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California LLC Startup Cost Guide
From the filing fee to the fine print, here’s what it really costs to start a California LLC. We’re talking startup, admin, and compliance costs. When you’re ready to make it official, Bizee’s got you.
Start Your Business Today for $0 + CA State Fee.
New companies enjoy one free year of our Registered Agent service.
You can start and maintain a California LLC for one year for as little as $890.
This isn’t just about startup costs. It’s about making smart moves with your time and money. Our California LLC cost guide helps you plan ahead, spend wisely, and grow faster from day one.
California LLC Startup Costs
Form, Tax or Service
Those costs and services listed in bold are the minimum requirements to stay compliant and in good standing with the state. A local business license is another common requirement. The state’s franchise fee and other business taxes are also required once your LLC starts generating substantial income.
Pick the services that make the most sense for your business journey. See every feature and state filing available with Bizee’s California LLC formation packages.
How Bizee Saves You Time and Money
Most first-time California business owners fixate on the franchise tax—and yeah, it’s a thing. But what really wears you down are the constant forms, random amendments, and little compliance tasks that pile up and eat away at your time (and patience). Before you know it, you’re hiring a bookkeeper just to stay sane.
With Bizee, you get lifetime compliance alerts and free filing services when you choose our Standard or Premium package. State fees still apply, but our flat, one-time pricing means no surprise charges and no late-night rabbit holes on the Secretary of State’s website.
Cost-Saving Tips
This isn’t about shortcuts. One of the biggest mistakes new founders make? Forming an LLC in another state without understanding the rules. Filing in Wyoming and doing business in California? That move usually backfires—fast. Get familiar with the rules of doing business in California.
Forget vague tips. This is straight-up strategy you can use to save money and avoid mistakes.
If you’re forming a California LLC, try not to do it in December. Here’s why: even though the $800 franchise tax isn’t due until four months and 15 days after you form, California charges that tax per calendar year. So if you start your LLC in December, you’ll owe $800 for that year, and then another $800 in the spring for the next. But if you wait until January, you push your first payment out and avoid getting hit twice in a row.
Be sure to file taxes if your LLC has expenses and no income. You may not be legally required to file, but in many cases you can defer tax deductible expenses to a taxable year in which you do have income–but only if you file tax returns each year.
Know about the option to file taxes as an S corp. This one becomes more important as your LLC generates sufficient income to pay yourself a reasonable salary with enough leftover for significant business distributions, also known as profits for which you can avoid paying self-employment taxes.
Value-Driven Costs
Some California LLC services are worth every penny, even when there’s a free workaround. There’s simply too much potential for future cost savings and putting more time back in your schedule to ignore these resources.
Registered Agent Service ($100-$300 per year): For home-based business owners, serving as your own registered agent may seem like an easy way to save a few bucks. But especially for business owners who dream of being their own boss, know this: You must be at home and available from 9AM–5PM on all business days. That means every day that isn’t the weekend or an observed holiday.
This service is typically a required cost, but new customers get one free-year of registered agent service when forming their LLC with Bizee. Get step-by-step information about how to start your California LLC including how to use our registered agent service.
Certified Copies ($5 per copy): It’s usually a good idea to get a certified copy of your LLC formation paperwork. Often, you’ll need this to open a business bank account. Whether it’s minimizing account fees or getting a more favorable interest rate on a loan, you don’t want to limit your banking options. A certified LLC document may also help facilitate contractual agreements your LLC enters into.
Operating Agreement ($0-$1,000+): These agreements are required in California. This leads many LLC owners to try to create their own operating agreement with no real support other than a free template or something one of their business owner friends has used in the past. But a fundamentally sound operating agreement that reflects the nature of your LLC and its controlling interests can help you avoid disputes and delay the need for costly legal services.
Truly unique circumstances may require extensive legal services and research, but Bizee’s customizable template can easily handle most LLC operating agreements. This template is free for our Standard and Premium package customers or $99 as an add-on service with our Basic package.
Bookkeeping/Accounting Services: More than just end-of-year returns, don’t be surprised when the nuts-and-bolts bookkeeping starts consuming more and more of your time. Even for those who don’t mind doing their own tax returns, the moment you hire your first employee, it’s usually time to consider at least part-time bookkeeping services. For those who hate doing taxes, it may be time to consider these services as soon as you hire the first 1099 contractor!
Virtual Business Address ($10-$100 per month): This one is harder to measure in dollars and cents, but don’t underestimate the potential time savings and peace of mind for home-based businesses. While many California business owners initially pay for a virtual address for personal privacy or business credibility, they quickly realize how much time they end up saving with mail handling and digital scans. Not to mention the fact that you no longer have to worry about losing important business mail!
For $29 per month, Bizee offers an industry-leading Business Virtual Address solution. What sets us apart? It’s a combination of unlimited mail handling, user-friendly dashboard, and real street addresses for better credibility.
How to Get Started AND Plan for the Future
New companies enjoy one free year of our Registered Agent service.
Don’t just start your company. Have a plan for managing all its documents including formation and compliance costs.