Montana LLC vs Illinois LLC (2026)
Compare Montana LLC vs Illinois LLC on filing fees, taxes, privacy laws, and annual costs. Find out which state is actually better for your business.
By Edmond Hui · Last updated: August 13, 2026
Verdict: Montana wins for most businesses
For most Montana-based businesses, forming locally in Montana is the smarter choice. You avoid paying fees in two states and managing compliance in both. Illinois only makes sense if your business genuinely operates there, and even then the total costs deserve a hard look.
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| Factor | Montana | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Filing Fee | $35 | $150 |
| Processing Time | Not published by the state | Not published by the state |
| Annual Report Fee | $20 | $75 |
| Annual Report Due | April 15 | Before 1st of anniversary month |
| State Income Tax | Yes | Yes |
| Anonymous LLC | No | No |
| Publication Requirement | No | No |
| Foreign LLC Cost (if forming out-of-state) | N/A, you're in your home state | $70 + registered agent ~$150/yr |
Full fee breakdown for either state: Montana LLC cost and Illinois LLC cost.
Business Climate: Montana vs Illinois
| Factor | Montana | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| 5-year business survival rate | 53% (#16 of 51) | 55.6% (#3 of 51) |
| Business application growth (2026 YTD (Jan to Jul) vs 2025 YTD (same months)) | +13.4% YoY (#40 of 51 by volume) | +7.7% YoY (#7 of 51 by volume) |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics · U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (BFS)
Compare LLC Costs: Montana vs Illinois
Montana
Illinois
Costs include every mandatory state charge: the filing fee, the report fee (annualised where a state files biennially), any state entity-level tax shown in its own row above, a one-time publication cost where a state requires publication, and any one-time registration charge a state requires before the LLC may trade. Annualising makes the 1, 3 and 5 year rows a cost of ownership rather than a payment schedule: a biennial state charges its whole report fee in the years it falls due and nothing in between. Entity-level taxes that only apply after a corporate election, or above an owner or income threshold, are excluded and flagged on the state's own cost page. New York's publication cost is carried at a $250 floor, roughly $200 of newspaper cost in a low-cost county plus the $50 Certificate of Publication fee. No county-clerk-designated New York City newspaper publishes a rate card, so the four-figure NYC estimates in wide circulation cannot be traced to a primary source and are not asserted here; budget for materially more than the floor if you file in a NYC county. Montana's annual report is free when filed by April 15 and $35 after, a waiver the Secretary of State applies at its discretion. Every fee was verified against the state's own fee schedule, statute, or revenue authority on 29 July 2026. Excludes registered agent and legal fees. For informational purposes only, not legal or tax advice.
Filing Fees & Formation Costs
Montana charges $35 to form an LLC, while Illinois charges $150. Montana is $115 cheaper upfront. The cost that usually gets overlooked: if you form in Illinois but operate in Montana, you must also register as a foreign LLC in Montana (a $70 filing) and maintain a registered agent in Illinois (typically around $150 per year). That puts the realistic first-year cost of the Illinois route at roughly $370, versus $35 for simply forming in Montana. Speed isn't a basis for choosing between them: neither Montana nor Illinois publishes a standard processing time, so any figure comparing the two is guesswork.
Taxes: Montana vs Illinois
Both Montana and Illinois levy a personal income tax on pass-through business income, and your LLC's profits will be taxed where you live and operate. Forming in Illinois doesn't change what a Montana-based owner pays. Montana levies a two-bracket individual income tax; per HB 337 (2025) the top rate drops from 5.9% to 5.65% effective January 1, 2026, with the 4.7% lower rate applying up to $47,500 single/$95,000 joint (Montana Department of Revenue). Illinois levies a flat 4.95% personal income tax. No franchise or privilege tax on LLCs; the Secretary of State currently waives the annual report fee for reports filed by April 15 ($35 if filed late).
Privacy & Asset Protection
Neither Montana nor Illinois offers anonymous LLC formation: both states require owner or manager information on public filings. Illinois doesn't permit anonymous LLC formation; management is disclosed on public filings. Business owners who prioritize privacy typically form a holding company in a state like Wyoming or New Mexico instead. Both states provide charging-order protection for LLC members, and for most small businesses the practical difference in asset protection between the two is minimal.
Annual Maintenance Costs
Montana LLCs file an annual report ($20, due April 15), and Illinois LLCs file an annual report ($75, due in the anniversary month). If you form in Illinois while operating in Montana, you maintain filings in both states, Illinois's report plus Montana's equivalent for your foreign registration, and pay an Illinois registered agent roughly $150 per year. That brings ongoing costs of the Illinois route to roughly $245 per year, versus about $20 to keep a domestic Montana LLC in good standing. One more recurring cost to budget for: No franchise or privilege tax on LLCs; the Secretary of State currently waives the annual report fee for reports filed by April 15 ($35 if filed late).
When Illinois Actually Makes Sense
Forming in Illinois makes sense in a few specific situations: your business genuinely operates in Illinois, with a real office, employees, or property there, or you're relocating to Illinois in the near future. For a typical small business based in Montana, none of these usually apply. Registering an Illinois LLC to do business back home means $70 in Montana foreign-registration fees, on top of Illinois's $150 formation fee, while Montana's own annual report stays free to file and is due April 15. When in doubt, form where you actually do business.
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