Delaware vs Nevada: Chancery Prestige vs $4M Commerce Shield

Cost to form and keep

Before registered-agent fees and before any tax on profit. Operating in a state means paying it no matter where the entity was formed.

Delaware LLC: what else to know

• The flat tax rose from $300 to $400 for tax year 2026; the first $400 payment is due June 1, 2027.
• No annual report and no member disclosure: the payment is the whole filing.
• Cancelling costs $220 plus every annual tax owed through the year of cancellation.

Full rules: Start a Delaware LLC.

Delaware Corp: what else to know

• Delaware’s notice uses the Authorized Shares method ($85,165 for 10 million shares); filing under Assumed Par Value usually drops it to the $400 minimum.
• Late filing adds $200 plus 1.5% monthly interest.
• Corporations owing $5,000 or more make estimated payments on June 1, September 1, and December 1.

Full rules: Delaware APV optimization.

Nevada: what else to know

• Corporations pay a $500 State Business License instead of $200, so their minimum is about $650.
• Commerce tax applies only to Nevada gross revenue above $4 million, at 0.051%–0.331% by industry.
• No personal or corporate income tax.

Full rules: Nevada commerce tax.

Verdict

Raising venture: Delaware, no contest. Privacy-first operating LLC under $4M NV revenue: Nevada is cheaper and simpler.

Test where you actually owe tax with the nexus checker before choosing a home state.