The right answer is boring: it depends on one question. Are you raising venture capital or not?
- Delaware: more expensive in franchise taxes and fees, but investors know it, the courts have centuries of rulings, and every term sheet assumes it. Founders who pick cheaper and convert at the seed round pay twice. - Wyoming: the quiet favorite for most small online businesses. Strong privacy, low fees, no state income tax. For a bootstrapped SaaS or agency, easy math. - Nevada: still no state income tax and privacy-friendly, but fees have crept up and the commerce tax muddies the pitch. Rarely the best pick anymore.
After filing, maintenance is where people slip: annual reports, franchise tax, agent renewals. Track them somewhere or pay penalties for forgetting. State choice is not the whole tax plan either; federal obligations apply regardless. Compare all three on data, then let IncorpTrack file your US LLC or corp for $49 plus the state fee, EIN and banking included.