State Filing Guide

Forming a US small business, state by state

Choosing a business structure
  1. Should You Form an LLC for Your Business? An LLC can protect your personal property from lawsuits, within limits. But it is not the only option, and it brings upkeep. Here is how to decide.
  2. How the IRS Taxes Your LLC, Step by Step Your state makes your LLC real. The IRS decides how it is taxed. Here is the default classification, the EIN rules and what comes after.
  3. LLC vs LLC Taxed as S Corp: How They Differ An LLC taxed as an S corp is still an LLC under state law. The difference is a federal tax election made with the IRS.
  4. LLC, Corporation vs Sole Proprietorship Compared A sole proprietorship is an unincorporated business you own by yourself. An LLC is a state-registered entity you form on purpose. Here is how they differ.
Forming an LLC by state
  1. How to Form an LLC in Missouri Missouri keeps its LLC process in one place. Here is what the state wants in your Articles of Organization, what it costs, and what comes after.
  2. How Do I Form an LLC in Ohio: Step by Step Ohio asks for a name, a statutory agent and $99. Here is each step, plus what the state does not require of an LLC.
  3. How Do I Form an LLC in Illinois? Illinois keeps its LLC rules on one site. Here is how to pick a name, name an agent, and file your Articles of Organization.
  4. How to Form an LLC in Connecticut Connecticut keeps its LLC filings in one online system. Here is each step, what the state charges, and what comes due after approval.
  5. How to Form an LLC in New Jersey, Step by Step New Jersey LLCs file a $100.00 certificate of formation, register for State taxes and file an annual report. Here is each step.
  6. How to Form an LLC in Pennsylvania, Step by Step Pennsylvania has no general business license and a name-search rule that trips people up. Here is the full sequence, from name check to local permits.
  7. How to Form an LLC in Oregon, Step by Step Oregon makes LLC formation a filing with the Corporation Division. Here is what the state's own form asks for, step by step.
  8. How to Form an LLC in Washington State Washington takes LLC filings online. Here is each step, from the name rules to the $180 mail or in-person fee and what comes after.
  9. How to Form an LLC in Maryland Maryland runs LLC filings through SDAT. Here are the steps, the $100 fee, the resident agent rules and the April 15th annual report.
  10. How to Form an LLC in Alabama in Five Steps Alabama makes you reserve your LLC name before you file anything else. Here is the order the state wants, and where the fees go.
  11. How to Form an LLC in North Carolina North Carolina keeps its LLC rules in one place. Here is what the state wants in your Articles, what it costs, and what comes after.
  12. How Do I Form an LLC in Georgia? Georgia LLCs are formed with the Secretary of State's Corporations Division. Here is where to file, what it costs, and the yearly registration that follows.
  13. The New York LLC Filing Fee and What Comes After New York charges a filing fee for Articles of Organization, then requires a Certificate of Publication. Here is the full picture.
  14. What a State Filing Fee for an LLC Buys The state filing fee for an LLC is just the first check you write. Here is what it covers, why it varies, and what comes after.
  15. How to Form an LLC in New York New York's Department of State has its own guide for forming an LLC. Here are the steps it lays out, from the name to the newspaper ads.
  16. How to Form an LLC in Colorado, Step by Step Forming a Colorado LLC takes five steps. Here is the order, from picking a name to filing with the Secretary of State.
  17. How to Form an LLC in California: Every Step California forms an LLC with one form, Form LLC-1. Here is each step, plus the filings that keep the LLC active afterward.
  18. Where to Form an LLC, Home State or Out of State People ask which state is best for an LLC. The better question is where your business actually works. Here is how to decide.
  19. How to Form an LLC From Start to Finish Forming an LLC takes five steps: a name, a registered agent, the articles, an operating agreement and an EIN. Here is the walk-through.
  20. How to Form an LLC in Florida Online Florida lets you form an LLC online through Sunbiz. Here is each step, from the name search to the approval email, plus what to do if the filing bounces.
  21. How to Form an LLC in Texas, Step by Step Texas forms its LLCs with one form, the Certificate of Formation. Here is each step, from the name rule to the $300 filing fee.
  22. What a Kentucky LLC Pays the State Kentucky keeps its LLC fees low and lists them on one page. Here is what you pay to open, keep and fix a Kentucky LLC.
Getting an EIN
  1. How to Get an EIN Number for a Trust A trust that files taxes needs its own EIN. Here is who can apply, what to gather first, and how the IRS online tool works.
  2. How to Form an LLC and Get a Free EIN Yourself The EIN is always free. The LLC filing is not. Here is the two-step way to do both without paying a middleman.
  3. How to Apply for an EIN for an LLC The IRS gives EINs away free and issues them in minutes. Here is the right order of steps, what to have ready, and how to spot the sites that charge.
  4. How Long Does It Take to Get an EIN Number? The IRS hands out an EIN in minutes, for free, if you are ready. The wait is all in the prep work before you apply.
  5. How to Get an IRS EIN Online for Free An EIN is your business's federal tax ID number. The IRS gives them out free and fast online. Here is how to apply, what to have ready, and the traps to skip.
  6. How Do I Get an EIN Number From the IRS? The IRS issues EINs online in minutes, for free. Here is who needs one, what to have ready, and how to apply step by step.
  7. How to Apply for an EIN Number From the IRS The IRS gives out EINs free and fast through its online tool. Here is the order to do things in, and what to have ready first.
Registered agents and annual reports
  1. What an Annual LLC Report Is and How to File It Your state may want a recurring report from your LLC. Here is what it covers, where it goes, and what happens if you miss it.
  2. Filing Your Florida LLC Annual Report on Sunbiz Florida calls it the annual report, and you file it on Sunbiz. Here is what it is, what it can change, and how to pay.
  3. How to Choose Your LLC's Registered Agent Every LLC needs a registered agent before it files. Here is what the role is, who can fill it, and how to change it later.
  4. California Registered Agent: The State's Own Term California does not use the term registered agent. It uses agent for service of process. Here is what that role is and how to fill it.
  5. Delaware Registered Agent Rules and How to Choose A Delaware company needs a registered agent before it files. Here is what the role is, who can fill it, and how to avoid the scams Delaware warns about.
  6. Colorado's Periodic Report and Nearby Fees Colorado calls its report the Periodic Report. It is cheap on time and costs three times as much late. Here is the report and the fees near it.
Unscheduled
  1. How to Get a Business License, Step by Step There is no one business license. What you need depends on what you do and where. Here is how to find out, and how to get it.