Foreign registration · Form 521

Delaware LLC Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

An LLC formed in Delaware that wants to do business in Wisconsin files Form 521, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin needs nothing from Delaware: no Certificate of Good Standing. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services from your Delaware records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Delaware vs Wisconsin: the paperwork

	Delaware formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	Delaware Certificate of Good Standing (not needed here)	Form 521, Foreign Registration Statement
State fee	$50	$100 at order
How it is handled	Delaware: through the Division of Corporations request service, sent by first-class mail unless a FedEx or UPS account is supplied	Filed online with Wisconsin
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	corp.delaware.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Yearly filing	Annual LLC Tax, $400, every year	Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5), $80, every year
Due	On or before June 1	March 31
Late yearly filing	$200 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your Delaware registered agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

How Delaware companies register with Wisconsin

We prepare and file Form 521
It lists us as your Wisconsin registered agent, next to your Delaware name and formation date. Nothing has to come from Delaware first, so the Wisconsin filing can go in right away. Once Wisconsin approves it, the Delaware company can do business there.

Will your Delaware name work for Wisconsin?

We check your exact Delaware name against Wisconsin's records before filing.

Agents: Wisconsin and Delaware

Delaware and Wisconsin both call it a registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Delaware; ours takes Wisconsin's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Delaware and Wisconsin

Each year your LLC files Delaware's Annual LLC Tax ($400) and Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($80). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Delaware plus Wisconsin comes to $629 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Delaware to Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Delaware files Form 21 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($50)). After that come Delaware's Annual Franchise Tax Report ($50) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Wisconsin into Delaware

An LLC formed in Wisconsin that registers with Delaware files Delaware's registration (no form number) with $200 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($10) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Questions Delaware owners ask about Wisconsin

Does my Delaware company need to register in Wisconsin?

Yes, once a Delaware business operates there; Wisconsin law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does the Wisconsin registration cost?

$299 at checkout, with nothing to pay Delaware.

Do I need Delaware's certificate of good standing?

No, Wisconsin takes Form 521 without it.

What are the yearly costs for Delaware and Wisconsin?

$629 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $400 to Delaware and $80 to Wisconsin for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

A Delaware company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Wisconsin can add up to $97.50 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

Yes: the Delaware registered agent stays, and ours covers Wisconsin for year one.

Can I form a new Wisconsin LLC instead?

Yes, but Delaware keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25), and the original keeps Delaware's Annual LLC Tax.

How do I withdraw from Wisconsin later?

Delaware companies leave by filing a Withdrawal of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company; until then, Wisconsin's report stays due alongside Delaware's filings.

Official sources

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