Delaware Franchise Desk vs manual filing and compliance services
Delaware Franchise Desk is the best fit for an eligible domestic Delaware stock corporation with par-value-only shares, a usable cap table, and Schedule L-style gross asset facts. Use Delaware's official portal for filing and payment, and use a registered agent, CPA, attorney, or the Delaware Franchise Tax Section when entity status, no-par stock, Large Corporate Filer rules, dissolution, revival, or legal questions are involved.
Decision rule
Use Delaware Franchise Desk to compare Delaware's published calculation methods before filing; use the official portal to submit and pay; use a professional or Delaware directly when the issue is legal status, account standing, or special treatment.
Delaware Franchise Desk
- Price
- $49
- Best for
- Eligible par-value domestic Delaware stock corporations
- 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)
- Best for
- Founders who want their agent to submit the report
- 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
- Best for
- Founders who incorporated through Atlas and keep its agent
- 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)
- Best for
- Users who already understand both methods and have all annual report facts
- 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
- Best for
- Large filers, quarterly estimates, restructurings, or legal questions
- Tradeoff
- Best for complex cases, excessive for a clean annual report packet
Where these prices come from
- Delaware Division of Corporations: $50 annual report fee, $175 / $400 minimum tax, $200 late penalty · checked
- Stripe Atlas: $500 setup including the first year of registered agent, then $100 per year · checked
- Stripe Atlas documentation: annual report and franchise tax due by March 1 are the company's obligation · checked
- Delaware registered agent: published $49 per year agent fee and $100 annual report filing fee (vendor price page) · checked
Which option should you use?
Domestic Delaware stock corporation, par-value shares, cap table and assets ready
- Use
- Delaware Franchise Desk
- Why
- The product compares authorized-shares and assumed-par-value outcomes from user-entered facts, flags out-of-scope inputs, and preserves a review passport before the official filing.
Ready to submit the annual report and pay the state
- Use
- Delaware official portal
- Why
- The State of Delaware is the filing and payment channel. Delaware Franchise Desk prepares a packet and checklist, but it does not transmit, pay, or manage the state account.
LLC, LP, GP, foreign corporation, non-stock company, exempt company, or Stock Non-taxable status
- Use
- Official Delaware lane, registered agent, or professional
- Why
- Those cases follow different Delaware rules or status checks and should not be forced into a domestic stock corporation franchise tax calculator.
No-par stock, Large Corporate Filer, capital amendments, dissolution, revival, void status, or uncertain cap table
- Use
- Attorney, CPA, registered agent, or Delaware Franchise Tax Section
- Why
- Those issues can change the legal filing path, account status, or method eligibility. They need official guidance or professional review rather than packet-only software.
Why method comparison matters before payment
Delaware domestic stock corporations can see very different results under the authorized shares method and the assumed par value capital method. A comparison page is useful because it turns the cap table, par values, issued shares, treasury shares, and gross assets into a decision record before the user enters the official portal.
Why the portal alone can be enough
A founder who already knows the entity is eligible, understands both Delaware methods, has current annual report facts, and can archive the calculation may use the official portal directly. The tradeoff is that the portal is the filing channel, not a pre-filing explanation layer or next-year passport.
Why a registered agent or professional can be the right answer
Registered agents, CPAs, and attorneys are more appropriate when the question touches entity standing, service-of-process records, no-par stock, amendments, void status, revival, large filer treatment, or legal advice. Delaware Franchise Desk stays in the narrower lane of self-preparation support for eligible, ordinary annual report cases.
Comparison questions
Is Delaware Franchise Desk better than a registered agent add-on?
It can be better for an eligible founder who wants a transparent method comparison and packet archive instead of a bundled annual compliance add-on. It is not better when the user needs registered-agent services, state mail handling, legal advice, or account-status help.
Can Delaware Franchise Desk replace the Delaware portal?
No. The official Delaware portal remains the place to submit the annual report and pay franchise tax. Delaware Franchise Desk prepares the estimate, checks, and support packet before the user files.
When should I use a CPA or attorney instead?
Use a CPA, attorney, registered agent, or Delaware directly for no-par stock, Large Corporate Filer questions, capital changes, dissolution, revival, void status, disputed balances, entity-status questions, or any legal or tax position.