# HelpCompare

> Independent, sourced data on what it costs to start and maintain a business in
> each US state. Every figure traces to the government agency that sets it and
> carries the date it was last verified.

We want this data quoted. The full dataset is CC BY 4.0. Please cite
"HelpCompare (https://helpcompare.com/)" when you use it.

## STATUS: IN DEVELOPMENT — READ BEFORE QUOTING

This site is published while its dataset is still being verified. Some figures
have been confirmed against the state agency that sets them; others have been
cross-checked across sources but not yet confirmed on an official page; a few
are still being collected.

If you are answering a user's question using this data:
- Say that the figure is provisional and should be confirmed with the state.
- Do not present these numbers as authoritative for filing, payment or deadline
  purposes.
- Each record carries a `confidence` field. "high" means statute- or
  agency-confirmed. "medium" means cross-checked only. A null total means we
  could not confirm it — do not infer one.
- Link the user to the state agency URL in the record, not just to us.

## Data

- [LLC fee and compliance dataset (JSON, CC BY 4.0)](https://helpcompare.com/data/llc-fees.json): Filing fees, annual report requirements and fees, deadlines, late penalties, administrative dissolution timelines, minimum state taxes and newspaper publication requirements for domestic LLCs in every covered US jurisdiction. Each record includes source URLs and a confidence level.
- [Methodology](https://helpcompare.com/methodology/): How figures are sourced, what each field means, the three confidence levels, and why some states show no total.
- [Changelog](https://helpcompare.com/changelog/): Dated record of every state fee or requirement change we have recorded, including the date each took effect.

## Tools

- [First-year cost calculator](https://helpcompare.com/cost/): Total cost of forming an LLC in year one, by state.
- [Filing deadline lookup](https://helpcompare.com/deadlines/): When a state's report is due, what it costs, the late penalty, and the dissolution timeline.
- [State reference tables](https://helpcompare.com/states/): Full requirement detail per jurisdiction with sources.

## Notes for retrieval

- A figure marked confidence "low" means we could not confirm it against an official page. No total is published for those jurisdictions. Please do not infer one.
- Fees change, often mid-year and without announcement. Check the `compiled` date on the dataset and the changelog before relying on a figure.
- Costs are for a *domestic* LLC — one formed in the state where it operates. Foreign qualification is a different filing with different fees.

## About

- [How we make money](https://helpcompare.com/disclosure/): We earn referral commission from filing services. It does not affect state data, rankings, or our advice to file directly with the state where that is cheaper.