Every state · WV
Forming an LLC in West Virginia from outside the United States.
Here's what West Virginia 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 West Virginia figures
01The figures
What does a West Virginia LLC cost to form and keep?
State fees for a domestic LLC filed online, checked against the West Virginia Secretary of State in September 2026.
- Filing fee
- $100
- Recurring charge
- $25 a year
- Processing
- Online filings are usually approved within a few business days
- Five-year state cost
- $230
Plus $30 for the business registration certificate from the State Tax Department
By 1 July 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
West Virginia taxes an owner's share of profit earned in West Virginia. A non-resident owner with no West Virginia activity generally owes none, and there's no franchise tax on LLCs.
The public record
The articles list all the members of a member-managed LLC, or all the managers of a manager-managed one, with addresses, and the form is a public document.
Checked September 2026 against the West Virginia 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 West Virginia?
West Virginia is modest on cost, at $100 to form, $30 for the business registration certificate and $25 a year. It isn't private, though. The articles list every member, or every manager, with an address, on a form the state treats as a public document. A company based in Charleston or Morgantown won't mind that. For a founder abroad, Wyoming costs a little more over five years and keeps your name off the record.
West Virginia 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
| West Virginia | WyomingWe file here | DelawareWe file here | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file | $100 | $102.40 | $110 |
| Every year | $25 a year | $60 a year | $400 a year |
| Five years | $230 | $342.40 | $1,710 |
| Owners public | Yes | No | No |
| State income tax | West Virginia taxes an owner's share of profit earned in West Virginia | 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 West Virginia LLC.
If yours is not here, email us at [email protected] before you order.
Yes. The articles of organization must list all members of a member-managed LLC, or all managers of a manager-managed one, with their addresses. The Secretary of State treats the form as a public document.
Yes. West Virginia, 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 West Virginia. Its recurring filing is due by 1 July each year, starting the year after the LLC is formed.
It costs $100 to file, and then $25 a year. Over five years that comes to $230 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 West Virginia, 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. West Virginia 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.