Every state · IL
Forming an LLC in Illinois from outside the United States.
Here's what Illinois 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.
01The figures
What does an Illinois LLC cost to form and keep?
State fees for a domestic LLC filed online, checked against the Illinois Secretary of State in September 2026.
- Filing fee
- $150
- Recurring charge
- $75 a year
- Processing
- Standard online filings take one to two weeks, or one business day with the expedite
- Five-year state cost
- $450
$250 with the 24-hour expedite
Before the first day of the month the LLC was formed in, each year starting the year after
As the state publishes it
The filing fee and every state charge due in the first five years
State income tax
Illinois taxes an owner's share of profit earned in Illinois. An LLC taxed as a partnership also pays a 1.5% replacement tax on its Illinois income, and a company with no Illinois business owes neither.
The public record
The articles list the managers, or every member of a member-managed LLC, with a business address, and they're public.
Checked September 2026 against the Illinois Secretary of State. If a figure here has changed, email us and we'll correct it.
02The straight answer
Should a founder abroad form in Illinois?
Illinois costs $150 to start, among the higher filing fees, and $75 a year after that, with the report due before the anniversary month even begins. The articles list the managers, or the members if they run the company themselves, and that filing is public. An LLC taxed as a partnership also pays Illinois's 1.5% replacement tax on its Illinois income. A business that will be in Chicago has to register in Illinois anyway. One that won't has no reason to form there.
Illinois is right anyway when
- You'll have staff, an office, a warehouse or property in the state
- A bank, a marketplace or a licensing body has told you the company must be formed in this state
| Illinois | WyomingWe file here | DelawareWe file here | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file | $150 | $102.40 | $110 |
| Every year | $75 a year | $60 a year | $400 a year |
| Five years | $450 | $342.40 | $1,710 |
| Owners public | Yes | No | No |
| State income tax | Illinois taxes an owner's share of profit earned in Illinois | 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 an Illinois LLC.
If yours is not here, email us at [email protected] before you order.
Before the first day of the month the LLC was formed in, every year starting the year after. An LLC formed in June files by 31 May. The report costs $75, and one filed more than 60 days late adds a $100 penalty.
Yes. Illinois, like every state, doesn't require an LLC's owners to be US citizens or residents. It does require a registered agent with a street address in Illinois. Its recurring filing is due before the first day of the month the LLC was formed in, each year starting the year after.
It costs $150 to file, and then $75 a year. Over five years that comes to $450 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 Illinois, 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. Illinois 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.