LLC formation, privacy policies, cookie consent — launch your business right
Starting a small business means juggling legal formation, compliance, finance, and tax obligations — often on a tight budget. This toolkit brings together the essential tools every new business owner needs: compare LLC formation costs across all 50 states, generate GDPR/CCPA-compliant privacy policies and cookie consent banners, calculate your break-even point, and handle sales tax and payroll — all free, all private, all in your browser.
Compare 5-year LLC costs across all 50 states.
Generate privacy policies and cookie consent banners for your website.
Calculate your break-even point and generate professional invoices.
Handle sales tax obligations and understand payroll requirements.
Find the exact combined sales tax for any US state + city
See exactly what you keep after fees — Stripe vs PayPal vs Square
See your exact take-home pay — federal, state, and FICA taxes
You can form an LLC in any state, but the cheapest option depends on more than just the formation fee. You need to consider annual report fees, franchise tax, registered agent costs, and foreign qualification requirements if you operate in a different state than where you formed.
Wyoming, New Mexico, and Montana typically have the lowest 5-year total costs. Wyoming charges $100 to form and $60/year for annual reports with no franchise tax. Delaware is popular for startups seeking VC funding but charges $300/year franchise tax. California charges $800/year minimum franchise tax regardless of revenue.
If you operate physically in your home state (office, employees, warehouse), you should form there to avoid paying for a foreign qualification registration. Use our LLC Cost Comparison tool to see the true 5-year cost for all 50 states side by side.
If your business has a website or app, you need a privacy policy. GDPR (EU), CCPA/CPRA (California), and most state privacy laws require disclosing what data you collect, how you use it, and how users can exercise their rights. Our Privacy Policy Generator creates a customized, legally-grounded policy based on your specific data practices — no lawyer required.
Cookie consent is separate but related. If you use analytics, advertising cookies, or tracking pixels, EU and UK law (and increasingly US state laws) require a consent banner before non-essential cookies load. Our Cookie Consent Generator creates a compliant banner you can add to any website.
For businesses selling physical or digital products, sales tax compliance is critical. If you exceed a state's economic nexus threshold (typically $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions), you must register for a sales tax permit, collect tax, and file returns. Use our Sales Tax Lookup and Nexus Checker to identify your obligations.
Wyoming ($100 formation + $60/year, no franchise tax), New Mexico ($50 formation, $0 annual report), and Montana ($70 formation + $20/year) have the lowest 5-year LLC costs. However, if you operate in your home state, form there to avoid foreign qualification fees.
Yes. GDPR (EU), CCPA/CPRA (California), and most US state privacy laws require websites to have a privacy policy if they collect any personal data — including IP addresses, cookies, and analytics data. Non-compliance can result in fines up to 4% of annual revenue under GDPR.
Break-even analysis tells you how many units you need to sell to cover all fixed and variable costs. It is essential for pricing decisions, business planning, and securing loans. The formula is: Break-even units = Fixed Costs ÷ (Price per unit - Variable cost per unit).
If you have economic nexus in a state (typically $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions), you must collect and remit sales tax. Marketplaces like Amazon and eBay collect on your behalf, but sales through your own website require you to register and collect directly.
Employers pay 7.65% FICA (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare) on top of employee wages, plus federal and state unemployment tax (FUTA 0.6% on first $7,000, SUTA varies by state). Total employer payroll tax burden is typically 8-12% of gross wages.
A sole proprietorship offers no liability protection — your personal assets are at risk. An LLC separates personal and business assets, protecting your home, car, and savings from business lawsuits and debts. An LLC also allows you to choose how you are taxed (sole proprietor, S-corp, or C-corp).
Yes. Our Privacy Policy Generator creates a customized, legally-grounded privacy policy based on your specific data collection practices. It covers GDPR, CCPA, and general privacy law requirements. Always have a lawyer review if your business handles sensitive data.
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