Compare your Delaware franchise tax methods before the official portal.
For ordinary taxable Delaware domestic stock corporations with par-value-only shares. Prepare an estimate, annual report checklist, and passport; final submission and payment happen on Delaware's official portal.
when records are ready
software fee
browser draft
Delaware Franchise Desk is independent self-help software, not a Delaware government, registered-agent, filing, legal, or tax service. You submit and pay through Delaware's official portal.
Packet prepared
Method comparison, annual report checklist, Delaware portal guide, and annual passport.
Scope checked first
Founders, indie hackers, Stripe Atlas users, and small Delaware C-corps.
Annual filing record
A reusable record for next year, not a locked account.
Our verdict
If your Delaware C-corporation received a franchise tax notice in the thousands, compare both methods before March 1: most venture-style startups owe about $450, not $85,000. Delaware Franchise Desk does the comparison and annual report packet for $49.
Do it yourself with us
File it yourself with us when the company has par-value shares, a clean cap table and a Form 1120 balance sheet. The official portal takes five minutes once you know which numbers to enter.
Hire a professional
Hire a professional for no-par stock, Large Corporate Filer status, a capital change during the year, a void company, or a refund dispute with Delaware.
Who this is not for
Not for Delaware LLCs (flat annual tax, $400 from tax year 2026), foreign corporations, nonprofits, or anyone who wants us to file or pay on their behalf.
Supported cases
Simple first, hard stops before the packet.
The product keeps the fast path narrow. It checks the supported case, prepares the packet, and sends anything outside scope to the official source or a professional.
Why this price
The recurring admin pain, without the extra layers.
The product does not sell advice. It sells a clean self-preparation workflow: collect facts, calculate the narrow packet, keep a filing record, and point you to the official filing path.
Delaware Franchise Desk
- Price
- $49
- Tradeoff
- Packet and estimate only; user still files and pays through the official Delaware portal
Registered agent filing service
- Price
- About $100 per annual report filing on top of the agent fee ($49 to $100 per year), plus the state tax (checked October 27, 2026)
- Tradeoff
- The agent files what you give it; most do not recompute the tax with the assumed par value method
Stripe Atlas companies
- Price
- Registered agent renews at $100 per year; the annual report and franchise tax stay your job
- Tradeoff
- Atlas lists the March 1 report as a company obligation; it does not file it for you
Manual Delaware portal
- Price
- $0 service fee; you pay the state $50 report fee plus the tax (minimum $175 or $400)
- Tradeoff
- Official filing channel, but no pre-check, no passport, no comparison archive
Attorney or CPA review
- Price
- Billed by engagement; no neutral published rate found
- Tradeoff
- Best for complex cases, excessive for a clean annual report packet
| Option | Price | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware Franchise Desk | $49 | Packet and estimate only; user still files and pays through the official Delaware portal |
| Registered agent filing service | About $100 per annual report filing on top of the agent fee ($49 to $100 per year), plus the state tax (checked October 27, 2026) | The agent files what you give it; most do not recompute the tax with the assumed par value method |
| Stripe Atlas companies | Registered agent renews at $100 per year; the annual report and franchise tax stay your job | Atlas lists the March 1 report as a company obligation; it does not file it for you |
| Manual Delaware portal | $0 service fee; you pay the state $50 report fee plus the tax (minimum $175 or $400) | Official filing channel, but no pre-check, no passport, no comparison archive |
| Attorney or CPA review | Billed by engagement; no neutral published rate found | Best for complex cases, excessive for a clean annual report packet |
Official sources
Grounded in official sources — no guesswork.
Each scope rule and checklist item points back to the current forms, instructions, and authority pages listed here. Open any source and verify it yourself — nothing here is invented.
Does Delaware Franchise Desk pay Delaware for me?
No. The MVP prepares your estimate, numbers, and checklist; you file and pay on Delaware's official portal. It does not automate the official portal.
Can I use this for a Delaware LLC?
No. This first product is for domestic Delaware corporations, not LLC alternative entity tax.
Does the tool choose a legal tax position?
No. It compares the official calculation methods from the facts you enter and prepares a self-preparation checklist for the official Delaware portal.
Can I use this if I have no-par stock?
No. The MVP is limited to stock classes with stated par value. Any no-par class triggers a hard stop and should be handled through Delaware's official workflow or the Franchise Tax Section.
How are treasury shares handled?
The Assumed Par Value Capital Method uses issued shares including treasury shares. The wizard asks for issued outstanding and treasury shares separately, then adds them for the calculation.
What if my corporation owes quarterly estimated franchise taxes?
The MVP can show the quarterly installment warning when the tax estimate is at least $5,000, but it does not manage Delaware payments or state account balances. Large Corporate Filers remain outside scope.