The useful question is not which formation service has the lowest opening price. It is which service handles the work your company needs, both now and next year.
We publish this comparison and sell formation services ourselves. That gives us a commercial interest, which is why we include our limits alongside other providers’ capabilities. Inclusion here does not imply a partnership or endorsement.
1. Start with entity and state fit
An LLC and a C-Corporation have different ownership and tax structures. Decide which suits your business before comparing packages. Our LLC versus C-Corp guide explains the choice.
| Route | Entity and state fit | A reason to consider it |
|---|---|---|
| Nonresident Tax | Single-member LLCs in Wyoming or Delaware; other structures by request | Formation with optional ongoing filing and books |
| doola | LLC or C-Corp; advertises LLC formation across all 50 states | A wider state choice with tax and bookkeeping packages |
| Firstbase | LLCs and corporations in Wyoming or Delaware | Formation plus separately selected or bundled back-office services |
| Northwest Registered Agent | LLC formation across all 50 states | State filing and registered-agent support |
| Stripe Atlas | Delaware LLC, C-Corp, or C-Corp subsidiary | Delaware formation with startup equity documents |
| Self-file | Whatever structure the chosen state’s process supports | Direct control when you can manage the paperwork |
Provider sources are linked below. If employees, premises, or inventory connect you to another state, forming in Wyoming does not settle all registration or tax questions.
Home-country treatment matters too. See our guides for residents of the UK, Germany, India, France, and Brazil before choosing a structure.
2. Nonresident Tax: what our plans cover
As of October 2026, our formation plans for individually owned single-member LLCs are $199 per year for Formation Essentials and $1,999 per year for Full Compliance, in USD. State fees are separate. Formation and EIN setup happen once; these are annual subscriptions.
Essentials includes registration, the EIN (federal tax ID) application, an Operating Agreement, registered agent, business address, digital mailroom, and email support. Tax filing and bookkeeping are separate.
Full Compliance adds federal filing, Wyoming or Delaware state compliance filing, bookkeeping, financial statements, and priority support. Government fees remain additional. See pricing before ordering.
Our federal filing scope has limits. Form 1065 partnership returns are coming soon; we do not file them yet. Form 1040-NR preparation is limited to the owner’s return associated with the single-member LLC’s US business income. Other personal income returns are outside that scope.
Where an ITIN (individual tax ID) is needed for that supported return, we prepare Form W-7 and the customer mails the package. Confirm classification, tax year, and any additional state work before buying.
3. doola and Firstbase: compare the selected package
doola’s pricing page separates Starter, Tax and Compliance, and Business-in-a-Box services. Its stated formation scope includes an LLC or C-Corp, EIN, and US business address. Its formation page describes registered-agent service. Higher packages add tax work and bookkeeping.
doola also advertises LLC formation in all 50 states. Ask which package covers your required federal forms, annual state filing, and bookkeeping close. Software that imports transactions and a bookkeeper who reconciles them are different services.
Firstbase Start describes Wyoming and Delaware formation and EIN assistance. Its pricing page separates registered-agent, Mailroom, accounting, and tax-filing services; Firstbase One bundles services.
Firstbase advertises bookkeeper live chat within its accounting offering. Ask which support applies to formation questions versus tax preparation. Request the renewal price for every subscription, not only the initial incorporation charge.
Both providers may suit someone wanting several services in one platform. Neither comparison should depend on a promotional headline alone.
4. Northwest and Atlas: different starting points
Northwest’s LLC service focuses on state formation and support from its Corporate Guides. It also describes an EIN service for non-US citizens.
Ask whether the quoted order includes that EIN service, registered-agent renewal, and the mail service you need. Do not assume a formation order includes foreign-owner federal returns or monthly bookkeeping. This route may fit someone who already has a tax preparer and wants state-level assistance.
Stripe Atlas supports Delaware LLCs and C-Corporations, not only venture-backed corporations. Its formation documentation describes EIN assistance and one year of registered-agent service, which renews annually.
Atlas’s registered-agent address is not a general mail-forwarding address. Its tax guidance points to tax and accounting partners rather than promising those services inside formation.
Atlas is worth comparing when Delaware and its standard startup documents fit your plans. Banking and Stripe Payments still have their own reviews.
5. Self-filing is a real baseline
You can handle the state application and arrange a registered agent yourself. You also manage the EIN application, company agreement, records, and future filings.
The saving is the service fee, not every cost of owning a company. State charges, an agent if needed, and any professional advice remain. Our Wyoming formation guide and Delaware formation guide explain the steps.
Self-filing can fit an owner who understands the process and has reliable tax support. It is less attractive if coordinating several providers is the work you want to delegate.
6. Get these answers in writing
Use the same checklist with every provider:
- What is payable today, next year, and separately to the state?
- Does EIN assistance cover a responsible party without an SSN?
- What mail is scanned, forwarded, stored, or charged separately?
- Which federal forms and tax years are included?
- Are state tax returns distinct from annual-report filing?
- Who reconciles the books, how often, and in which software?
- Who answers questions, through which channel, and during what hours?
- How do cancellation, refunds, data exports, and agent replacement work?
Our accounting service reconciles monthly and prepares financial statements. It is an annual subscription that renews unless canceled; refund terms are in our Terms of Service.
Other terms differ. For example, Firstbase’s Mailroom terms include notice and address-change requirements for cancellation. Read the terms for the actual product ordered.
Canceling a subscription does not dissolve the LLC. Keep an agent in place and arrange outstanding filings when switching providers. A mailing address also does not establish a bank-acceptable operating address.
7. FAQ
Which service is best for a foreign-owned single-member LLC?
Choose by confirmed filing scope, state fit, support, and renewal costs. There is no universal winner. Ask for a written quote using your ownership and business facts.
Does every compliance package include Form 5472?
Do not assume so. Ask about Form 5472 with the pro-forma Form 1120, the covered tax year, and submission records.
Can I buy formation and use another accountant?
Yes. Confirm you can download company documents and bookkeeping data. Tell both providers who owns each filing responsibility.
Will formation get me a bank account or Stripe?
It prepares company documents, not an approval. Read the banking checklist before committing.
Sources checked October 2026
Official provider pages linked above and Nonresident Tax’s current formation, pricing, federal-tax, and accounting content were checked October 18, 2026. Packages change; confirm inclusions and renewal terms before payment.
