Cenk Karakuz
Founder · LLC State Guide · Vancouver, BC
I built LLC State Guide because the existing resources were either locked behind paywalls, written by formation services with a financial incentive to upsell, or so generic that they gave the same answer for every state regardless of how different the rules actually are.
Background
I’ve spent several years researching U.S. business formation, tax structures, and state-level compliance requirements as a founder and operator building digital products across multiple jurisdictions. LLC State Guide grew out of my own frustration with guides that said “it depends on your state” without ever explaining what, exactly, it depends on and why.
Every guide on this site is built directly from the Secretary of State filing portal, the official fee schedule, and the relevant state statutes — not a generic template with the state name swapped in. I update each state’s page when filing fees change, when annual report rules shift, or when a state redesigns its online portal.
What I cover
- State-specific LLC filing fees, processing times, and form names for all 50 states
- Annual report obligations, franchise taxes, and ongoing compliance calendars
- State tax climates — income tax, franchise tax, B&O tax, gross-receipts tax
- Registered agent rules and privacy protections (Wyoming, New Mexico, Delaware)
- Publication requirements (New York, Arizona, Nebraska)
- How-to guides: EIN, FinCEN BOI, operating agreements, multi-state qualification
- Cost comparisons: formation services, holding company structures, Series LLCs
Editorial standards
Every factual claim in a state guide is tied to a primary source — the Secretary of State portal, state statute, or the relevant tax authority. I don’t cite other LLC guide websites as sources. Filing fees are verified against the official portal fee schedule, not third-party aggregators.
Content is reviewed and updated at minimum once per quarter. If a state changes its fees or procedures between review cycles, I update the affected guide as soon as I’m aware of the change. A “Updated [date]” timestamp on each guide reflects when that specific page was last reviewed against official sources.
This site does not sell LLC formation services and is not affiliated with any formation service. The only affiliate relationship on the site is Northwest Registered Agent, which I use myself and recommend for registered agent service. That relationship is disclosed on every page where it’s relevant.
Contact
For corrections, factual updates, or research inquiries: hello@llcstateguide.com
For partnership or media inquiries, see the press & data page.