Start & Incorporate
How to register a company in the US, the UK, India and other countries, what it costs, and which formation services will do it for you.
Post · Cross-border incorporation
Forming the company takes days. Everything that has to follow it, from the EIN by fax to a bank account, Stripe, a card and the first year's filing calendar, takes most of three months for a founder abroad. Here's the order I'd follow, with a link to the full guide for each part.
· 7 min read
Guide · Company formation
The cheapest way to form an LLC is to file it yourself on your state's website and pay only the state fee, from $35 in Montana to $300 in Texas. Everything else can be free. Here's how, and what to watch for.
· 7 min read
Guide · Cross-border incorporation
You don't need to live in the US or hold a visa to form a US company. Here's the full process for founders abroad: LLC or C corp, Delaware or Wyoming, an EIN without an SSN, banking, payments, and the filings that catch foreign owners out.
· 8 min read
Guide · Company formation
Forming an LLC takes a few hundred dollars in state fees and one to two weeks. Here is every step in order, what each one costs, and which paid extras you don't need.
· 8 min read
Guide · Company formation
For most owners, the best state to form an LLC is the state where they live and work. Forming in Delaware or Wyoming usually means registering at home too and paying both states. Here's the math, and the exceptions.
· 7 min read
Guide · Compliance and filings
Most states require an annual or biennial report to keep an LLC active, from $7 in Pennsylvania to $138.75 in Florida, and some add a yearly tax, like California's $800. Miss it and the state can dissolve your LLC. Here's what's due and when.
· 7 min read
Guide · Company formation
Every LLC needs a registered agent: a person or company with an address in the state who accepts legal papers during business hours. You can be your own for free, or pay $125 to $249 a year. Here's how to choose.
· 7 min read
Guide · Contracts and legal
An operating agreement sets out who owns your LLC, who decides what, and what happens when someone wants out. Here's what it should cover, which states require one, and when a free template stops being enough.
· 7 min read
Guide · Compliance and filings
US-formed LLCs and corporations no longer file beneficial ownership information reports with FinCEN. The final rule took effect on August 14, 2026. Only foreign companies registered to do business in a US state still report. Here's what that means for you.
· 7 min read
Guide · Legal structure
An S corp isn't a separate kind of company, it's a tax election an LLC can make. The real choice is between an LLC, taxed simply or as an S corp, and a C corporation built for investors.
· 7 min read
Guide · Company formation
An EIN is free from the IRS and takes about 15 minutes online. Here is what to have ready, the hours the online application is open, the mistakes that cause trouble later, and the fax, mail and phone routes for everyone else.
· 7 min read
Guide · Compliance and filings
Most businesses need at least one license or permit, but there's no single national license. Here's how the federal, state and local layers work, the permits people forget, and a step-by-step way to find yours.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Cross-border incorporation
For a Delaware C corporation you'll raise on, Stripe Atlas is hard to beat at $500. For an LLC, doola's Starter plan is the cheapest all-in bundle at $297 a year, and its Tax and Compliance plan covers the Form 5472 filing. Firstbase forms cheaply but charges more for its agent.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Company formation
The best LLC formation service depends on what you need after the filing. Northwest has the lowest ongoing cost and the best privacy, Bizee the cheapest first year with an EIN, ZenBusiness the most bundled compliance, LegalZoom the attorney access.
· 7 min read