Every state · IA
Forming an LLC in Iowa from outside the United States.
Here's what Iowa 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 Iowa LLC cost to form and keep?
State fees for a domestic LLC filed online, checked against the Iowa Secretary of State in September 2026.
- Filing fee
- $50
- Recurring charge
- $30 every two years
- Processing
- Online filings are usually approved within a few business days
- Five-year state cost
- $110
Between 1 January and 1 April of each odd-numbered year, starting the first odd 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
Iowa taxes an owner's share of profit earned in Iowa. A non-resident owner with no Iowa activity generally owes none, and there's no franchise tax on LLCs.
The public record
The certificate names the registered agent and the office address. Members and managers are not required on the certificate or on the biennial report.
Checked September 2026 against the Iowa 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 Iowa?
Iowa is one of the cheapest and most private states to keep an LLC in. It's $50 to form, the report comes every second year for $30 online, and neither the certificate nor the report asks who owns the company. On cost and privacy it matches Wyoming or beats it. What it lacks is familiarity. A bank or payment processor reviewing a founder abroad sees Wyoming LLCs constantly and Iowa ones rarely, and an unfamiliar state can mean more questions.
Iowa 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
| Iowa | WyomingWe file here | DelawareWe file here | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file | $50 | $102.40 | $110 |
| Every year | $30 every two years | $60 a year | $400 a year |
| Five years | $110 | $342.40 | $1,710 |
| Owners public | No | No | No |
| State income tax | Iowa taxes an owner's share of profit earned in Iowa | 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 Iowa LLC.
If yours is not here, email us at [email protected] before you order.
Between 1 January and 1 April of the first odd-numbered year after the year you form it. An LLC formed in 2026 files by 1 April 2027, and then every two years. The report costs $30 online or $45 on paper.
Yes. Iowa, 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 Iowa. Its recurring filing is due between 1 January and 1 April of each odd-numbered year, starting the first odd year after the LLC is formed.
It costs $50 to file, and then $30 every two years. Over five years that comes to $110 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 Iowa, 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. Iowa 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.