The cheapest way to start a Wyoming LLC from outside the US (2026)
Francis Webb, Founder, 1 Day EIN
This is general information about published prices, not tax or legal advice. We sell one of the options on this page.
The short answer. The cheapest way is to file it yourself. Wyoming charges $100 to file Articles of Organization (plus a 2.4% card fee online), and you need a registered agent, because Wyoming law requires one. You then apply for the EIN free from the IRS on Form SS-4; the IRS says a fax application generally gets its EIN within 4 business days, and a postal one in about 4 weeks. If you want a service to do it and you have no SSN, the cheapest year one we found is Northwest at $339 ($39 + $200 Foreign EIN Service + the $100 state fee). The often-quoted "$139" leaves the EIN out. 1 Day EIN is $399 all in, including the state fee, the EIN, the registered agent and a US address, with the company and EIN within 24 hours (1 business day) of us having everything we need, or all your money back. Northwest figures re-checked on its own pages on 19 October 2026. Wyoming fees read 19 October 2026.
What each route costs in year one and year two
Single-member Wyoming LLC, owner outside the US, no SSN.
| Route | Year one | Year two | EIN | US address | Form 5472 filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | $100 state fee + a registered agent | $60 minimum annual report licence tax + a registered agent | Free from the IRS; you file Form SS-4 | Not included | You file it, or hire an accountant |
| Northwest | $339 ($39 + $200 Foreign EIN Service + $100 state) | $185 ($125 agent + $60, filed by you) | $200 add-on; no published time | Business address for public filings included (up to five pieces of mail scanned a year); mail forwarding $20 a month | Not offered |
| 1 Day EIN | $399 all in | $200 ($50 registered agent and US address + $150 annual report filed for you, state fee included) | Within 1 business day (Mon–Fri) of formation completing | Included | $200 per tax year, or the $350/yr Compliance Plan covering agent, address, annual report and the 5472 |
Northwest figures from its own pages, re-checked 19 October 2026, and linked in our comparison of eight formation services; its address terms are on its business address page. Wyoming fees from the Secretary of State's fee schedule and filing page, read 19 October 2026. Our prices are from our pricing page.
When the cheap option stops being cheap
- If you need the EIN quickly. Applying yourself, fax is generally within 4 business days on the IRS's own figure, and post takes about 4 weeks (how to apply yourself). Northwest publishes no EIN time. The bank account and the payment processor both wait for the EIN.
- If Form 5472 is due. Whether your LLC has to file depends on its ownership and its reportable transactions. Money you put in or take out counts. Where it is due, the deadline is 15 April, or 15 October with Form 7004, and the IRS penalty is $25,000 per form per year (IRS Instructions for Form 5472). Check your own facts with a tax professional. Northwest does not offer the filing. Our Compliance Plan covers it for $350 a year.
- If you need a US address for your mail. Northwest's free business address is for public filings and scans up to five pieces of mail a year; for all your mail it sells Mail Forwarding at $20 a month. Ours is a legal and mail address with mail opened and scanned to your portal, included in year one and renewing with the registered agent at $50 a year from year two.
When to pick the cheaper route
If your timeline is soft, you only need an address for public filings, and the 5472 filing does not apply to you (or an accountant already handles it), then doing it yourself or using Northwest is the cheaper answer, and we would rather tell you so. If you need a state other than Wyoming or Colorado, we cannot help, and Northwest covers all 50. Not sure which state? See Wyoming or Colorado for a non-resident LLC.