Every state · ME
Forming an LLC in Maine from outside the United States.
Here's what Maine 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 a Maine LLC cost to form and keep?
State fees for a domestic LLC filed online, checked against the Maine Secretary of State in September 2026.
- Filing fee
- $175
- Recurring charge
- $85 a year
- Processing
- Standard filings can take a week or more, and Maine charges $50 extra for next-day filing or $100 for same-day
- Five-year state cost
- $515
$225 for next-day filing, or $275 for same-day
Between 1 January and 1 June each 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
Maine taxes an owner's share of profit earned in Maine. A non-resident owner with no Maine activity generally owes none, and there's no franchise tax on LLCs.
The public record
The certificate doesn't list the members, and the annual report only needs one contact who is a member, manager or other authorized person, so the owners are not required to appear.
Checked September 2026 against the Maine 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 Maine?
Maine is one of the pricier states to form an LLC in, at $175, and the $85 annual report makes it above average to keep as well. It's fairly private, since neither the certificate nor the report has to name the owners. Wyoming is cheaper on both counts, just as private, and far more familiar to the banks and payment processors a founder abroad has to deal with.
Maine 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
| Maine | WyomingWe file here | DelawareWe file here | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file | $175 | $102.40 | $110 |
| Every year | $85 a year | $60 a year | $400 a year |
| Five years | $515 | $342.40 | $1,710 |
| Owners public | No | No | No |
| State income tax | Maine taxes an owner's share of profit earned in Maine | 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 Maine LLC.
If yours is not here, email us at [email protected] before you order.
No. The certificate of formation doesn't ask for them. The annual report, due by 1 June each year, gives the name and address of at least one member, manager or other authorized person, and that can be someone acting for the company rather than an owner.
Yes. Maine, 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 Maine. Its recurring filing is due between 1 January and 1 June each year, starting the year after the LLC is formed.
It costs $175 to file, and then $85 a year. Over five years that comes to $515 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 Maine, 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. Maine 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.