Every state · MD
Forming an LLC in Maryland from outside the United States.
Here's what Maryland 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 Maryland LLC cost to form and keep?
State fees for a domestic LLC filed online, checked against the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation in September 2026.
- Filing fee
- $100
- Recurring charge
- $300 a year
- Processing
- Standard filings can take several weeks, or a few business days with the $50 expedite
- Five-year state cost
- $1,300
$150 with expedited processing
By 15 April each year, starting the year after the LLC is formed, on the same form as the personal property return
As the state publishes it
The filing fee and every state charge due in the first five years
State income tax
Maryland taxes an owner's share of profit earned in Maryland. A non-resident owner with no Maryland activity generally owes none, though the LLC still owes its $300 annual report fee.
The public record
The articles name the resident agent and the person who signs them. Members and managers are not required on the articles or the annual report.
Checked September 2026 against the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation. If a figure here has changed, email us and we'll correct it.
02The straight answer
Should a founder abroad form in Maryland?
Maryland charges $300 a year to keep an LLC, five times Wyoming's charge, and the annual report comes bundled with a business personal property return that most states never ask for. The owners' names stay off the record, and that's the one point in Maryland's favour for a founder abroad. It's the right home for a business that will operate in Maryland and an expensive one for anybody else.
Maryland 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
| Maryland | WyomingWe file here | DelawareWe file here | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file | $100 | $102.40 | $110 |
| Every year | $300 a year | $60 a year | $400 a year |
| Five years | $1,300 | $342.40 | $1,710 |
| Owners public | No | No | No |
| State income tax | Maryland taxes an owner's share of profit earned in Maryland | 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 Maryland LLC.
If yours is not here, email us at [email protected] before you order.
That's the fee for the annual report, which Maryland takes on the same form as the business personal property return. It's due by 15 April each year, starting the year after formation, and it's owed whether or not the company owns any property or earned anything.
Yes. Maryland, like every state, doesn't require an LLC's owners to be US citizens or residents. It does require a resident agent, Maryland's name for a registered agent, with a street address in Maryland. Its recurring filing is due by 15 April each year, starting the year after the LLC is formed, on the same form as the personal property return.
It costs $100 to file, and then $300 a year. Over five years that comes to $1,300 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 Maryland, 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. Maryland 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.