Every state · MT
Forming an LLC in Montana from outside the United States.
Here's what Montana 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 Montana LLC cost to form and keep?
State fees for a domestic LLC filed online, checked against the Montana Secretary of State in September 2026.
- Filing fee
- $35
- Recurring charge
- $20 a year
- Processing
- Filings are made online and are usually approved within a few business days, or within 24 hours for $20 more
- Five-year state cost
- $115
By 15 April 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
Montana taxes an owner's share of profit earned in Montana. A non-resident owner with no Montana activity generally owes none, and Montana has no sales tax and no franchise tax on LLCs.
The public record
The articles list the members of a member-managed LLC, or the managers of a manager-managed one, and the annual report names at least one of them. Both are public.
On the recurring charge
A report filed after 15 April costs $35. The Secretary of State has waived the $20 for reports filed on time in every year from 2024 to 2027.
Checked September 2026 against the Montana 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 Montana?
Montana has the lowest filing fee of any state, at $35, and its $20 annual report has been free for LLCs filing on time since 2024, with the waiver confirmed through 2027. What it doesn't offer is privacy. The articles list the members, or the managers, and anyone can request a copy. For a company that will actually operate in Montana, it's hard to beat on cost. For a founder abroad, Wyoming costs more but keeps your name off the record.
Montana 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
| Montana | WyomingWe file here | DelawareWe file here | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file | $35 | $102.40 | $110 |
| Every year | $20 a year | $60 a year | $400 a year |
| Five years | $115 | $342.40 | $1,710 |
| Owners public | Yes | No | No |
| State income tax | Montana taxes an owner's share of profit earned in Montana | 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 Montana LLC.
If yours is not here, email us at [email protected] before you order.
For now. The fee is $20, but Montana's Secretary of State has waived it for reports filed by 15 April in every year from 2024 to 2027. The waiver only covers reports filed on time, and the report still has to be filed every year, starting the year after formation.
Yes. Montana, 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 Montana. Its recurring filing is due by 15 April each year, starting the year after the LLC is formed.
It costs $35 to file, and then $20 a year. Over five years that comes to $115 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 Montana, 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. Montana 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.