Setting up a US LLC costs more than the state filing fee alone. This guide breaks down what you actually pay in year one and in every year after, using PowerLaunch's published prices and four example states.
What year one actually includes
Your year one cost has two parts. First, the PowerLaunch plan fee, which covers formation filings, your EIN, your operating agreement or bylaws, a registered agent, and a virtual business address. Second, the state's own filing fee, charged at cost with no markup. States vary a lot here, so always check the state's site for the current number before you file.
Here is what year one looks like on each plan, using four common formation states.
| State | State filing fee | Launch total | Run total | Scale total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $103.75 | $398.75 | $2,098.75 | $3,098.75 |
| Delaware | $160.00 | $455.00 | $2,155.00 | $3,155.00 |
| Texas | $300.00 | $595.00 | $2,295.00 | $3,295.00 |
| Florida | $125.00 | $420.00 | $2,120.00 | $3,120.00 |
If you need your EIN faster, the expedited EIN add-on is $295 on Launch or Run. Scale already includes expedited EIN, so there is nothing extra to add there.
What ongoing years look like
After year one, your plan fee stays the same but the state fee usually changes. Some states charge an annual report fee, some charge a franchise tax, and some charge nothing at all. This is where states differ the most, and it is worth checking before you pick a state just for the low initial fee.
| State | Ongoing state fee | Launch total | Run total | Scale total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $60.00 | $355.00 | $2,055.00 | $3,055.00 |
| Delaware | $300.00 | $595.00 | $2,295.00 | $3,295.00 |
| Texas | $0.00 | $295.00 | $1,995.00 | $2,995.00 |
| Florida | $138.75 | $433.75 | $2,133.75 | $3,133.75 |
Notice that Delaware looks cheap to start but gets more expensive every year after. Texas is the opposite, a higher first-year fee but nothing ongoing. Wyoming and Florida sit in between. There is no single right answer here, it depends on how long you plan to keep the LLC and how much you value predictable annual costs.
Which plan actually fits
The plan fee is not just a bundle of paperwork. It changes what you have to do yourself each year.
- Launch gets you formed and gives you a registered agent, a mailing address, and the AI assistant inside MyCG.AI. It does not include your annual state report filing or your federal tax filings. You or your accountant still need to handle those.
- Run adds the annual state report filing, a consultation with a licensed tax professional, and your business IRS tax filings. It also adds transaction tracking with AI categorization, Stripe invoicing, live financial reports, and monthly and quarterly closings. For most active businesses, this is the plan that actually keeps you compliant without extra vendors.
- Scale adds a dedicated bookkeeper, live call scheduling, expedited EIN as standard, and free dissolution if you ever close the company. This is built for founders who want less back and forth and more direct support.
What is not included, no matter which plan you pick
A few costs sit outside every plan, and it is worth knowing about them before you commit.
- State fee changes. States adjust filing fees and annual report fees over time. The numbers in this article are examples, always confirm the current fee on the state's own site before you file.
- Bank fees. PowerLaunch introduces you to Mercury, Wise Business, or Relay once your EIN is issued, but approval and any account fees are the bank's decision, not PowerLaunch's.
- Tax preparation beyond what's included. Run and Scale include your business IRS tax filings, but personal tax returns and more complex tax planning are separate conversations with your tax professional.
- Federal filings tied to foreign ownership. If you are a non-US owner running a single-member LLC, you are generally required to file Form 5472 along with a pro forma 1120 by April 15 each year. This is a federal requirement regardless of which plan you choose, so make sure whoever handles your books knows about it.
- Beneficial ownership reporting. Under the current 2026 interim FinCEN rule, US-formed companies are exempt from BOI reporting. Rules like this can change, so check for updates rather than assuming this stays fixed forever.
Putting it together
If you are choosing between states purely on cost, look at both the first-year total and the ongoing total, not just one or the other. A state with a low initial fee and a high ongoing fee can cost more over three years than a state with the opposite pattern. If you are choosing between plans, think about how much of the compliance work you want to do yourself. Launch is the leanest option and expects more from you. Run covers the filings most active LLCs need every year. Scale removes almost all of the manual coordination.
Every plan carries the same guarantee. If a formation error is PowerLaunch's fault, it gets corrected at PowerLaunch's cost and that portion of your fee is refunded. State fees themselves are never refundable, since they go straight to the state.
What to do next
If you already know which plan and state fit your plan, you can go straight to checkout at powerlaunch.solutions/signup and get your filing started. If you want to talk through the state comparison, the plan differences, or how the numbers apply to your specific situation, book a free 20-minute consultation on Google Meet at powerlaunch.solutions/book. You can also reach the team any time at contact@powerlaunch.solutions or through the site assistant.
