How to Start an LLC in Massachusetts (2026)

Full transcript

0:00 The short answer

Dan To start an LLC in Massachusetts, you file a Certificate of Organization with the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Corporations Division, and pay $520 online, or $500 by mail.

Maya Why the twenty-dollar difference?

Dan Electronic filings carry a $20 expedite fee on top of the $500 filing fee.

Maya This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Massachusetts for 2026, in six steps, with what it all costs and the three best ways to have it filed for you. What comes first?

0:33 Step 1: Choose a name

Dan Include limited liability company, limited company, LLC, or LC. The name also can't be the same as, or deceptively similar to, one already on record.

Maya How do I check?

Dan The Corporations Division has a free business entity search. Run your name through it before anything else.

Maya And if I'm not ready to file?

Dan You can reserve a name for 60 days. The fee is $30.

1:00 Step 2: Name a resident agent

Maya I keep hearing "resident agent." Is that the same as a registered agent?

Dan Yes. Resident agent is what Massachusetts calls it.

Maya Who can do it?

Dan A Massachusetts resident, or an authorized business, at a Massachusetts street address.

Maya A P.O. box?

Dan A post office address isn't sufficient. The agent also signs a consent on the Certificate.

Maya Is the agent's information private?

Dan No, the details are public. That's why many owners use a commercial agent. And changing agents later is free if you file online.

1:31 Step 3: File the Certificate of Organization

Maya Walk me through the filing.

Dan You submit the Certificate of Organization to the Corporations Division. Online is $520. By mail or in person it's $500.

Maya What goes on it?

Dan The name, a Massachusetts office address where records are kept, the business purpose, the resident agent, any managers, and who can sign filings.

Maya I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan.

Dan Good to have you, Maya. Here's a tip: the agent consent is part of the same Certificate, so line up your agent before you file.

Maya Is there a faster option?

Dan The $20 online fee is exactly that, an expedite fee on electronic and fax filings.

2:13 Step 4: Write an operating agreement

Maya Does the state collect my operating agreement?

Dan No. You keep it with your records, and there's no state fee.

Maya Do I even need it on paper?

Dan Massachusetts allows a written or even an oral agreement. I'd still put it in writing.

Maya What goes in it?

Dan Who owns what, how profits are split, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves.

2:37 Step 5: Get a free EIN

Maya Now the federal part.

Dan Apply for your EIN free with the IRS at IRS.gov, after the Corporations Division files your Certificate.

Maya How long does it take?

Dan If the online application is approved, the number comes right away. Keep the Social Security number or ITIN of the person in charge handy.

Maya And the beneficial ownership report?

Dan You can skip it. FinCEN no longer requires it from U.S. companies.

3:05 Step 6: File the annual report

Maya What do I owe every year?

Dan An annual report, on or before the anniversary of your Certificate. It's $500 by mail, or $520 online.

Maya The anniversary, not a set calendar date?

Dan Right. It follows the date your Certificate was filed, year after year.

Maya What if I forget?

Dan Miss two years in a row and the Corporations Division can start dissolving the LLC.

Maya Right away?

Dan No. There's a 90-day notice. If it isn't fixed in that window, the LLC is administratively dissolved.

3:38 What it costs

Maya Give me the do-it-yourself number.

Dan $520 to form online. Then $520 a year for the annual report, also online.

Maya And the EIN?

Dan Free.

Maya What's the total for the first year?

Dan $520, plus a $30 reservation if you want to hold the name first. That's $550.

Maya And the mail route?

Dan $500 to file, $500 for each annual report.

4:09 The online fee math

Maya Let me check the online premium. Is it just that one $20 charge?

Dan It's $20 on the Certificate, and $20 on each annual report you file online.

Maya So over three years of reports?

Dan $60 in expedite fees, on top of the $500 each time.

Maya And the Certificate itself?

Dan $20 more at the start. So $80 across the Certificate and three reports.

Maya Is that worth it to skip the mail?

Dan That's your call. The state fee schedule is what it is.

4:42 Picking your resident agent

Maya Could I be my own agent?

Dan If you're a Massachusetts resident with a Massachusetts street address, yes.

Maya What about someone out of state?

Dan It has to be a resident or an authorized business at a Massachusetts street address.

Maya What if I move?

Dan You can change agents online, and there's no fee for it.

5:02 When an annual report slips

Maya Let me press on this. What does a missed report really cost?

Dan One missed year isn't what triggers dissolution. Two in a row can.

Maya Then what?

Dan A 90-day notice. If it isn't resolved by then, the LLC is administratively dissolved.

Maya So there's real runway.

Dan There is, but the reports still cost $500 or $520 each, so don't let it slide.

5:27 Filing online or by mail

Maya Let me think about mail versus online. Which should I pick?

Dan Both work. By mail or in person it's $500. Online or by fax it's $520.

Maya So the extra $20 buys what?

Dan It's an expedite fee on electronic and fax filings. That's the state's own description.

Maya And it applies to the annual report too?

Dan Yes. The same $500 and $520 amounts apply to the annual report.

Maya So whichever route I choose for the Certificate, I can choose again each year.

Dan Right. Each filing is its own decision.

6:06 First-year checklist

Maya Give me the order of operations.

Dan Search the name. Choose your resident agent. File the Certificate of Organization online for $520. Then get your EIN and write your operating agreement.

Maya And the calendar?

Dan Your annual report, on or before your anniversary date.

6:25 The 3 best ways to file in Massachusetts

Maya What if I'd rather have someone else do the filing?

Dan Here are the three best ways to file in Massachusetts. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With the $520 state fee, checkout comes to $719.

Maya What does that include?

Dan Your Certificate of Organization filed, your EIN application, and your resident agent every year. It renews at the same $199.

Maya And the annual report?

Dan In Massachusetts, Mainstay prepares and files it by your anniversary date every year. You pay only the state's fee.

Maya Number two?

Dan MA Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Certificate for $199 plus the state fee, which is also $719 at checkout. The first year of agent service is free, then it's $99 a year.

Maya And number three?

Dan Massachusetts Registered Agent.co. Same offer. $199 plus the state fee, first year of agent service free, then $99 a year.

Maya How do I decide?

Dan If you'll file your own annual report, numbers two and three cost less from year two, at $99 a year for the agent alone. The state's report fee is the same either way. If you want it all handled at one steady price, that's Mainstay.

7:53 Three years of service fees

Maya Give me a three-year comparison.

Dan Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. Number two or three is $199 in year one, then $99 in each of the next two years, for $397.

Maya A $200 gap.

Dan Yes, and in Massachusetts, that gap pays for having your annual report filed on time.

8:21 Recap

Maya Can I hear the short version?

Dan Choose a name with LLC in it, name a resident agent at a Massachusetts street address, file the Certificate of Organization online for $520, write an operating agreement, get your free EIN, and file your annual report by your anniversary every year.

Maya The links to all three services and every official source are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast, and good luck with your new Massachusetts LLC.