Arkansas LLC or Delaware LLC?
If you run your business in Arkansas, here's what each route costs in state fees.
The short answer
For a business that operates in Arkansas, forming in Delaware costs about $2,360 more over five years in state fees alone — before paying for a registered agent in Delaware.
Form in Arkansas
Arkansas
Certificate of Organization (Form LL-01)$50
Annual Franchise Tax Report (report and tax combined; tax recorded in state_taxes)$0
Franchise tax (LLC)$150 / yr
Year one$50
Each year after$150
5-year total$650
Form in Delaware, register in Arkansas
Delaware
Certificate of Formation$110
Annual LLC tax payment (no separate report)$0
LLC annual tax$400 / yr
Arkansas (foreign registration)
Application for Certificate of Registration of Foreign LLC (Form FL-01); $270 online$300
Annual Franchise Tax Report (report and tax combined; tax recorded in state_taxes)$0
Franchise tax (LLC)$150 / yr
Year one$810
Each year after$550
5-year total$3,010
What the fees don't show
- Forming in Delaware while operating in Arkansas means two sets of reports and two sets of deadlines, adding about $400 a year.
- You need a registered agent with a street address in Delaware. If you don't have one there, that's a paid service every year.
- Out-of-state formation makes the most sense when you raise outside investment, operate in many states, or have a specific legal reason — not as a default.
State fees only, from each state's official fee pages. Not legal or tax advice.