State submitting price: $150 (Articles of Group, Kind LLC-5.5, filed with the Illinois Secretary of State). Annual Report, due earlier than the primary day of your LLC’s anniversary month annually. Charge: $75. High decide: Northwest Registered Agent, $39 service price + $150 state price = $189 complete 12 months one, registered agent included free 12 months one, then $125/12 months. Funds various: Bizee, $0 formation price + $150 state price. Word: Bizee shares buyer knowledge with advertising companions.
Finest LLC Service in Illinois (2026): High Picks for IL Formation
Finest total: Northwest Registered Agent – $39 + $150 state price = $189. Consists of free 12 months of registered agent, working settlement template, compliance reminders. Privateness-focused, no knowledge promoting.
Funds decide: Bizee – $0 service price + $150 state price. Free 12 months of registered agent. Shares knowledge with advertising companions (caveat required).
Northwest Registered Agent – Best for Illinois LLCs
$39 service price + $150 state price = $189 complete 12 months one. Registered agent service included free for 12 months one, then $125/12 months. Privateness-focused, family-owned, in enterprise since 1998. Doesn’t promote your knowledge.
Form Your Illinois LLC with Northwest →Lowest 3-year price we discovered: Northwest $289 vs Bizee $298 vs ZenBusiness $497 (service charges; state charges additional). Northwest additionally places its tackle in your public filings as a substitute of yours the place the state permits.
Illinois LLC At a Look
| Merchandise | Element |
|---|---|
| Formation doc | Articles of Group (Kind LLC-5.5) |
| Submitting company | Illinois Secretary of State |
| State submitting price | $150 |
| Processing time (on-line) | Usually similar to subsequent enterprise day; 24-hour expedited obtainable for $100 |
| Annual/biennial requirement | Annual Report, due earlier than the primary day of your anniversary month annually. |
| Annual/biennial price | $75 (paid to Secretary of State) |
| State earnings tax | Flat 4.95% particular person earnings tax on pass-through earnings (2026 fee) |
| Franchise tax | No franchise tax on LLCs. LLCs taxed as partnerships pay the 1.5% Private Property Alternative Tax. |
| Registered agent required | Sure, bodily Illinois tackle required |
Illinois compliance observe: The $75 Annual Report is due earlier than the primary day of your anniversary month (the month you initially shaped). Lacking it makes your LLC delinquent and triggers a $100 late penalty, with administrative dissolution for continued non-filing. Verify your formation service sends reminders forward of your anniversary month.
Illinois LLC Formation Providers In contrast
| Service | IL Service Charge | IL State Charge | RA 12 months 1 | RA Renewal | 12 months-1 Whole | 3-12 months Whole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest | $39 | $150 | $0 (included) | $125/yr | $189 | ~$589 |
| ZenBusiness Starter | $0 | $150 | $99 (add-on) | $199/yr | $150 + $99 RA | Greater |
| Bizee Primary* | $0 | $150 | $0 (included) | $149/yr | $150 | Average |
| Inc Authority | $0 | $150 | $0 (included) | $249/yr | $150 | Average |
| LegalZoom Professional | $249 | $150 | Not included | $249/yr | Highest | Highest |
*Bizee Primary consists of articles of group submitting solely. RA included free 12 months one then $149/12 months. Word: Bizee shares buyer knowledge with advertising companions. LegalZoom registered agent isn’t included in any plan; auto-renewal traps apply on add-on providers. Charges verified October 2026.
Northwest Registered Agent: High Decide for Illinois
Northwest Registered Agent
Service price: $39 • Illinois state price: $150 • 12 months-1 complete: $189
Northwest has been forming LLCs since 1998. They’re family-owned, have an A+ BBB score, and keep bodily workplaces in all 50 states. They don’t promote buyer knowledge – a significant differentiator in an business the place knowledge promoting is frequent. The $39 formation price features a free 12 months of registered agent service (then $125/12 months), an working settlement template, and same-day submitting.
For Illinois particularly: Northwest recordsdata the Articles of Group straight with the Illinois Secretary of State and sends compliance reminders in your Annual Report forward of your anniversary month. Their Enterprise Id suite additionally consists of enterprise tackle and telephone providers.
What just isn’t included: EIN help is a $50 add-on. Get your EIN free at IRS.gov in quarter-hour.
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness
Service price: $0 (Starter) • Illinois state price: $150 • RA: $99 add-on in 12 months 1, then $199/12 months (auto-renewing)
ZenBusiness gives $0 formation on its Starter plan, however registered agent service just isn’t included: it prices $99 for the primary 12 months, then $199/12 months. This makes ZenBusiness costlier than Northwest on a 3-year foundation for many Illinois LLC homeowners who want registered agent service. ZenBusiness has dashboard and compliance alert system, however the auto-renewing subscriptions require consideration at sign-up.
Bizee (previously Incfile)
Bizee
Service price: $0 (Primary) • Illinois state price: $150 • RA: Free 12 months 1, then $149/12 months
Bizee gives $0 formation with a free first 12 months of registered agent service. After 12 months one, RA renews at $149/12 months. Necessary caveat: Bizee shares buyer knowledge with advertising companions. If knowledge privateness issues to what you are promoting or private info, this can be a significant downside. Bizee is an inexpensive funds possibility for price-focused formation.
Inc Authority
Inc Authority
Service price: $0 • Illinois state price: $150 • RA: Free 12 months 1, then $249/12 months
Inc Authority gives $0 formation with registered agent included free for 12 months one. The year-two RA renewal at $249/12 months is larger than Bizee ($149) or Northwest ($125), making it costlier long-term regardless of the free formation. Inc Authority upsells aggressively on add-on packages throughout checkout.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom
Service price: $249+ • Illinois state price: $150 • RA: $249/12 months, not included in any plan
LegalZoom is the costliest possibility: $249 for the Professional plan and registered agent isn’t included at any value level, including one other $249/12 months. LegalZoom additionally has auto-renewal traps on bookkeeping and legal professional trial add-ons. The model recognition doesn’t translate to raised formation high quality than Northwest at $39. Not really useful for Illinois LLC formation.
DIY Submitting in Illinois
You’ll be able to file your Articles of Group straight with the Illinois Secretary of State with no formation service. The method requires:
- Looking out the Illinois enterprise entity database for identify availability
- Finishing and submitting the Articles of Group (Kind LLC-5.5) on-line on the Illinois Secretary of State business portal
- Paying the $150 submitting price
- Designating your self or an expert as registered agent
DIY submitting saves the $39 service price however requires monitoring compliance deadlines your self. For many new LLC homeowners, the $39 Northwest price is value it for same-day submitting, compliance reminders, and a 12 months of registered agent service included.
Incessantly Requested Questions
The state submitting price for Articles of Group (Kind LLC-5.5) is $150. Utilizing Northwest Registered Agent provides $39 in service charges, bringing the year-one complete to $189 earlier than later registered agent renewals are thought of.
Sure. Each Illinois LLC should file an Annual Report with the Secretary of State and pay a $75 price earlier than the primary day of its anniversary month annually. Lacking the deadline makes the LLC delinquent and triggers a $100 late penalty.
No. Illinois doesn’t impose a company franchise tax on LLCs. Nonetheless, LLCs taxed as partnerships are topic to the 1.5% Private Property Alternative Tax on web earnings.
Illinois imposes a flat 4.95% particular person earnings tax on LLC pass-through earnings as of 2026 charges.
On-line filings by way of the Illinois Secretary of State are usually processed inside one to a couple enterprise days. A 24-hour expedited service is accessible for an extra $100.
