Indiana LLC or Delaware LLC?
If you run your business in Indiana, here's what each route costs in state fees.
The short answer
For a business that operates in Indiana, forming in Delaware costs about $2,135 more over five years in state fees alone — before paying for a registered agent in Delaware.
Form in Indiana
Indiana
Articles of Organization, Domestic Limited Liability Company (State Form 49459)$100
Business Entity Report (State Form 48725)$50 / 2 yrs
Year one$100
Each year after$25
5-year total$200
Form in Delaware, register in Indiana
Delaware
Certificate of Formation$110
Annual LLC tax payment (no separate report)$0
LLC annual tax$400 / yr
Indiana (foreign registration)
Foreign Registration Statement$125
Business Entity Report (State Form 48725)$50 / 2 yrs
Year one$635
Each year after$425
5-year total$2,335
What the fees don't show
- Forming in Delaware while operating in Indiana 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.