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Starting a limited liability company in Wisconsin involves a set of costs. In general, the cost of forming an LLC anywhere is much lower than the cost of establishing a corporation or other business structures. To start an LLC in Wisconsin, you pay $130 (and $170 for offline filing) as a filing fee. There are other types of fees, like annual reports, licenses, permits, and state taxes (if applicable).
In this article, the LLCBuddy team has summed up the overall projected LLC cost in Wyoming. From initial filing fee to maintenance cost, and to annual taxes, you will get it covered here!
Cost of LLC Filing in Wisconsin
The cost to start an LLC anywhere in the US includes many things. Apart from the initial filing fee, it involves license and permit fees, tax filing, sales taxes, other local and state government fees, etc.
Cost of Filing Formation Certificates
The main cost associated with an LLC is the filing fee paid to the state. The fee is different based on which state you’re in. In Wisconsin, the filing fee is $130. Once you file the Wisconsin Certificate of Formation, you must pay the fees to the Wisconsin Secretary of State at the time of form submission. Apart from the filing fee, some other fees and costs are mentioned below,
Wisconsin Domestic LLC
- Online Filing costs $130
- Offline Filing (PDF) costs $170
- Annual Report Fee costs $40 ($25 for online filing)
- Name Reservation fee costs $10
By mail: Fill out the LLC filing form (PDF) and submit it to the following address: State of WI – Dept. of Financial Institutions, P.O. Box 93348, Milwaukee, WI 53293.
Wisconsin Foreign LLC
- Online filing costs $100
- Offline filing (PDF) costs $100
- Annual Report Fee costs $80 ($65 for online filing)
- Name Reservation fee costs $10
By mail: Fill out the Foreign LLC Form PDF and submit it to the following address: State of WI – Dept. of Financial Institutions, P.O. Box 93348, Milwaukee, WI 53293. You can visit the Official Wisconsin Department of Revenue website to learn more about Business filings.
Note that filing online is ideal, not only because you do not need to go to the Department of Revenue office, but also because it would be faster. You won’t have to wait in a queue to do so.
Wisconsin LLC Formation Service or Registered Agent Fee
Hiring a registered agent in Wisconsin is necessary while forming an LLC. LLC formation cost includes the cost of hiring a registered agent. You can be your own registered agent; however, that is not recommended, as a registered agent has to be present at the official physical address during working hours. Here are the best LLC services in Wisconsin that offer registered agent services as well.
LLC Service | Our Rating & Pricing | Top Features | Learn More |
#1 TOP PICK  | $0 + State Fees |
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 | $0 + State Fees |
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Business Permits and Licenses
The business licenses depend on your business’s activity and location and are renewed yearly. As such, the cost will vary. Check the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for regulatory boards or agencies requiring licensing.
Wisconsin LLC Taxes to be Paid
The business LLCs in the State are subject to different tax filing obligations. Though the taxes may vary among cities and counties.
Wisconsin State Income Tax: This is the State Tax levied on any income you pay to yourself. The tax rate varies between 3.54% to 7.65%, depending on the total amount of taxable income.
Wisconsin Sales Tax: The standard rate of sales tax applicable is at the rate of 5.00% and the rate can go higher up to 5.6% after the addition of local county tax.
Wisconsin Federal Self-Employment Tax: Any profit that Wisconsin LLC Business members draw out from the business is liable to pay self-employment tax. The standard tax rate is 15.3%.
Employer Payroll Tax Withholding: If you hire employees in Wisconsin, you must withhold payroll tax from their salaries. The standard rate of withholding is 7.65% of the taxable salary of the employees.
Wisconsin Property Tax: The State imposes one of the highest property taxes in the country. The State’s average property tax is 1.68% which generally applies to furnishings and equipment owned by businesses in the State.
Cost Comparison Among States
Every state has different costs of filing for an LLC with its respective State Authorities. If you wish to gain a better understanding of the costs of opening an LLC in a different state in comparison to Wisconsin, read the table below:
| State | Filing Fee | Annual Fee/Biennial Fee | Sales tax |
| Wisconsin LLC | $130 | $25 (annual) | 5.00% |
| Minnesota LLC | $135 (mail)$155 (online) | $0 | 6.875% |
| Michigan LLC | $50 | $25 (annual) | 6% |
| Illinois LLC | $150 | $75 (annual) | 6.25% |
| Iowa LLC | $50 | $45 (Biennial) | 6% |
The contributing sectors to Wisconsin’s economy are manufacturing, agriculture, and health care. Other sectors include tourism and information technology. The State falls in the higher-income states in the United States.
Other Costs
- Wisconsin Name Reservation: $15 for filing by mail
- Doing Business As (DBA): $15 for online filing
- Certified Document Copies: $10
- Certified of Good Standing: $10
- Business Domain Name and Website: depend on your preference, but the domain name could be as low as $2.99/yr at NameCheap, and web hosting is at least $30/mo at Kinsta.
- Online workspace: at least $4.20/mo for GSuite.
- Business Insurance: would vary depending on insurance type–whether general liability insurance or professional liability insurance–and coverage.
- Dissolution of Wisconsin LLC: $20
F.A.Qs
It is possible to form an LLC without professional help, but forms still have associated costs, regardless of where your LLC is formed.
It is difficult to say whether forming an LLC is expensive. Nevertheless, the cost could be anywhere from $40 to $500. If you refuse to hire professionals, you’ll still have expenses like form fees to cover.
The need to separate personal money from business funds, thus necessitating the creation of a business bank account for your LLC.
In Conclusion
The cost of doing business in Wisconsin is much lower compared to other states. Apart from the state filing fees and annual taxes, you might bear the cost of the registered agent. Compare the prices of professional LLC services and choose the most affordable one. Hiring professionals, like LegalZoom, which offers LLC formation at $0, can be profitable, as there will be no additional cost to form an LLC.