Every state · SD
Forming an LLC in South Dakota from outside the United States.
Here's what South Dakota 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 Dakota figures
01The figures
What does a South Dakota LLC cost to form and keep?
State fees for a domestic LLC filed online, checked against the South Dakota Secretary of State in September 2026.
- Filing fee
- $150
- Recurring charge
- $50 a year
- Processing
- Online filings are usually approved within a few business days
- Five-year state cost
- $350
$165 on paper
Each year in the month the LLC was formed, starting the year after, or by 31 January if the LLC chooses that date from 2027
As the state publishes it
The filing fee and every state charge due in the first five years
State income tax
South Dakota has no personal or corporate income tax, and no franchise tax on LLCs.
The public record
The articles and the annual report list the managers of a manager-managed LLC. Members are not required, and naming the owners on the report is optional.
On the recurring charge
The report is $65 on paper, and a late report adds $50.
Checked September 2026 against the South Dakota 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 Dakota?
South Dakota has no income tax and doesn't make a member-managed LLC name its owners, which puts it close to Wyoming. It costs slightly more over five years, at $150 to form and $50 a year, and the report lists the managers if the LLC has them. South Dakota is better known for trusts than for companies owned from abroad, so banks see its LLCs from overseas less often. It's a respectable second choice, and Wyoming is still the first.
South Dakota 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 Dakota | WyomingWe file here | DelawareWe file here | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file | $150 | $102.40 | $110 |
| Every year | $50 a year | $60 a year | $400 a year |
| Five years | $350 | $342.40 | $1,710 |
| Owners public | No | No | No |
| State income tax | South Dakota has no personal or corporate income tax, and no franchise tax on LLCs | 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 Dakota LLC.
If yours is not here, email us at [email protected] before you order.
Each year in the month the LLC was formed, starting the year after. It costs $50 online or $65 on paper, and a late report adds $50. Under a law taking effect on 1 January 2027, an LLC can choose to file by 31 January every year instead.
Yes. South Dakota, 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 Dakota. Its recurring filing is due each year in the month the LLC was formed, starting the year after, or by 31 January if the LLC chooses that date from 2027.
It costs $150 to file, and then $50 a year. Over five years that comes to $350 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 Dakota, 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 Dakota 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.