Washington LLC vs New Hampshire LLC (2026)
Compare Washington LLC vs New Hampshire 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 4, 2026
Verdict: Washington wins for most businesses
For most Washington-based businesses, forming locally in Washington is the smarter choice. You avoid paying fees in two states and managing compliance in both. New Hampshire only makes sense if your business genuinely operates there, and even then the total costs deserve a hard look.
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| Factor | Washington | New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|
| Filing Fee | $180 | $100 |
| Processing Time | Within 15 business days (paper) | Not published by the state |
| Annual Report Fee | $70 | $100 |
| Annual Report Due | Last day of anniversary month | April 1 |
| State Income Tax | No | No |
| Anonymous LLC | No | No |
| Publication Requirement | No | No |
| Foreign LLC Cost (if forming out-of-state) | N/A, you're in your home state | $200 + registered agent ~$150/yr |
Full fee breakdown for either state: Washington LLC cost and New Hampshire LLC cost.
Business Climate: Washington vs New Hampshire
| Factor | Washington | New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|
| 5-year business survival rate | 42.2% (#51 of 51) | 47.7% (#40 of 51) |
| Business application growth (2026 YTD (Jan to Jul) vs 2025 YTD (same months)) | -25.5% YoY (#15 of 51 by volume) | +26.1% YoY (#42 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: Washington vs New Hampshire
Washington
New Hampshire
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
Washington charges $180 to form an LLC, while New Hampshire charges $100. New Hampshire is $80 cheaper upfront. The cost that usually gets overlooked: if you form in New Hampshire but operate in Washington, you must also register as a foreign LLC in Washington (a $200 filing) and maintain a registered agent in New Hampshire (typically around $150 per year). That puts the realistic first-year cost of the New Hampshire route at roughly $450, versus $180 for simply forming in Washington. Only one side of this comparison is knowable: Washington publishes within 15 business days (paper), while New Hampshire publishes no standard processing time, so the two can't be ranked against each other on speed.
Taxes: Washington vs New Hampshire
Neither Washington nor New Hampshire levies a personal income tax, so there's no income-tax advantage to forming in either state. Washington imposes the Business & Occupation (B&O) tax on gross receipts. Business Profits Tax of 7.5% applies to LLCs with gross business income over $109,000 (threshold for periods beginning on/after 1/1/2025), and Business Enterprise Tax of 0.55% applies over $298,000 of gross receipts or enterprise value tax base. Both beyond the $100 annual report fee.
Privacy & Asset Protection
Neither Washington nor New Hampshire offers anonymous LLC formation: both states require owner or manager information on public filings. The Certificate of Formation (RSA 304-C:31) doesn't require member/manager names, but the annual report (RSA 304-C:194) must set forth the names and business addresses of the LLC's managers or, if there are no managers, at least one member, so ownership/management can't stay off all routine 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
Washington LLCs file an annual report ($70, due in the anniversary month), and New Hampshire LLCs file an annual report ($100, due April 1). If you form in New Hampshire while operating in Washington, you maintain filings in both states, New Hampshire's report plus Washington's equivalent for your foreign registration, and pay a New Hampshire registered agent roughly $150 per year. That brings ongoing costs of the New Hampshire route to roughly $320 per year, versus about $70 to keep a domestic Washington LLC in good standing. There are also recurring state taxes to weigh on each side. Washington imposes the Business & Occupation (B&O) tax on gross receipts. Business Profits Tax of 7.5% applies to LLCs with gross business income over $109,000 (threshold for periods beginning on/after 1/1/2025), and Business Enterprise Tax of 0.55% applies over $298,000 of gross receipts or enterprise value tax base. Both beyond the $100 annual report fee.
When New Hampshire Actually Makes Sense
Forming in New Hampshire makes sense in a few specific situations: your business genuinely operates in New Hampshire, with a real office, employees, or property there, or you're relocating to New Hampshire in the near future. For a typical small business based in Washington, none of these usually apply. Registering a New Hampshire LLC to do business back home means $200 in Washington foreign-registration fees, on top of New Hampshire's $100 formation fee, while Washington's own annual report runs $70 a year and is due in the anniversary month. When in doubt, form where you actually do business.
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