FormThatLLC methodology

Method version 1.0, published October 4, 2026. This page explains how a state record gets published and how the calculator turns two state fees into a multi-year total.

Source hierarchy

State fee records start with the Secretary of State, corporations division, or another official state filing source. IRS, SBA, and FinCEN pages support federal process guides. A commercial formation company is not used as the authority for a state fee when an official source is available.

Record fields

Each state record keeps the filing office, initial fee, recurring fee, fee period, due rule, source name, source URL, and verification date. The page displays the fee label used by the source so an annual report, statement of information, and entity tax are not blended into one vague charge.

Calculator formula

The state portion is the initial filing fee plus each recurring payment scheduled inside the selected one, three, or five-year period. Biennial fees are counted by payment cycle. Optional filing-service and document costs are one-time inputs entered by the reader. A paid registered-agent price is multiplied by the years selected.

What is excluded

The calculator does not estimate income tax, sales tax, payroll tax, local licenses, industry permits, insurance, bookkeeping, legal advice, or tax preparation. A recurring state charge is included only when the checked source record names it.

Corrections and updates

Reader reports and source changes are checked against the original record. A correction updates the dataset, the page, and the verification date. A fee is removed or the state is held back if the official record cannot be checked again.