Every state · SC
Forming an LLC in South Carolina from outside the United States.
Here's what South 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 South Carolina figures
01The figures
What does a South Carolina LLC cost to form and keep?
State fees for a domestic LLC filed online, checked against the South Carolina Secretary of State in September 2026.
- Filing fee
- $110
- Recurring charge
- None
- Processing
- Online filings are usually approved within a few business days
- Five-year state cost
- $110
No report and no recurring state charge
As the state publishes it
The filing fee and every state charge due in the first five years
State income tax
South Carolina taxes an owner's share of profit earned in South Carolina. A non-resident owner with no South Carolina activity generally owes none, and an LLC taxed as a partnership pays no franchise tax.
The public record
The articles name the organizer, the registered agent and the managers of a manager-managed LLC. Members are not required.
Checked September 2026 against the South 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 South Carolina?
South Carolina charges $110 to form an LLC and nothing after that, since an ordinary LLC files no annual report. The articles list the managers if the LLC has them, but a member-managed LLC doesn't have to name its owners. That makes it a simple home for a business in Charleston or Columbia. From abroad, Wyoming costs more over five years, but it's the state banks and payment processors are used to seeing.
South 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
| South Carolina | WyomingWe file here | DelawareWe file here | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file | $110 | $102.40 | $110 |
| Every year | None | $60 a year | $400 a year |
| Five years | $110 | $342.40 | $1,710 |
| Owners public | No | No | No |
| State income tax | South Carolina taxes an owner's share of profit earned in South 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 South Carolina LLC.
If yours is not here, email us at [email protected] before you order.
Not an ordinary one. An LLC taxed as a partnership or a disregarded entity files no annual report with the Secretary of State. Only an LLC that chooses to be taxed as a corporation files one, with its corporate tax return to the Department of Revenue.
Yes. South 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 South Carolina. South Carolina LLCs file no annual report, unless the LLC has chosen to be taxed as a corporation.
It costs $110 to file, and nothing after that. 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 South 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. South 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.