Filing a Massachusetts LLC reduces to: one Articles document with the state, an agent in place from day one, and ongoing compliance once you're approved. Budget $500 for the state, allow a handful of business days for processing, and account for the ongoing items in your operating budget. Below you'll find the steps, the full cost view, and how we plug into the formation process.

Set Up Your Massachusetts LLC — $199

$199 buys end-to-end filing service through Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. State processing typically takes a handful of business days.

Set Up Your Massachusetts LLC — $199

Massachusetts LLCs: What They Are and Why People Use Them

Limited liability companies provide owners with a legal separation between personal property and business risk, taxed simply by default. Massachusetts small operators favor the LLC structure because it provides real liability protection without the paperwork demands of a corporation.

The Numbers for Massachusetts LLC Formation

Item	Cost
Our LLC formation service	$199 one-time
State filing fee (Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth)	$500 one-time
Registered agent (required for every Massachusetts LLC)	$99/year
State annual report fee	$500/year ($520 online)

$199 buys our filing service. Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth receives the state fee directly. The agent product stands alone at $99 annually.

How Massachusetts LLC Formation Works

1. Pick a Compliant Massachusetts LLC Name

Your chosen LLC name in Massachusetts needs an LLC suffix and needs to be clearly different from anything already on file at the state. Pull up Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth's entity search and confirm your name is open before you file anything.

Restricted name terms include the obvious ones — 'bank,' 'insurance,' 'trust,' 'agency' (when implying government). If you're not licensed in those areas, leave them out.

2. Appoint Your Massachusetts Registered Agent

Every LLC in Massachusetts needs a designated agent. That agent has to maintain a real street address inside Massachusetts and has to be available to accept official mail during the workday. The agent details — name, address — sit on the public record at Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Anyone with internet access can find them.

$99 annually is what our agent product costs. Our team and address handle the public-facing side so your personal address stays private.

3. Submit the Articles to Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth

This is the filing that creates the entity: file the formation document at Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth and pay the $500 state fee. The filing covers the entity's legal name, the primary business address, the agent's name and street address, the management arrangement (members or managers leading), and organizer names.

Most filers go through Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth's online portal at the state's filing portal, since paper takes longer.

Plan on a handful of business days for the state to process the filing. A pay-for-speed option may shorten the timeline at extra cost.

4. Put Together an Operating Agreement

You won't file an operating agreement with Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, but you do need one to handle banking, ownership questions, and any internal disputes. It documents who owns what, how decisions get made, how profits are split, and what happens at member exit or LLC dissolution. Without a custom agreement, you're stuck with whatever Massachusetts's LLC statute provides by default.

5. Obtain the Federal EIN

An EIN functions as the IRS's tracking number for the LLC. Used for business banking, hiring employees, and filing federal returns. Go to IRS.gov for the no-cost application. Ten minutes or so on the online form and the number issues right after.

Avoid paying an external service for the EIN: the IRS gives EINs away for free through a quick online form.

6. Keep Up With Ongoing Obligations

Filing is only the beginning. Maintaining the LLC requires ongoing attention to:

Carry the RA designation at a Massachusetts street address throughout the LLC's entire existence
Submit the annual report filing each year on time
Hold a thorough split between LLC bookkeeping and personal records (distinct accounts, distinct ledgers)
Take care of federal and Massachusetts tax deadlines as the calendar requires

Skip the obligations long enough and Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth will dissolve the LLC. Dissolved LLCs lose their liability protection until they're reinstated.

Skip the busywork: pay $199 once and our team handles the Massachusetts filing.

Set Up My Massachusetts LLC — $199

Why the Registered Agent Rule Matters

Every Massachusetts LLC needs a RA. There's no exception, no exemption, and no way to operate without one. Agent requirements include:

Keep Massachusetts street-address coverage (PO box alone isn't acceptable)
Be present during the regular workday to handle legal service
Move along legal mail and state notices on the day they arrive whenever possible

The owner-as-agent option works but exposes the owner's address to the public. Service-of-process agents, marketers, and any curious party can pull it up at will.

$99 annually is what our agent product costs. Our information appears on the public record so yours doesn't have to.

Common Questions

How much does it cost to form an LLC in Massachusetts?

Filing costs $500 at the state level. That sits at the high end of state filing fees nationally. In addition, the state report fee is $500/year ($520 online).

How long does it take to form an LLC in Massachusetts?

Allow roughly a handful of business days from filing to state approval.

Does Massachusetts require an annual report?

Yes. The annual report fee is $500/year ($520 online).

Do I need a registered agent for my Massachusetts LLC?

Yes. The Massachusetts agent requirement is unconditional — a designated agent based at an in-state address.

Can I form an LLC in Massachusetts if I live in another state?

Yes — Residency isn't a Massachusetts LLC requirement. You'll still need a Massachusetts agent on file. We supply that role for $99 a year.

Launch Your Massachusetts LLC

You're free to file directly through Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth at the state's filing portal. A agent registration on file is non-negotiable — $500 is the state's portion.

Our team is the designated agent you put on the Massachusetts formation filing. Pricing: $99 per year — lists our Massachusetts address, forwards anything that arrives the same business day, and surfaces due-date reminders ahead of time.

Form Your Massachusetts LLC — $199

Need only a registered agent? The standalone Massachusetts agent plan is $99 annually.

Curious about other parts of Massachusetts LLC formation or the way our agent product operates? Check the FAQ or contact us any weekday.

Forming an LLC in Massachusetts