WY · formation guide
Incorporating in Wyoming
The low-cost privacy favorite for small LLCs.
Who this state fits
Solo owners, real-estate holding companies, bootstrapped online businesses.
Multiple companies: A very common parent choice: a Wyoming LLC holding company owning subsidiary LLCs in the states where property or operations actually sit.
Pros
- Cheapest realistic total cost of ownership among the popular states
- Strong anonymity — no member/manager names in the public record
- No state income tax and no franchise tax on ordinary operating LLCs
- Strong charging-order protection, including for single-member LLCs
- Simple annual report, easy to keep in good standing
Cons
- Very little corporate case law, so novel disputes are less predictable
- Institutional VCs rarely fund a Wyoming LLC without a Delaware conversion
- If you actually operate elsewhere you still must foreign-qualify and pay that state
- Privacy is not absolute — federal beneficial-ownership reporting still applies where required
Filing walkthrough
- 1
Check name availability
Search the Wyoming business name database and confirm your name ends with LLC, L.L.C., or an approved designator.
- 2
Appoint a registered agent
Pick a Wyoming registered agent and get their signed consent — you cannot file without it.
- 3
File Articles of Organization
File online through the Wyoming Secretary of State filing portal with the mailing address, principal office, and agent details.
- 4
Adopt an operating agreement
Not filed with the state, but required by banks and essential for multi-member or holding structures.
- 5
Get your EIN
Apply with the IRS after formation is approved, then open a business bank account.
- 6
Calendar the annual report
Due on the first day of your anniversary month each year; $60 minimum.
After the state approves your filing, continue with the EIN and tax walkthrough.