Comparison

Illinois vs Indiana vs Wisconsin LLC (2026)

Research dated Sep 13, 2026. Figures copied from the matching state hubs. Tonight’s re-check: Indiana still $95 online / $32 biennial BER; Wisconsin still $130 online / $25 annual; Illinois still $150 / $75 — no fee drift.

This is the Upper Midwest operating-state ladder founders actually compare when they live, hire, or sell in Illinois, Indiana, or Wisconsin. Indiana is the SOS-cash lean pick (~$127 over three years) because the Business Entity Report is biennial, not annual. Wisconsin sits in the middle (~$205) with a modest $25 online DFI annual report after a $130 online organization fee. Illinois is the recurring-cost heavyweight in this trio: $150 to form, then $75 every year → ~$375.

Form where you operate. Picking another state’s charter does not erase nexus where you actually sell, hire, or hold inventory — you may still need to foreign-qualify and pay that state’s fees/taxes. Full 51-state ranking: cheapest states (3-year).

At a glance — SOS / DFI only

State	Articles	Typical recurring	~3-yr state	Rank / 51
Indiana	$95	$32 (BER, biennial online)	$127	#14
Wisconsin	$130	$25 (Annual Report, online)	$205	#21
Illinois	$150	$75 (Annual Report)	$375	#34

Gap Indiana → Illinois over ~3 years: $248 in SOS/DFI cash alone (before registered-agent fees or operating taxes). Wisconsin sits $78 above Indiana and $170 below Illinois.

Same three + professional RA (Northwest path)

State fees are identical whichever formation company you use. Adding the national provider table’s Northwest path ($289 over 3 years: $39 formation with RA year 1, then $125 RA years 2–3) shows how RA spend sits on top of each charter.

State	State 3-yr	+ Northwest path
Indiana	$127	$416
Wisconsin	$205	$494
Illinois	$375	$664

Provider math from the 3-year provider comparison. DIY RA needs an in-state physical street address — most remote founders pay for commercial RA.

Indiana — $95 online, then one $32 BER in three years

Indiana Code 23-0.5-9-19 prices Articles of Organization at $75 electronic / $100 other; INBiz online filings also collect a $20 enhanced-access fee, so the typical online all-in is $95. The Business Entity Report is biennial: for-profit online $32.00 / paper $50.00 on the official INBiz page. The first report is due two years after formation, so a three-year window usually contains one BER — Articles + one report → $127. The next BER falls at year four. That biennial-in-window method matches how New York’s biennial statement is modeled elsewhere on this site.

~3-year state fees: $127
Watch: A business cannot serve as its own registered agent. Missed BERs lead to administrative dissolution/revocation; reinstatement needs DOR tax clearance that can take weeks.
Sources: IC Title 23 Article 0.5 Chapter 9 · INBiz — Business Entity Reports · Full Indiana hub

Wisconsin — $130 online to organize, $25 a year online

Wisconsin LLCs file with the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), not a Secretary of State. DFI’s Corporation Fees page lists LLC organization at $130 online / $170 paper, and the domestic LLC annual report at $25 online / $40 paper (paper includes a $15 surcharge). Online formation + three online reports → $205. Domestic due dates follow the calendar quarter that contains the anniversary of the articles’ effective date; foreign LLCs generally file in Q1.

~3-year state fees: $205
Watch: Paper channels cost more on both formation and the annual. Missing reports long enough can trigger administrative dissolution under Wis. Stat. ch. 183.
Sources: DFI Corporation Fees · CORP5i Annual Report instructions · Full Wisconsin hub

Illinois — $150 Articles, $75 every year

805 ILCS 180/50-10 sets domestic Articles of Organization at $150 (series-capable articles are $400) and the standard LLC annual report at $75. Illinois SOS online instructions match $150 for non-expedited Articles (~10 business days) and $250 for 24-hour service. The annual report is due before the first day of the anniversary month each year. Articles + three on-time annuals → $375. Late filings can trigger $100 penalties under 805 ILCS 180/50-15, and series LLCs add $50 per series on the annual — neither is in the baseline total.

~3-year state fees: $375
Watch: Assumed-name (DBA) fees cycle by calendar-year ending digit. Keep a registered agent with an Illinois street address or the LLC can fall out of good standing.
Sources: 805 ILCS 180/50-10 · ILSOS — Forming an LLC online · ILSOS LLC publications · Full Illinois hub

Who each state is for (orientation only)

Indiana — Indiana-nexus businesses that want low recurring SOS cash and will calendar a biennial Business Entity Report rather than an annual one.
Wisconsin — Wisconsin operators fine with DFI (not SOS) filings, a $130 online organization fee, and a $25 online annual report on a quarter-based due date.
Illinois — Illinois-nexus operators who need an in-state LLC and can budget $75 every anniversary month (and who are not modeling series LLC premiums).

None of these charters is a nexus shield for the other two states — or for anywhere else you actually do business.

How this page is built

Source of truth: Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois hubs — same numbers as those pages.
Re-check (2026-09-13): INBiz still $32 online BER; DFI still $130 / $25 online; 805 ILCS 180/50-10 and ILSOS still $150 / $75 — no fee drift.
Excludes: professional RA (except the optional Northwest add-on table), expedites, paper-channel premiums, Illinois series/DBA/late penalties, card processor surcharges, foreign qualification, and operating taxes.
Indiana methodology note: three-year total = online Articles $95 + one BER $32 due at the two-year anniversary inside the window (same biennial-in-window approach used for New York).

Form lean, then pick the charter on purpose

Form with Northwest Registered Agent — Northwest

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