Pennsylvania LLC or Delaware LLC?
If you run your business in Pennsylvania, here's what each route costs in state fees.
The short answer
For a business that operates in Pennsylvania, forming in Delaware costs about $2,235 more over five years in state fees alone — before paying for a registered agent in Delaware.
Form in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Certificate of Organization – Domestic Limited Liability Company (DSCB:15-8821)$125
Annual Report$7 / yr
Year one$125
Each year after$7
5-year total$153
Form in Delaware, register in Pennsylvania
Delaware
Certificate of Formation$110
Annual LLC tax payment (no separate report)$0
LLC annual tax$400 / yr
Pennsylvania (foreign registration)
Foreign Registration Statement$250
Annual Report$7 / yr
Year one$760
Each year after$407
5-year total$2,388
What the fees don't show
- Forming in Delaware while operating in Pennsylvania 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.