Every state · NC
Forming an LLC in North Carolina from outside the United States.
Here's what North Carolina 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.
See why founders abroad choose Wyoming The North Carolina figures
01The figures
What does a North Carolina LLC cost to form and keep?
State fees for a domestic LLC filed online, checked against the North Carolina Secretary of State in September 2026.
- Filing fee
- $125
- Recurring charge
- $203 a year
- Processing
- Online filings are usually approved within a few business days
- Five-year state cost
- $937
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
North Carolina taxes an owner's share of profit earned in North Carolina. A non-resident owner with no North Carolina activity generally owes none, and there's no franchise tax on LLCs.
The public record
The annual report names the company officials, meaning the members or managers, with their addresses, and they're public on the Secretary of State's website.
On the recurring charge
The report is $200 on paper. Filing it online adds $3.
Checked September 2026 against the North Carolina 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 North Carolina?
North Carolina's annual report costs $203 online, more than three times Wyoming's yearly charge, and five years in the state cost well over twice as much. The report also names the company officials, meaning the members or managers, and the Secretary of State publishes those names. There's nothing else in North Carolina that a founder abroad would pay extra for. Unless the business will be based there, Wyoming is the better choice.
North Carolina 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
| North Carolina | WyomingWe file here | DelawareWe file here | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file | $125 | $102.40 | $110 |
| Every year | $203 a year | $60 a year | $400 a year |
| Five years | $937 | $342.40 | $1,710 |
| Owners public | Yes | No | No |
| State income tax | North Carolina taxes an owner's share of profit earned in North Carolina | 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 North Carolina LLC.
If yours is not here, email us at [email protected] before you order.
$203 if you file online, or $200 on paper. It's due by 15 April every year, starting the year after the LLC is formed, and it lists the company officials, which the Secretary of State shows on its website.
Yes. North Carolina, 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 North Carolina. Its recurring filing is due by 15 April each year, starting the year after the LLC is formed.
It costs $125 to file, and then $203 a year. Over five years that comes to $937 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 North Carolina, 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. North Carolina 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.