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A Texas LLC costs $300 to form. That is the Secretary of State's fee for the Certificate of Formation, Form 205. The recurring state cost is tied to revenue, not to a flat report fee. At or below $2,650,000 in revenue no franchise tax is due, though you still file a report with the Texas Comptroller by May 15 each year.
For the search side of Texas records, see our Texas business entity search guide. This page is about what you pay.
First year and each year after
All amounts are state charges from the Secretary of State fee schedule (Form 806) and the Comptroller's franchise tax page.
| Item | When you pay it | Texas state fee |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Formation (Form 205) | Once, to form | $300 |
| Franchise tax | Each year by May 15 | None at or below $2,650,000 revenue |
| Public Information Report or Ownership Information Report | Each year, if no tax is due | Filed with the Comptroller |
| Late report penalty | Only if filed after the due date | $50 per report |
| Name reservation (Form 501), optional | Before you file | $40 for 120 days |
| Certificate of Fact, status, optional | When a bank or another state asks | $15 |
| Standard expedite, optional | With a filing | $50 |
| Next day or same day expedite, optional | With a filing | $500 or $750 |
So the minimum state cost in year one is $300. In later years it can be zero in fees, as long as revenue stays at or below the threshold and you file the report on time. Above the threshold, the Comptroller works out the tax from your report, and we do not estimate it here.
Sources: Form 806 fee schedule and the Comptroller's franchise tax page.
If your LLC was formed in another state
An LLC from another state that does business in Texas must register. The application for registration, Form 304, costs $750 (Form 806 fee schedule). Once registered, it has the same Comptroller filings as a Texas LLC. Our foreign LLC registration guide explains when registration is needed.
This matters if you are weighing a different home state. Forming elsewhere and then registering in Texas means paying that state's fee, the $750 here, and two sets of yearly filings.
Costs the state fees leave out
- Registered agent. Every Texas LLC names one. It must be a Texas resident or a qualifying entity, and the LLC cannot be its own agent. A paid agent service is a private cost and varies.
- Legal or tax help. An attorney or accountant is optional and priced privately.
- EIN. Free. The IRS says "You never have to pay a fee for an EIN" on its EIN page. See EIN for an LLC.
- Search fees. A search on the Secretary of State's system is $1, and it is waived when you order from the results (Form 806).
- Local permits. Cities and counties set their own.
What pushes the Texas total up
The biggest swing is the franchise tax itself. Crossing the $2,650,000 threshold turns a report with no tax into a tax bill (Comptroller's franchise tax page).
The next is missing May 15. Each late report adds $50 (Comptroller's franchise tax page). If tax is due, the Comptroller also collects penalty and interest on it. Leave it long enough and the Comptroller can forfeit the LLC's right to do business in Texas, which then takes more filings to fix.
Speed is the third. Paying $500 or $750 for next day or same day handling can more than double the formation bill. Source: Form 806 fee schedule.
Checking the numbers yourself
Fees change by rule. Before you file, open Form 806 and the Comptroller page above and compare. To compare Texas with other states, use our LLC fees by state table. To add up Texas fees over several years, try the LLC cost calculator.
To go from cost to action, see how to start an LLC in Texas.