Delaware vs Wyoming LLC for non-residents: cost, privacy and banking

Wyoming and Delaware are the two states non-residents pick most for an LLC. For a small company, the yearly cost matters more than the reputation.

Rashidatou K.Payments editor

Published: 5 October 2026
Reading time: 2 min read

"Delaware vs wyoming llc" is the question every non-resident founder hits after deciding to form a US company. Reddit threads make it sound like a big decision. For a small company that sells services or products online, the difference is mostly the yearly bill.

This is general information. State fees change; check each state's current fee schedule before you form.

The comparison

	Wyoming	Delaware
Yearly state charge for an LLC	Annual report with license tax, minimum 60 USD	Flat annual LLC tax (300 USD for many years; increased by 2026 legislation)
Annual report	Yes, with the license tax	No annual report for LLCs, just the tax
State income tax on the LLC	None	None on income from outside Delaware
Members named in public filings	No	No
Reputation	Low-cost, small business	Corporate law and courts
Best for	Small LLCs owned by non-residents	Companies investors want in Delaware

Both require a registered agent with an address in the state, which typically costs from about 50 to a few hundred USD a year.

When Delaware is worth it

Delaware's Court of Chancery and its body of corporate law are why most venture-backed startups incorporate there. But those startups form C corporations, not LLCs, because investors want shares. If you expect to raise venture capital soon, you may skip the LLC entirely and form a Delaware C corporation.

When Wyoming makes sense

For a services firm, agency, consultancy, or online store owned by someone abroad, Wyoming's low yearly cost and simple annual report usually win. Nothing about Wyoming limits where you sell or where clients are.

What does not change

Federal tax treatment. A single-member LLC is disregarded either way, and a foreign owner files Form 5472 every year: see the Form 5472 guide.
The EIN process. See what is an EIN.
Banking. Providers look at the owners, their countries and the business, not the state. See the US LLC banking guide.

Other states

New Mexico has no annual report for LLCs and is popular for minimal upkeep. Your clients' state rarely matters. Forming in a state where you actually operate, if you have a US presence, can avoid registering twice.

On Rivet

Rivet opens accounts for LLCs from any US state whose owners live in the countries we support. USD details come in the LLC's name on the free plan. See Bank accounts.

Questions people ask

Is Wyoming or Delaware better for a non-resident LLC?

For a small services or e-commerce company, Wyoming is usually cheaper and simpler. Delaware makes sense if investors require it, which usually means converting to a Delaware C corporation anyway. Banking and taxes work the same for both.

Which state gives more privacy for an LLC?

Both let you form an LLC without listing members in the public formation filing, and both require a registered agent. Privacy from banks and the IRS does not exist in either: every provider verifies the owners.

Do I pay state tax in Wyoming or Delaware?

Neither state has a corporate income tax that applies to an LLC's income from outside the state, and Wyoming has no state income tax. Delaware's annual LLC tax is a flat fee, not a tax on profits. Your home country may tax you on the profits.

What about New Mexico?

New Mexico has no annual report for LLCs, which keeps yearly costs very low, and is popular for that reason. Some providers and clients are less familiar with it. It is a reasonable choice for a small company that wants the lowest upkeep.

Sources

Written by

Rashidatou K.

Payments editor

Rashidatou writes Rivet's guides to how money moves between countries: the payment rails, what each one costs, and the account details a company needs to get paid in another currency. Every figure in Rashidatou's articles is traced to the scheme rulebook, the regulator or the provider's published price list, and those sources are listed at the end.