Day 9: The real 3-year cost of a US LLC — not the "$49" price you see in ads

Day 9 of building TopStartNow in public.

Most formation services advertise "$49 LLC" or "$0 + state fee." Technically true. Practically misleading.

Here's the real math, based on actual customer data from our early users:

💰 Year 1: $100 (Wyoming filing fee)

Most people stop calculating here. That's the mistake.

💰 Year 2: $100 filing + $119 RA renewal + $60 annual report = $279

Still manageable. But wait.

💰 Year 3: Same as year 2 + CPA tax filing kicks in (Form 5472 + 1120) = $579-$879

3-year total with a "$49" service that charges $299/year for RA: $947

3-year total with us: $437

The "cheapest" option costs 2.2x more over 3 years.

Price transparency is a competitive advantage in an industry that hates it. So we published every line item:

One question for other builders: what hidden cost in your industry drives you crazy? I'm collecting examples.