What our LLC formation service does and who it is for
An LLC formation service files the document that creates your limited liability company with a state and sets up what the company needs from its first day: a registered agent, an operating agreement, a US address and the EIN. We file in all 50 states and Washington DC. Most founders outside the US choose Wyoming, New Mexico or Delaware, and founders who live or trade in a state usually form there; every state has its own page in our US LLC by state section.
The service is built mainly for founders outside the United States, in Pakistan, India, Nigeria, the UAE, Bangladesh and elsewhere, who want a US company for clients, marketplaces or payment platforms. US residents use the same service. A non-resident can own a US LLC, and our guide to US LLCs for non-residents covers tax and banking in depth.
Borderless Filings is a filing service and does not give legal or tax advice. Our filing partner prepares and submits the documents, and we stay your contact throughout. For advice on tax residence or a US trade or business, speak to a licensed professional.
What is included and what is not
Included
- A name availability check against the state's business records before we file
- Preparation and filing of the state's formation document, called Articles of Organization in most states and a Certificate of Formation or Certificate of Organization in some (Delaware, Texas and New Jersey, for example)
- Naming the registered agent on the filing: our registered agent service, or an agent you already have
- An operating agreement for a single-member or multi-member LLC
- A US address with mail forwarding and your EIN letter from the IRS
- Stripe account consultation and an introduction to a professional accountant
- The state-approved formation document delivered to your client portal
- Your first state annual deadline added to your portal, with email reminders
Not included
- The state filing fee, which is passed on at cost and shown separately at checkout
- Form 5472, federal tax returns and bookkeeping
- Bank or payment account approval: we can help you apply, but no provider approval is guaranteed
- Legal or tax advice
- A BOI report, because none is due. Since 26 March 2025, and permanently under FinCEN's final rule published 14 August 2026 (91 FR 52508), companies created in the United States do not file BOI reports, including LLCs owned by non-US founders. See our BOI report guide.
State filing fees and yearly state costs
The yearly cost differs between states far more than the formation fee, so compare both. The table covers the five states our clients choose most often; the fees for every other state, with official sources, are in the LLC cost by state table and on each state's page.
| State | Formation fee | Yearly state requirement | Member names on the formation filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $100, plus a 2.4% card processing fee online ($102.40) | Annual report and license tax: $60 or $0.0002 per dollar of Wyoming assets, whichever is greater, due on the first day of the anniversary month | Not required |
| New Mexico | $50 | No annual report fee for LLCs appears in the LLC Act fee schedule | Not required |
| Delaware | $110 | Annual LLC tax of $400, due by 1 June; the rate rose from $300 for the 2026 tax year, so the first $400 payment is due 1 June 2027 | Not required |
| Florida | $125 ($100 filing plus $25 registered agent designation) | Annual report of $138.75, filed between 1 January and 1 May | Members are not listed; managers or authorized representatives are optional |
| Texas | $300, plus a 2.7% card convenience fee | Franchise tax report due 15 May; no tax is due at or below $2.65 million in revenue for 2026 and 2027 reports, but a Public Information Report or Ownership Information Report is still required | Managers, or members if there are no managers, are listed |
To see first-year and yearly totals side by side, use our LLC state fee comparison tool. Our own service price is on the pricing page and at checkout.
Which state fits you
Pick the state based on where you operate, what you will pay each year and how much ownership information you want on the public record.
- Wyoming: online filings are active as soon as the filing is completed, the yearly minimum is $60, and member names stay off the Articles. See the Wyoming LLC page.
- New Mexico: the lowest formation fee of the five and no LLC annual report in the fee schedule. See the New Mexico LLC page.
- Delaware: a well-known business law system, but a $400 yearly tax. Founders who plan to raise venture money usually look at a Delaware C corporation rather than an LLC. See the Delaware LLC page.
- Florida and Texas: usually the right choice if you live or run the business there, because you would otherwise need to register in that state as well. See the Florida LLC and Texas LLC pages.
- Any other state: the same logic applies. If your office, staff or stock will be in California, New York, Georgia or any other state, forming there usually avoids registering twice. Some states cost much more each year (California's $800 annual LLC tax, for example), so check the state page for yours first.
For a side-by-side view aimed at non-residents, read Wyoming vs Delaware vs New Mexico LLC.
What the operating agreement is
The operating agreement is the LLC's internal rulebook. It sets out who owns what percentage, who manages the company, how profits are allocated, how decisions are made and what happens if a member leaves or the company closes. It is not filed with the state.
Delaware law, for example, defines a limited liability company agreement as any agreement of the members, "written, oral or implied", about the company's affairs and the conduct of its business. A written agreement is still the safer choice. In Wyoming, New Mexico and Delaware your name does not appear on the formation filing, so the signed operating agreement is often the document that shows you own the LLC. Banks and payment platforms may ask for it during onboarding.
A single-member LLC should have one too. Our LLC operating agreement guide explains the clauses.
How it works
- Order and intake: choose your state and answer the intake questions about the LLC name, members, ownership split and management.
- Secure document upload: upload a passport copy for each member through your portal. Our security page explains how documents are stored.
- Name check and preparation: our filing team checks the name and prepares the formation document and operating agreement.
- Your review: you confirm the details before anything is filed.
- State submission: we file with the state and pay the state fee on your behalf.
- Tracking and delivery: you follow the status in your portal, and the approved document and operating agreement are uploaded there.
- Reminders: your annual state deadline is added to your calendar with email reminders.
See also how it works.
What we need from you
- Your preferred LLC name and two back-up names, including "LLC" or another ending the state accepts
- The state you want to form in
- Full name, residential address and ownership percentage for each member
- Whether the LLC is managed by its members or by named managers
- A clear passport copy for each member
- A one-line description of what the business does
- Your registered agent choice: ours, or the name and address of your own agent
How long LLC formation takes
Our team starts once your intake and documents are complete. After that, the state's own processing time applies. We only quote what the states publish:
- Wyoming: an online filing is active as soon as the online filing process is completed. Paper filings can take up to 15 business days.
- Delaware: no standard turnaround is published. Paid expedite options are $50 for 24-hour, $100 for same day, $500 for 2-hour and $1,000 for 1-hour service.
- Florida: the Division does not offer expedited processing, and images of e-filings appear within 3 business days after processing.
- Texas: a submitted document generally takes at least one business day to show as received, and expedited handling costs $50 per document. Texas online filing is offline from 25 to 29 September 2026 while the state moves to its new SOSPortal system.
- New Mexico: the state does not publish a processing time we could confirm.
After formation: the next deadlines
Forming the LLC is the first filing, not the last. Plan for these:
- EIN: you need one for banking and tax filings. The IRS online application needs an SSN or ITIN and a US principal place of business, so non-residents apply by phone, fax or mail. Our EIN service handles the SS-4.
- Form 5472: a single-member LLC owned by a foreign person files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 each year, even with no income, by 15 April for a calendar year. The penalty for not filing is $25,000. Read the Form 5472 guide or use our Form 5472 filing service.
- State annual report or tax: see the table above, our LLC annual report service and the compliance deadline calendar.
Doing it yourself vs using our service
You can form an LLC yourself: every state here accepts filings from owners directly, and a Wyoming online filing costs $102.40 with the card fee. You still need a registered agent with a physical address in that state, and a founder living outside the US cannot act as their own.
Our service adds the work around the filing: a name check, a correctly completed form, an operating agreement, secure document storage, tracking in one portal and reminders for later deadlines. If you already have an agent and are confident with state forms, doing it yourself is reasonable.
What to look for in an LLC formation service
The best LLC formation service for you is the one whose total cost over two or three years is clear before you pay. Check these points with any provider, including us:
- Is the state fee shown separately, or bundled so you cannot see it?
- What does the registered agent cost from year two? Low first-year prices often renew higher.
- Are EIN, operating agreement and address sold as extras at checkout?
- Does the provider still sell BOI filings for US LLCs? They are no longer required.
- Can the provider handle Form 5472 and the annual report later?
When you are ready, start your LLC order, or pick the non-resident US LLC starter bundle if you also need the EIN and first Form 5472.
Sources
- Wyoming Secretary of State: Business fees (revised June 2026)
- Wyoming Secretary of State: Online registration instructions
- Wyoming Secretary of State: Business FAQs
- Wyoming Secretary of State: LLC Articles of Organization form
- New Mexico Statutes: NMSA 53-19-63, fees
- New Mexico Statutes: NMSA 53-19-8, articles of organization
- Delaware Division of Corporations: Fee schedule (revised 1 August 2026)
- Delaware Division of Corporations: LLC, LP and GP tax instructions
- Delaware Division of Corporations: Certificate of Formation form
- Delaware Code: Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter I
- Florida Division of Corporations: LLC fees
- Florida Division of Corporations: Annual report
- Florida Division of Corporations: LLC filing instructions
- Florida Division of Corporations: FAQs
- Texas Secretary of State: Form 806 fee schedule
- Texas Secretary of State: Filing options
- Texas Secretary of State: Form 205 Certificate of Formation
- Texas Secretary of State: Expedited service
- Texas Secretary of State: Filing status
- Texas Comptroller: Franchise tax
- FinCEN: Beneficial ownership information reporting
- IRS: Get an employer identification number
- IRS: Instructions for Form 5472
Fees, deadlines and rules on this page were last checked on 27 September 2026.