Founder's Guide to Incorporation
Entity types, jurisdictions, tax breakdowns, and formation strategies, with real numbers, not generic advice.
In-Depth Guides
Low-Tax vs Low-Hassle: Where 14 Jurisdictions Actually Sit on the Trade-off
Cayman saves you tax, but the substance bill, banking, and audit are real. A founder's map of 14 jurisdictions plotted by tax efficiency and admin burden.
LLC vs C-Corp vs S-Corp: Which Does Your Startup Need?
LLC, C-Corp, or S-Corp? Compare taxes, liability, fundraising, and admin for each entity type. Free 5-min quiz returns a personalized result.
How Founders Actually Get Taxed: A Multi-Layer Breakdown
Corporate tax is layer one of four. Founders also pay withholding, personal dividend tax, and (if US) SE tax, NIIT, and GILTI. Model the full stack free.
Non-US Founder, US Company: When You Actually Need One (2026 Guide)
Non-US founder considering a US company? Most don't need one. Here's when you do, which entity to pick, and the compliance bill formation services skip.
Where to Incorporate Your Startup: 3 Myths That Cost Founders Real Money
Where to incorporate your startup? The cheap-formation-service advice is usually wrong. Free 5-min quiz scores 40+ jurisdictions for your situation.
Comparisons & Deep Dives
Running a Delaware Company in California: The $800 You Owe Either Way
California charges a Delaware LLC operating there $800 a year whether or not it ever registers with the state. Here is what actually triggers the bill, what registration does and does not change, and what converting to a California LLC really saves.
Running a Delaware Company in New York: The Newspaper Bill
New York makes a Delaware LLC advertise itself in two newspapers for six weeks, which costs four figures in Manhattan. The penalty for skipping it is milder than almost anyone tells you, and the real money is somewhere else entirely.
Delaware Franchise Tax Calculator: Why Your Bill Says $85,165 and What You Actually Owe (2026)
Delaware taxes corporations by two methods and prints the higher one on the notice. Calculate both, see the lower figure, the March 1 and June 1 deadlines, the $200 penalty and 1.5% monthly interest, and the flat LLC tax, now $400 under HB 400.
Where to Incorporate an Online Business (It's Probably Not Wyoming)
Where to incorporate an online business: for most owners it's the state you live in, not Wyoming. The two things that genuinely change the answer, with costs.
Best State for a Non-Resident LLC: It's Not Just About Tax
Non-resident forming a US LLC? Everyone says Wyoming, but the right state turns on banking and privacy, not just fees, and New Mexico often wins. Here's the honest ranking, plus the federal filing that dwarfs every state fee.
Form 5472 for Foreign-Owned LLCs: The $25,000 Penalty Nobody Mentions at Checkout
Own a US LLC as a non-resident? You almost certainly owe Form 5472 every year, even with zero revenue. Who must file, the $25,000 penalty, the deadline, and a checker to see if it applies to you.
The Real Cost of Forming an LLC in Every US State (2026)
What an LLC actually costs to form and run in all 50 states and DC. Search any state, see the real annual cost, and why forming out of state usually costs more, not less.
Cheapest State to Form an LLC: The Sticker Price Trap
Montana charges $35 to file an LLC. New Mexico charges $0 a year to keep one. See why neither is the cheapest state for most owners once home-state registration enters the math.
Running a Delaware Company in Florida: The Two-State Bill
A Delaware corporation or LLC can do business in Florida, but it must register there as a foreign entity and pay both states every year. Here is the process, the fees, and the exit.
Do You Have to Incorporate in Delaware? (Probably Not)
Delaware is the default, not a requirement. See what a Delaware entity costs an out-of-state founder, who actually needs one, and what to do instead.
Where Should You Incorporate Your Business? Start at Home
Where should you incorporate your business? For most owners, the home state wins on cost, simplicity, and taxes. See the real numbers and the exceptions.
S-Corp Tax Savings: When It Works (and When It Doesn't)
An S-Corp election can save $10k+ in self-employment tax, but only if you're profitable and paying yourself a reasonable salary. See the math.
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