How much does it cost to dissolve an LLC? (2026)

Short answer

The state form to dissolve (or "cancel" or "terminate") an LLC usually costs $0 to about $220, depending on the state. California charges nothing to file a Certificate of Cancellation, Florida charges $25, Kentucky $40, Texas $40, Ohio $50, New York $60, and Delaware $220 for a domestic LLC (official sources below).

The form is rarely the expensive part. What really drives the cost of closing an LLC is what you still owe: unpaid annual report fees or franchise taxes, a final state tax return, and your final federal return. If you just stop paying and walk away, many states keep charging fees and penalties until they administratively dissolve the LLC, and reinstating later costs more.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

State fees to dissolve an LLC (official)

State	Filing to close a domestic LLC	State fee	Watch out for
California	Certificate of Cancellation (Form LLC-4/7) or Short Form Cancellation (LLC-4/8)	$0	The $800 FTB annual tax is owed for every year the LLC exists until it is cancelled (FTB); the form requires a statement that final returns have been or will be filed
Delaware	Certificate of Cancellation	$220 (+$50 per registered series)	Fee schedule says "plus annual taxes to cancel," so unpaid $400 annual LLC taxes must be paid
Florida	Articles of Dissolution	$25	Reinstatement later costs $100 plus each missed annual report
Kentucky	Articles of Dissolution	$40	Reinstatement penalty after administrative dissolution is $100
New York	Articles of Dissolution	$60	Optional expedite fees of $25–$150
North Carolina	Articles of Dissolution	$30	Reinstatement after administrative dissolution is $100
Ohio	Certificate of Dissolution	$50	Fee set by statute (ORC 111.16(N))
Texas	Certificate of Termination (Form 651)	$40	The form requires a Comptroller certificate that state taxes have been paid

Sources: California SOS Form LLC-4/7 and Form LLC-4/8; Delaware Division of Corporations fee schedule; Florida Division of Corporations fees; Kentucky SOS fees; New York DOS fee schedules; North Carolina SOS LLC fees; Ohio Revised Code § 111.16; Texas SOS Form 651. All checked November 2, 2026.

We only list states where we could confirm the dissolution fee on an official page. For other states, check the Secretary of State's fee schedule linked from your state's LLC cost page.

The costs that matter more than the form

1. Fees and taxes you still owe the state

Most states won't accept a dissolution, or will still bill you, if annual reports or entity taxes are unpaid. Examples from our state pages:

• California: the $800 annual tax applies "even if you are not conducting business" until the LLC is cancelled (FTB). See California LLC cost.
• Delaware: the Certificate of Cancellation is filed "plus annual taxes to cancel" (Delaware fee schedule), so budget for any unpaid $400 annual taxes. See Delaware LLC cost.
• Texas: Form 651 requires a certificate from the Comptroller that all state taxes have been paid (Texas Form 651), which means your franchise tax reports need to be current. See Texas LLC cost.
• Florida: if you miss the annual report deadline the fee jumps from $138.75 to $538.75 after May 1 (Florida fees), so dissolve before the next report comes due if you're done.

2. Final federal tax return

The IRS says you "must file a final return for the year you close your business" (IRS: Closing a business). Which return depends on how the LLC is taxed:

• Single-member LLC (default): the business is reported on your personal return (Schedule C), so there's usually no separate entity return to close out.
• Multi-member LLC (default): a final Form 1065 with the "final return" box checked, plus final Schedule K-1s for each member (IRS).
• LLC taxed as an S-corp or C-corp: the final corporate return applies instead.

If you pay a tax preparer, the final return is often the largest single cost of closing. Fees are private-market and vary, so get a quote.

3. Payroll, contractors and your EIN

If the LLC had employees, the IRS expects final payroll tax returns and W-2s, and Form 1099-NEC for contractors you paid. Once everything is filed, you can also cancel the EIN and close the IRS business account (IRS: Closing a business).

4. Registered agent and service subscriptions

If you pay a commercial registered agent or a formation service's compliance plan, cancel it after the state accepts your dissolution, not before. States generally expect an LLC to keep a registered agent on file while it still exists. See registered agent cost.

Dissolve it yourself or use a service?

Filing yourself costs only the state fee above. Formation services such as ZenBusiness, Northwest Registered Agent and Bizee also sell dissolution filing for a service fee on top of the state fee. That can be worth it if you're closing an LLC in a state where you don't live, or you'd rather not track down the right form. We may earn a commission if you use our links (disclosure).

If you're closing one LLC to start a new one (for example, moving to a cheaper state), compare formation costs first: cheapest states to form an LLC.

Typical total cost to close a small LLC

Situation	What you'll likely pay
Single-member LLC, all reports current, low-fee state (e.g. Kentucky)	$40 state fee, plus your normal personal tax return
Single-member California LLC	$0 to cancel, but the $800 FTB tax for each year it existed, including the final year
Multi-member Delaware LLC	$220 to cancel, plus any unpaid $400 annual taxes and a final Form 1065 (preparer fee varies)
Texas LLC	$40 to terminate, after franchise tax reports are filed and the Comptroller certificate is obtained

FAQ

Can I just stop filing and let the state dissolve my LLC?

Many states will eventually administratively dissolve an LLC that stops filing reports, but fees and penalties can keep building until then, and some taxes (like California's $800 annual tax) keep accruing until the LLC is formally cancelled. Reinstating later usually costs more, for example $100 plus missed reports in Florida and a $100 penalty in Kentucky.

Is there an IRS fee to close an LLC?

The IRS closing-a-business steps (final return, final payroll forms, cancelling the EIN) don't list a filing fee. The real cost is preparing the final return, which may mean a tax preparer's fee.

What is the cheapest state to dissolve an LLC?

Of the states we verified, California charges $0 to file a Certificate of Cancellation, but it is not cheap overall because the $800 annual tax applies until the LLC is cancelled. Florida ($25) and North Carolina ($30) have the lowest fees among the rest.

Do I need to dissolve a foreign-registered LLC separately?

Yes. If your LLC is registered to do business in other states, you usually file a withdrawal in each one. For example, Kentucky charges $40 for a Certificate of Withdrawal and Florida charges $25.

Sources

1. California SOS — Certificate of Cancellation, Form LLC-4/7
2. California SOS — Short Form Cancellation, Form LLC-4/8
3. California Franchise Tax Board — Limited liability company
4. Delaware Division of Corporations — Fee schedule
5. Florida Division of Corporations — Fees
6. Kentucky SOS — Fees
7. New York DOS — Fee schedules
8. North Carolina SOS — LLC fees
9. Ohio Revised Code § 111.16
10. Texas SOS — Form 651, Certificate of Termination
11. IRS — Closing a business

Checked November 2, 2026.

Related reading

• How much does it cost to start an LLC? (2026)
• Do I need a registered agent? Cost and options
• LLC vs sole proprietorship: what each really costs
• Cheapest states to form an LLC