Is Wyoming right for you?
Wyoming is the state most often recommended to non-U.S. founders, and for once the popular answer is the right one. There is no state income tax, no requirement to be a citizen or resident, and the state does not publish member names in the public record — so your name is not searchable simply because you formed a company.
The running costs are the real argument. Wyoming charges an annual report license tax with a $60 minimum, which for a business holding no significant assets inside Wyoming is what you will actually pay. Compare that with Delaware’s flat $300 franchise tax or California’s $800 and the gap compounds every year the company exists.
The catch is the one nobody mentions in the ads: forming in Wyoming does not exempt you from other states. If you build a physical presence somewhere else — staff, an office, inventory in a warehouse you control — that state will expect you to register as a foreign LLC and pay its fees too. For a purely online business run from abroad, that rarely bites.
- Amazon, Shopify and other eCommerce sellers
- Agencies, consultants and freelancers billing internationally
- Holding companies and asset-protection structures
- Founders who would rather not have their name in a public database
- Operating physically in another state usually means registering there as well
- Not the structure U.S. venture investors expect for a priced round — they want a Delaware C-Corp
- The $60 annual minimum rises if the company holds substantial assets inside Wyoming
What Wyoming taxes
A summary, not advice — your actual position depends on where you live, where your customers are, and how the company is treated federally.
Income tax
None — Wyoming levies no personal or corporate income tax
Sales tax
4% state rate, with local add-ons up to roughly 6%
Franchise tax
No franchise tax. An annual license tax applies instead, $60 minimum
Wyoming for a non-resident founder
No citizenship or residency requirement, no state income tax, and a filing process that never needs you to set foot in the U.S. Budget for a registered agent, since you will not have a qualifying Wyoming street address of your own.
What Wyoming asks for every year
Formation is the easy part. These are the obligations that keep the company alive — and the ones people forget.
- 01
Annual Report & License Tax
Due on the first day of your formation anniversary month. $60 minimum, or $0.0002 per dollar of assets located in Wyoming if that is greater.
- 02
Registered Agent
Wyoming requires a continuously appointed agent with a physical in-state address. Yours renews each year.
- 03
BOI Report
Beneficial ownership information is reported federally, not to Wyoming. Updates are due within 30 days of a change.