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Delaware is the most-formed LLC state in the country, and it's also the state people most often over-prepare for — they go looking for an "annual report" deadline that, for an LLC, does not exist. A Delaware LLC has exactly one recurring state obligation: a flat $300 annual franchise tax, due on or before June 1 each year. That's it. No report, no per-share math, no sliding scale.
| Obligation | Who owes it | When it's due | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual franchise tax | Every Delaware LLC (domestic and foreign) | On or before June 1 each year, for the prior calendar year | $300 flat |
| Annual report | LLCs — not required (only corporations file one) | — | — |
| Registered agent | Every Delaware LLC | Ongoing — must be maintained continuously | Varies by agent |
This is the confusion that sends Delaware owners in circles. Delaware corporations file an annual report and pay a franchise tax that's calculated (Authorized Shares method or Assumed Par Value method), with a $175 minimum that climbs quickly for companies with many authorized shares. Delaware LLCs, LPs, and general partnerships do none of that: no report, no share math — just the single flat $300. If you formed an LLC and you're reading corporate-franchise-tax instructions, you're reading the wrong page.
The flat rate is also why Delaware feels cheap to maintain year to year: the same $300 whether your LLC did $0 or $50 million in revenue. What trips owners up isn't the amount — it's forgetting the date, because Delaware doesn't tie it to your formation anniversary the way many states tie their reports. It's June 1 for everyone, every year.
Delaware applies a fixed penalty and running interest, per the Division of Corporations' instructions:
Beyond the dollars, an LLC that stops paying the annual tax loses its good standing, and continued non-payment can lead the state to cancel the LLC. Losing good standing is the practical problem long before cancellation: it's what blocks you when you need a Certificate of Good Standing to open a bank account, close a financing, register the LLC to do business in another state, or sell the company. The fix is to pay the back tax plus penalty and interest to bring the entity current.
The annual tax is paid online through the Delaware Division of Corporations' portal — you'll need the entity's file number (or exact name) to pull it up. Because there's no report to complete for an LLC, the payment itself is the entire filing. Many owners have their registered agent pay it and pass through the cost; either way, the legal responsibility to make sure it's paid stays with the LLC.
One flat tax, one date — and the date is the whole problem. EntityMinder tracks the June 1 Delaware deadline (and every other state where you hold an entity) on one calendar, with reminders before it's due so a $300 tax never becomes $300 + $200 + interest.
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