Costs Guide · What a New York Corporation actually costs to form and run, and exactly what our price covers.
What It Costs to Form and Maintain a New York Corporation
The cost of a New York corporation breaks into a few buckets: the state formation fee, the recurring Biennial Statement, franchise tax with the tax department, and optional services like a registered agent or expedited processing. The receipt card on this page shows the current state figures; the sections below explain what each cost is for and where money actually goes.
One price: $199.00/yr covers your formation, your registered agent, and your annual report, plus the $125.00 state filing fee, at cost.
State agency: New York Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code
Annual report due: During the calendar month of original incorporation, every 2 years · Processing: Same day
✓ No hidden fees ✓ No second-year price hikes ✓ No missed filings
Receipt / Estimate
New York Corporation Formation
- ✓Formation prepared & filed
- ✓Your registered agent, all year
- ✓Annual report prepared & filed
Renews at $199.00/yr + the state's $9.00 annual-report fee, at cost.
The Formation Cost
The one-time cost to bring your corporation into existence is the state fee for filing the Certificate of Incorporation with the New York Department of State. The receipt card on this page reflects the current amount so you're not working from a stale number.
What can move the formation number
New York's base filing fee assumes a modest number of authorized shares. If you authorize a very large number of shares in your Certificate of Incorporation, the state can assess an additional amount tied to that authorization. For most small corporations that authorize a reasonable, moderate share count, the base fee applies. This is a genuine reason not to over-authorize shares casually — a bigger authorized-share ceiling can mean a bigger filing bill.
What the formation fee doesn't include
The formation fee covers the state's filing of your certificate. It doesn't include your EIN (free from the IRS), your bylaws, a corporate records kit, or any registered agent service. Those are separate line items you either handle yourself or bundle with a provider.
No publication cost for corporations
Worth stating plainly because it saves corporations real money: New York's newspaper publication requirement — which can run into four figures for LLCs formed in expensive counties — does not apply to business corporations. That entire cost category is absent when you incorporate.
Recurring State Costs
A corporation isn't a one-and-done expense. Two recurring items keep it in good standing, and they come from two different state agencies.
The Biennial Statement
Every two years, during your incorporation anniversary month, you file a Biennial Statement with the Department of State through the e-Biennial portal. The state fee for it is small — this is a light, inexpensive filing whose main job is keeping your service-of-process address and executive contact information current. The receipt card reflects the current amount.
Franchise tax
Separate and larger: New York corporations owe corporate franchise tax, administered by the Department of Taxation and Finance. This is not a Department of State fee and it's not a fixed flat number — the amount depends on which tax base applies to your corporation and your financial results. It's the most significant recurring cost for many corporations, and it's a CPA conversation, not a filing-service one. Budget for it as a real, ongoing obligation rather than an afterthought.
Optional and Situational Costs
Beyond the mandatory state items, several costs are optional or come up only in specific situations. Knowing which are which keeps you from over-buying.
Expedited processing
Standard online processing is already fast, often same-day. If you need a guaranteed rush — for a financing close or a bank appointment on a tight timeline — the Department of State offers expedited handling for an additional fee. It's genuinely optional; most incorporators don't need it.
Registered agent service
New York makes the Secretary of State your automatic agent for service of process, so a private registered agent isn't legally required. But many corporations pay for one to keep a personal address off the public record and to get a monitored channel for legal notices. This is a recurring cost you choose based on how much you value privacy and reliability.
Certified copies and certificates of status
Banks, lenders, and counterparties sometimes ask for a certified copy of your Certificate of Incorporation or a Certificate of Status. Each carries a small state fee, ordered as needed rather than routinely.
Name reservation
If you want to lock a corporate name before you're ready to file, a name reservation carries a modest state fee. Optional, and only worth it if you have a real reason to hold the name in advance.
Costs That Aren't the State's
Some of the real cost of running a corporation has nothing to do with the Department of State, and it's easy to overlook when you're focused on the filing fee.
Professional help
A corporate attorney for share structure, founder agreements, or investor terms, and a CPA for franchise tax and your federal return, are real recurring or project-based costs. They're often the largest line items for a corporation that's raising money or has multiple owners — and they're usually money well spent, because the mistakes they prevent are far more expensive than their fees.
Federal and payroll obligations
The EIN itself is free from the IRS, but running payroll, filing federal corporate returns, and handling any employment taxes carry costs — software, a payroll provider, or your accountant's time. These scale with your operations, not with the state filing.
Licenses and permits
New York doesn't issue a single general business license, but many industries require state licensure, and localities may require their own permits. These run on their own fee schedules and renewal cycles, entirely separate from your incorporation and Biennial Statement.
How Mainstay Filing Prices Its Work
Our service fee covers preparing and filing your Certificate of Incorporation correctly with the New York Department of State, plus registered agent service so your personal address stays off the public record and your legal-notice channel is monitored. The state's own fees pass through to the state — what's displayed on the receipt card is what's charged, with no marked-up "state fee."
After formation, we flag your Biennial Statement window so the every-two-year filing doesn't slip, and we can handle that filing for you. What we don't price into our service — because they're genuinely separate — are your franchise tax return, legal advice on share structure, and any licenses your industry requires. Those go to a CPA, an attorney, and the relevant agencies respectively. Our goal is to make the state-facing formation and compliance costs predictable and honest, and to keep you from paying for things you don't need.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to form a New York corporation?
The one-time cost is the state fee to file the Certificate of Incorporation, which the receipt card on this page shows at its current amount. That fee can be higher if you authorize a very large number of shares, since New York ties an added charge to a big authorized-share count. For most small corporations authorizing a moderate share count, the base fee applies. A registered agent or expedited processing are optional add-ons.
Do New York corporations have ongoing state costs?
Yes, two kinds from two agencies. The Department of State charges a small fee for the Biennial Statement filed every two years. Separately and more significantly, the Department of Taxation and Finance assesses corporate franchise tax, which isn't a fixed flat amount — it depends on your corporation's tax base and results. Budget for the franchise tax as a real recurring obligation and coordinate it with a CPA.
Is there a publication cost for corporations like there is for LLCs?
No. New York's newspaper publication requirement — which can cost LLC owners well into four figures in expensive counties — applies only to LLCs, not to business corporations. When you incorporate, that entire cost category is absent. It's a meaningful savings and one of the practical advantages of the corporate form in New York.
What raises the cost of forming a corporation in New York?
The biggest variable is authorized shares. New York's base filing fee assumes a modest number; authorize a very large number and the state can assess an additional amount. Beyond that, expedited processing, name reservation, certified copies, and registered agent service each add optional costs. The mandatory core is just the Certificate of Incorporation filing fee.
Does the receipt card show the real fees?
Yes. The receipt card renders the current state figures from our data, and what's displayed is what's charged — the state's fees pass through to the state without markup. The card reflects the formation and Biennial Statement figures for a New York corporation. Situational costs like franchise tax vary by corporation and aren't a fixed line item, so those are handled with your CPA rather than shown as a flat fee.
Ready to form your New York Corporation?
Formation, your registered agent, and your annual report. One price, $199.00/yr, with the state fee passed through at cost.
Form Your New York Corporation ($199.00/yr All-In)