Company formation in United States
United States company formation: entity type, statutory cost (500 USD), and elapsed time (2 days).
Country notes
The default form for venture-backed startups is a Delaware C-corporation, registered with the Delaware Division of Corporations. Filing fees and registered-agent service typically total a few hundred dollars; standard processing is one to three business days, with same-day expedited options available.
Key data
| Statutory formation cost | 500 USD |
|---|---|
| Average formation time | 2 days |
| Formation difficulty (1=easy, 5=hard) | 2 |
Cross-country context
| Formation time (days) | 2 |
|---|---|
| Lowest in the data set | 1 (Estonia) |
| Highest in the data set | 21 (Spain) |
| Rank within the data set | #5 of 13 |
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Methodology
Year-one cost estimate combining (1) the headline statutory formation cost from the country profile and (2) two illustrative low-end annual baselines: an accounting baseline and an admin / registered-office baseline, both denominated in the country's currency. Baselines assume a single-director entity with minimal transactions; actual quotes from local providers may be substantially higher depending on transaction volume, complexity, payroll, and audit thresholds.
These calculations are informational estimates based on headline rates and transparent assumptions — not tax, accounting, or legal advice. Verify with a qualified local advisor before relying on the results.
Related
Other countries in the region
Featured ranking
Country profile
Sources
- U.S. Internal Revenue Service — Internal Revenue Service — Publication 542 (Corporations) (accessed )
- OECD — OECD — economic and tax statistics (accessed )
- PricewaterhouseCoopers — PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries (accessed )
- Stripe — Stripe — supported countries (accessed )
- Wise — Wise — service availability (accessed )
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