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IOWA · ONE-TIME FORMATION
Iowa LLC filing fee
$50 filing fee
AT A GLANCE
| Filing fee | $50 · one-time |
| Annual report | $30 / biennial |
| Franchise tax | None for most small LLCs |
| Registered agent | Required — can be yourself |
| Typical total, year 1 | $80 |
Among the cheapest states to maintain
What the $50 filing fee covers 01
Iowa charges a one-time $50 filing fee — among the lowest in the country — and a biennial report due in odd-numbered years ($30). Your first biennial report may be years away.
Filing fee in Iowa 02
The filing fee to form an LLC in Iowa is $50. This is a one-time state charge paid to the Secretary of State when you file your formation documents.
Registered agent in Iowa 03
Registered agent required (statutory). Owner/member may generally serve as own RA if they maintain a physical street address in-state and are available during business hours; commercial RA services optional. A commercial registered agent service typically runs $100–$300/year — in Iowa, being your own agent is free if you meet the requirements.
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Operating agreement 04
Iowa does not require filing an operating agreement, but banks and courts will ask for one. You can write your own for $0; template services charge $50–$200.
EIN 05
An EIN from the IRS is always free. If you hire a formation service to file it for you, you are paying for a form that takes 10 minutes on irs.gov.
Annual report 06
Iowa charges $30 for the biennial (odd years, due 4/1). online $30 / paper $45
Franchise tax and other Iowa costs
Iowa's biennial report costs $30 and is due by April 1 of odd-numbered years. There is no Iowa franchise tax on LLCs.
Calculate your Iowa first-year cost →
Sources for Iowa
Every fee below is checked against the state source linked per row. Verified 2026-11-03.