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LLC Costs · Verified June 13, 2026

What a New York LLC actually costs (2026)

New York's $200 filing fee is only the down payment. The real, budget-breaking cost is the publication requirement — six weeks of newspaper notices that cost a few hundred dollars upstate and can pass $1,500 in New York City. No other big state has anything like it.

By Abdullah Riahi, Founder & Editor·August 28, 2026·6 min read
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The short answer

A New York LLC costs $200 to file, plus a $9 biennial statement and a registered agent (~$125/yr) — about $325 in year one. Five-year cost: $218 in state fees acting as your own agent, or $843 with a typical $125/yr registered-agent service. Where you form in New York changes the price more than any other state decision: the same LLC's publication bill runs ~$300 in Albany County and $1,000–$2,000+ in Manhattan. Every figure on this page was verified against the official state source on June 13, 2026.
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The full New York LLC cost table

CostAmountRequired?
New York state filing fee$200 one-timeYes
Recurring state cost$9 every 2 years — Biennial StatementYes
Registered agent$0 as your own agent, or ~$125/yr for a serviceYes (one or the other)
EIN (federal tax ID)$0 direct from the IRSUsually
First-year total$200 as your own agent · $325 with a service
Five-year total$218 as your own agent · $843 with a service

First-year total excludes NY's one-time publication requirement (~$600–$1,200 depending on county, due within 120 days).

The publication requirement: New York's unique surcharge

Within 120 days of forming, a New York LLC must publish a formation notice in two newspapers designated by the county clerk, once a week for six weeks, then file a $50 Certificate of Publication. The newspapers charge what the market bears: roughly $300 total in upstate counties, and $1,000–$2,000+ in New York City, where the designated papers know exactly why you're calling. Miss the 120-day window and the LLC's authority to do business is suspended until you comply.

The well-known workaround is real: the notice runs in the county of the LLC's office address — which is why many NYC businesses list a registered agent's upstate address and publish there legally for a fraction of the cost. It's the single biggest saving available in New York formation, and it's a big part of why agent services are more popular here than almost anywhere.

After publication, New York is oddly cheap — with an income-based asterisk

The recurring obligations are mild: a $9 Biennial Statement every two years — genuinely one of the lowest report fees in the country — plus the piece most guides bury: an income-based annual LLC fee (Form IT-204-LL) to the Tax Department, ranging from $25 for LLCs with New York-source income over $100k up to $4,500 at the top bracket. An LLC with no New York-source income owes no IT-204-LL fee at all. So a typical small New York LLC's steady-state cost is a few dollars a year to the Department of State — the pain is almost entirely front-loaded into that first 120 days.

Check the math for your exact situation

Our LLC cost calculator computes first-year and five-year totals for all 51 jurisdictions from the same verified dataset as this page — including New York — and the full table is downloadable as CSV.

Form your New York LLC with Northwest →$39 + New York's $200 state fee · registered agent free for year one · see our full review for how we score them

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Frequently asked questions

How much does the New York LLC publication requirement cost?expand_more
It depends entirely on the county: roughly $300 total in most upstate counties, and $1,000–$2,000+ in New York City, plus the $50 Certificate of Publication filing. The notice must run in two county-designated newspapers for six consecutive weeks within 120 days of formation. Publishing in a cheaper county via a registered agent's address there is legal and common — the notice follows the LLC's listed office address.
What happens if a New York LLC skips publication?expand_more
After the 120-day window, the LLC's authority to carry on business in New York is suspended until it complies. The LLC doesn't dissolve, and courts have generally still honored the liability shield, but a suspended LLC can hit real friction — some banks and counterparties check. Since compliance late costs the same as compliance on time, waiting buys nothing.
What does a New York LLC cost per year after the first?expand_more
Very little on the Department of State side: a $9 Biennial Statement every two years — effectively $4.50 a year. The separate income-based annual fee (IT-204-LL) applies only when the LLC has New York-source gross income over $100,000, starting at $25 and scaling to $4,500. A small or pre-revenue LLC typically owes just the biennial $9.

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This guide is for general informational purposes and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Pricing referenced in this guide reflects provider rates as of July 2026 and can change — always confirm current details on the official site before purchasing.