LLC Costs in Illinois (IL)
$350 all-in for your first year - $150 to file, $75 annual report, plus a registered agent. Illinois is $33 (9%) cheaper than the national average for first-year LLC costs.
Annual report is due before the first day of the LLC's anniversary month. Illinois has the Chicago area which offers access to major markets and talent.
Updated 2025 · Source: Illinois Secretary of State
Higher Articles filing fee
Higher Articles filing fee. $150 one-time SOS filing sits in the top third of Articles/formation fees nationwide.Forming an LLC in Illinois costs about $350 in the first year, top-third of the 51-row book, about 9% above the national average, ranking #35 of 51. Fees are those published by the Illinois Secretary of State; registered agent is a $125/yr market-rate line, not a vendor quote.
According to the Illinois Secretary of State fee schedule; registered agent normalized at $125/yr. See methodology. How we calculate →
Published SOS fee schedule
Fee strip IL · Illinois SOS FY 2026 · rank #35
Illinois · $350 · file $150 · no pub
- PROC $150
- VS-AVG $75
- ARTICLES $350
- BIENNIAL #35/51
- SCHEDULE near Kansas
- REPORT 9% below avg
Dear-third stack: stamps derive from this state's Secretary of State fee schedule, not a recommendation of where to form. Read with tax planning against a dear SOS stack → · All 51 SOS fee rows →
How the dear-third $350 stack breaks down
- State filing fee $150
- Annual Report (yr 1) $75
- Registered agent $125
| Cost Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| State Filing Fee | $150 |
| Annual Report | $75 |
| Registered Agent | $125/yr |
| Expedited Filing (optional) | $100 |
| Total, First Year | $350 |
Ongoing tax burden after formation
Illinois's effective property tax rate of 2.01% ranks among the highest nationally, an ongoing cost that can exceed the $350 formation fee above within a year or two for a property-owning LLC.
Sources: Tax Foundation state corporate tax rates, Census ACS effective property tax rates.
Illinois SOS fee strip (high filing)
Similar Cost States
Lower-cost escapes
Jurisdictions with a lower first-year SOS-fee total than dear-third IL:
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Report a data error on this page.
Sources used on this page
- Illinois Secretary of State - LLC filing fee, annual-report requirement, and processing time. www.ilsos.gov
- Federation of Tax Administrators - cross-check of state fee and tax figures. taxadmin.org