $342.40 over the same five years.
No. We file in Wyoming and Delaware only. For a founder outside the US, they're the two states worth being in, and we'd rather know two states well than fifty a little. If your business will have staff, an office, stock or property in the District of Columbia, it'll need to register there whichever state formed it, and we'll tell you so before you order.
05Every state
Every other state, with its figures.
Each state's filing fee and recurring charge, as published in September 2026. District of Columbia is highlighted.
Ready when you are
Form it in the state that suits you.
Most founders abroad choose Wyoming for an LLC, or Delaware for a corporation that will raise money. The order form explains the trade-off where you choose.