The real cost of a US LLC in year two
Francis Webb, Founder, 1 Day EIN LLC
Formation is a one-off. Being a US company is not. The number that decides whether you formed in the right place is almost never the year-one headline — it is what you pay every year afterwards to still exist, and what you pay if the annual federal filing turns out to be due.
This page prices year two on one worked example. The full seven-provider comparison, with every figure linked to the page it was read from, is in Best US LLC formation services for non-US residents. Competitor figures below were read for that guide on 8 September 2026. Prices move — check the linked pages before you buy.
What "year two" actually means
For a non-US founder with a Wyoming or Colorado LLC, three recurring lines show up after the first year. Not every line applies to every company.
| Line | What it is | Our price |
|---|---|---|
| Registered agent + US business address | A required agent with a physical address in the state, plus a real US street address for mail | $50/year from year two |
| State annual report | Wyoming and Colorado both require a yearly report to stay in good standing | $150/year, state fee included |
| Form 5472 with a pro-forma 1120 | An annual federal information filing for some foreign-owned LLCs | $200/year, where the filing is due |
Bought separately those come to $400. The Compliance Plan is $350/year and covers all of them — $50 less than buying them apart, and available whether the LLC was formed with us or somewhere else.
Two things to understand before adding anything up.
A registered agent is not optional. Wyoming and Colorado both require one. A year-two price that leaves the agent out is not a price you can actually run on.
Form 5472 is not universal. Whether your LLC has to file depends on its ownership and on the transactions it had during the year. We prepare and file it where it is due. Where a filing is due, the deadline is 15 April for the previous calendar year, and IRS penalties for failing to file start at $25,000 — which is why this one line dominates the comparison when it applies.
So: if the federal filing does not apply to you, year two with us is $200. If it does, the Compliance Plan at $350 is the whole compliance year in one invoice.
Year two without the federal filing
The same worked example as the comparison guide: a single-member Wyoming LLC owned by one non-US resident, with an EIN, and Wyoming's own fees added to every provider that does not already include them.
| Provider | Year two | Made up of |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest | $185 | $125 agent + $60 Wyoming, filed by you |
| 1 Day EIN | $200 | $50 agent and address + $150 annual report filed for you, Wyoming's fee included |
| LegalZoom | $309 | $249 agent + $60 Wyoming |
| doola | $357 | $297 Starter recurring in full + $60 Wyoming |
| Firstbase | $359 | $299 agent, which states it includes annual report filing, + $60 Wyoming |
Competitor figures as at 8 September 2026, from the pages linked in the comparison guide.
Northwest is cheaper than us here — $185 against $200 — and cheaper in year one too, $339 against our $399. What you give up for that gap is a US business address, which they charge $29 a month for and we include; a published EIN turnaround, which they do not offer at all; and the filing in the next section, which they do not do. If none of those three matter to you, buy from Northwest.
doola's year-one headline sits within two dollars of ours once Wyoming's fee is added. Year two does not: $357 against $200, because their plan recurs in full every year. Firstbase and LegalZoom land in the same band once the agent renews.
Year two when Form 5472 is due
This is the table most comparison pages skip.
| Provider | Year two with the filing | How |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Day EIN | $350 | Compliance Plan — agent, US address, annual report and the 5472/1120 |
| Clemta | $1,128 | Pro at $1,068, the cheapest plan including the filing, + $60 Wyoming |
| Firstbase | $1,258 | $299 agent + $899 filing + $60 Wyoming |
| doola | $2,059 | Tax and Compliance at $1,999 + $60 Wyoming |
| Northwest | Not offered | You find and pay an accountant separately |
| LegalZoom | Not offered | You find and pay an accountant separately |
The spread is not tens of dollars. It is $350 against $1,128, $1,258 and $2,059 — and against two providers who do not offer the filing at all.
One point in Firstbase's favour: $899 is a published price for the filing alone, which is more useful than a bundle you cannot unpack. doola's and Clemta's filing sits inside a larger subscription that also covers bookkeeping — which we do not offer at any price.
The Compliance Plan covers the work and the fees. It does not invent your figures: when the filing falls due we still need you to confirm two totals for the tax year — money paid from the LLC to the owner, and money paid from the owner to the LLC.
Three years, not one headline
Formation plus two full compliance years is the honest horizon.
| Provider | Three years, filing due each year |
|---|---|
| 1 Day EIN | $1,099 — $399 + $350 + $350 |
| Clemta | $2,705 |
| Firstbase | $3,014 |
| doola | $4,515 |
If the federal filing does not apply to you, the same three years cost $709 with Northwest, $799 with us ($399 + $200 + $200), and about $1,216 with LegalZoom. Northwest is still under us, because you are buying less.
Which of those two situations you are in is a question about your own company, and no comparison page can answer it for you.
Wyoming and Colorado
We form in Wyoming and Colorado only. Both require a yearly report to stay in good standing, and our filing service is $150 for either state with the state's own fee included.
For reference, those state fees are public: Wyoming is $60 a year (or two-tenths of one mill on Wyoming assets, whichever is greater) per the Wyoming Secretary of State fee schedule, and Colorado is $25 per the Colorado Secretary of State fee schedule. Both read 11 September 2026.
You can file either yourself and pay only the state fee. Our $150 is for doing it for you and not missing it.
So what should you budget?
- Every year after the first: the registered agent, and a US address if you need one. With us that is $50.
- Plus the state report: $150 with us for either state, fee included — or file it yourself and pay $60 or $25.
- Plus Form 5472 with a pro-forma 1120, only if it applies to your LLC: $200.
- All of it on one renewal date and one invoice: the Compliance Plan, $350/year.
If the federal filing does not apply, you do not need a US business address, and you do not need a published EIN date, Northwest's year-two number is the cheapest here. That is a real answer and we would rather give it.
If you are forming now and want the year-two bill visible before you pay: Complete LLC Registration + EIN is $399 all in for Wyoming or Colorado, with all state and filing fees included and the EIN in one business day (Mon-Fri) once formation completes. If your company is not formed and your EIN not issued within 72 hours of us having everything we need from you, you get all of your money back — including the state filing fee we have already paid. The one exception is a state office or the IRS being closed or unavailable; full terms.
Already have the company? A standalone EIN is $100, paid only once the EIN has actually been issued. Already trading and just need the renewals? The Compliance Plan is $350 a year.
This page is general information about published prices and services, not tax or legal advice. Competitor year-two and three-year figures come from the comparison guide, read 8 September 2026. We re-check every figure quarterly; the next check is due 1 December 2026. Confirm current competitor pricing on their own sites before deciding.