$110 to file. One $400 tax every June 1. No annual report. Our AI mapped every step from Delaware’s own rules, so you can do this in one sitting.
The 9-minute walkthrough. Every step below links to its chapter.
To form an LLC in Delaware, choose a name that ends in "LLC", appoint a registered agent with a street address in Delaware, file a Certificate of Formation with the Delaware Division of Corporations for $110, sign an operating agreement, and get a free EIN from the IRS. After that, the LLC pays a flat $400 annual tax by June 1 every year and files no annual report.
Checked against the Delaware Division of Corporations fee schedule revised August 1, 2026, the Delaware Code, and the IRS.
Jump straight to the part you need. Each chapter starts the video at that moment.
Every number on this page comes from Delaware’s own fee schedule, statutes and tax rules, checked on September 30, 2026. The same facts run our Formation Engine.
The $110 filing fee, the $50 certified copy and all four expedite tiers, read from Delaware’s current fee schedule, not from another guide.
$400 a year, not prorated, $200 plus interest if late. We track it for every LLC we form, and we caught the $300-to-$400 change the state’s own how-to page still misses.
The required "LLC" ending, the distinguishable-name test and the restricted words, so a rejection never costs you a second filing.
Delaware says an agent may not work solely through a virtual office or mail forwarding. We arrange a real Delaware agent and track the renewal.
The same order the video teaches. Each step tells you where to go, what it costs, and the one thing that trips people up.
Pick a name that ends in "LLC", "L.L.C." or "Limited Liability Company" and check that nobody in Delaware already has it.
Delaware requires a registered agent with a real street address in Delaware, on file from day one, to receive legal papers for the company.
One short form filed with the Delaware Division of Corporations. Delaware calls it a Certificate of Formation, not "Articles of Organization".
The private contract between the owners: who owns what, who decides, and what happens when someone leaves. Delaware never sees it, but everyone else will ask for it.
The federal tax ID number. You need it to open a bank account, hire anyone, and file taxes. It takes about ten minutes online.
Rather not do the five steps yourself?
Form Your LLCBring the filed Certificate of Formation, the signed operating agreement and the EIN letter. Banks ask for all three.
A Delaware LLC run from another state usually has to register there as a foreign LLC and pay that state’s fees too. The Delaware filing does not replace it.
Delaware Division of Revenue, $75 for the first license, through Delaware One Stop. Delaware has no state sales tax, but a business operating in Delaware pays gross receipts tax.
FinCEN’s final rule (August 11, 2026, effective August 14, 2026) exempts companies created in the United States from beneficial ownership reporting.
By default a one-owner LLC is taxed like a sole proprietorship and a multi-owner LLC like a partnership. An S corporation election is optional and worth a conversation with a tax professional, not a guess.
The $400 annual tax is due every June 1 for as long as the LLC exists. EntityEngine’s Compliance Engine reminds you before it is due.
Delaware LLCs do not file an annual report. Instead, every LLC on Delaware's records pays a flat $400 annual tax on or before June 1. It is not prorated: an LLC formed in December owes the full amount for that year.
Miss the date and Delaware adds a $200 penalty plus 1.5% interest per month on the tax and the penalty, the LLC loses good standing, and after 3 unpaid years the state cancels the certificate.
New in 2026: House Bill 400, signed May 21, 2026, raised the tax from $300 to $400. The June 1, 2026 payment was the last at $300; the first $400 bill is due June 1, 2027. Some guides, and one of the state's own pages, still show the old number.
Fine if you live in Delaware and enjoy paperwork.
Best for unusual deals, not for a standard LLC.
Built for founders who want it done right and then run right.
Form Your LLCWhen you form with EntityEngine, we arrange your Delaware registered agent for you, and the Compliance Engine tracks the renewal. EntityEngine is not a law firm and does not give legal or tax advice.
Plain answers, each one checked against the state's own rules.
Facts verified September 30, 2026. Delaware changes fees by statute and publishes a revised schedule; we re-check this page when it does.
This page is general education, not legal or tax advice. EntityEngine is not a law firm, a government agency or a registered agent. Filing and registered agent services are arranged through third-party providers.
Answer a few questions. We prepare the Certificate of Formation, arrange your Delaware registered agent, generate your operating agreement, and remind you before every June 1.