US Company Formation Planning for Global Startups

Pick the entity, form it in the right state and keep its paperwork in order. Registate files your LLC or C-Corp, acts as your registered agent, helps with your EIN and gives you a US business address. All online, no SSN needed.

Start my company LLC or C-Corp?

Tap a stage to see what goes in your company folder, and who handles each step.

Your Company, Inc.Delaware C-Corp · company folder

Formation5 files

Certificate of incorporationFiled with DelawareRegistate
EIN confirmation letterApplication prepared as paid supportIRS issues
BylawsAdopted after filingYour company
Board consentAppoints officersYour company
Founder stock recordsStock ledgerYour company

The state filing creates the company; the rest is adopted inside it.

Start with the right entity

Most founders raising venture money choose a Delaware C-Corp. That's investor preference, not a legal rule, and forming one doesn't guarantee funding. Ask your investors or their lawyers what they expect.

Delaware C-Corp

Common with venture investors

Often chosen when

You plan to raise from venture investors, many of whom ask for one
You'll issue shares or stock options to co-founders and a team
You're fine with the company paying tax on its own profit (Form 1120)
You'll keep board records and a stock ledger

Delaware annual report and franchise tax by March 1, every year. Delaware C-Corp formation

LLC

Simpler to run

Often chosen when

You're funding the business yourself or from revenue
One owner or a few, with no plans to issue stock
You want pass-through tax treatment by default
You want lighter internal paperwork

Rules and yearly fees depend on the state you form in. LLC formation

Side by side on tax, ownership and upkeep: LLC vs C-Corp · How a C-Corp is built

What Registate sets up for you

The company, its tax ID, its address and a view of what's due. Legal documents inside the company, tax returns and investor terms stay with you and your advisers.

Your C-Corp or LLC, filed with the state

We prepare and file the certificate of incorporation (or an LLC's formation document) and act as your registered agent. The state sets the processing time.

EIN help, no SSN needed

The IRS issues EINs for free. If you'd rather not deal with Form SS-4 yourself, we prepare and submit it as paid support. The IRS sets the processing time.

A US business address that isn't your home

A real street address backed by a commercial lease and a utility bill, with a virtual office and mailbox. See the locations.

Know what's due after formation

State reports, franchise tax and the registered agent come back every year. See what Registate can track and what stays with you and your tax professional.

Your first weeks, step by step

Six steps, and who handles each one. Processing times vary; the state and the IRS set them.

1.You
Choose the entity and state
Most investor-backed startups use a Delaware C-Corp. Compare first.
2.RegistateState
File the certificate of incorporation
We file and act as registered agent. Have your details ready: document checklist.
3.IRSRegistate
Get the EIN
The company must exist before you apply. We can prepare the application; EIN service.
4.Your company
Adopt bylaws and issue founder stock
The board adopts bylaws, appoints officers and issues shares, usually with a startup lawyer. These stay in company records.
5.You
Consider an 83(b) election
If founder shares vest, IRS Form 15620 says the election must be filed within 30 days of the transfer, by mail. Registate doesn't file it; talk to a tax professional.
6.YouBank / provider
Open bank and payment accounts
Check Mercury or Stripe requirements first. Each provider decides; more options.

Which steps wait on which: US company formation timeline

Delaware franchise tax: check both methods

Every Delaware corporation files an annual report ($50 fee) and pays franchise tax by March 1. The default Authorized Shares method grows with the shares your certificate authorizes, so a startup with millions of shares can see a large first bill.

Authorized Shares method

Franchise tax under the Authorized Shares method
Authorized shares	Tax
5,000	$175
10,000	$250
10,000,000	$85,165

$175 up to 5,000 shares, $250 up to 10,000, then $85 per extra 10,000.

Assumed Par Value Capital method

Uses your gross assets and issued shares instead, with a $400 minimum. For an early company with few assets it can come out much lower. Delaware's own instruction:

“Use the method that results in the lesser tax.”

Late payment: $200 penalty plus 1.5% interest a month. Estimates only; Delaware's calculation is final.

Try your own share count in the franchise tax estimator, or read Delaware annual obligations. A tax professional can confirm which method fits your numbers.

Sources, checked September 2026: Delaware franchise tax calculation · Delaware annual report and tax · IRS Form 15620 (83(b) election) · IRS, forming a corporation · IRS Form 5472 · FinCEN CDD rule. General information, not tax or legal advice.

Startup FAQs

Entity choice, founder paperwork, Delaware tax, banking and yearly duties.

If you plan to raise from venture investors, many of them ask for a Delaware C-Corp. That is their preference, not a legal rule, and forming one doesn't guarantee funding. If you're funding the business yourself, an LLC is simpler to run and pass-through for tax by default. Ask your investors or their lawyers what they expect, and a tax professional which structure suits your home country's rules.

Yes. Registate forms LLCs and C-Corps 100% online. You don't need to be a US resident, visit the US or have an SSN. We file the formation document with the state, act as your registered agent and can prepare your EIN application as paid support. The state and the IRS set their own processing times.

No. We file the certificate of incorporation with the state. Bylaws, the board consent that appoints officers, founder stock issuance and the stock ledger are adopted inside your company, usually with a startup lawyer. An 83(b) election is a personal tax filing: IRS Form 15620 says it must be filed within 30 days of the share transfer, by mail. Talk to a tax professional about whether it applies to you.

Delaware calculates the tax by the Authorized Shares method by default, which grows with the number of shares your certificate authorizes. With 10,000,000 authorized shares that method gives $85,165. The Assumed Par Value Capital method uses your gross assets and issued shares instead, with a $400 minimum, and Delaware says to use the method that results in the lesser tax. Both are due with the $50 annual report by March 1. Have a tax professional check your numbers.

Banks and fintechs such as Mercury, and payment providers such as Stripe, usually ask for the formation document, the EIN, a US business address and the founders' IDs. Registate supplies the formation document, EIN help and a lease-backed business address, but each provider makes its own decision and we don't promise approval. Check the provider's requirements before you apply.

A Delaware corporation files an annual report and pays franchise tax by March 1, keeps a registered agent, and files a federal return such as Form 1120. If it is at least 25% foreign-owned, Form 5472 usually applies too. Registate's registered agent renews with your plan; tax returns are for you and your tax professional. See the compliance page for what Registate can track.

Ready to form your US startup?

File your C-Corp or LLC, get EIN help and a US business address, all online.

Start my company Delaware C-Corp details

No SSN required. Plan and state fees shown before you pay.