How to Start an LLC in Vermont (2026)

Full transcript

0:00 The short answer

Dan To start an LLC in Vermont, you file Articles of Organization online with the Vermont Secretary of State, and the fee is $155.

Maya Is there an extra charge for filing online?

Dan No. It's $155 online, with no added fee.

Maya This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Vermont for 2026: six steps, every fee, and the three best ways to have it filed for you. Where do we start?

0:29 Step 1: Choose a name

Dan Your name has to include limited liability company, limited company, or an abbreviation like LLC or LC.

Maya And it can't match another business?

Dan It has to be distinguishable in the Secretary of State's records. Use the state's free business search first.

Maya Any advice on signs and websites?

Dan The state advises waiting. Hold off on signs or a website until your name is confirmed.

Maya Can I lock the name?

Dan You can reserve it for 120 days for $25.

1:02 Step 2: Name a registered agent

Maya Who can serve as our agent in Vermont?

Dan A Vermont resident, or a business that's registered and active in Vermont.

Maya Is there a catch?

Dan The only qualification is a street address and a mailing address in Vermont.

Maya Can my LLC be its own agent?

Dan No, the LLC can't be its own agent.

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

Dan Good to be here, Maya. The agent's address is public, so many owners use a commercial agent. And changing agents later costs $35.

1:34 Step 3: File the Articles online

Maya Where do I file?

Dan The Secretary of State's Online Business Service Center. The fee is $155.

Maya How fast is it?

Dan Online filing normally takes less than one business day.

Maya And by mail?

Dan Seven to ten business days.

Maya So the online route saves a week or more.

Dan That's right, and it costs the same.

1:55 Step 4: Write an operating agreement

Maya Does Vermont ask for an operating agreement?

Dan No. It stays with your records, it isn't filed, and there's no state fee.

Maya Why have one, then?

Dan Because it answers the hard questions in advance. Who owns what, how profits are split, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves.

Maya In writing.

Dan In writing.

2:16 Step 5: Get a free EIN, and know the tax minimum

Maya Federal side next.

Dan Apply for your EIN free with the IRS at IRS.gov, after the state files your Articles. If it's approved online, the number comes right away.

Maya Does Vermont have its own tax angle?

Dan Yes. If your LLC files its own business return, Vermont's business entity income tax has a $250 minimum.

Maya Does every LLC file that?

Dan No. A single-member LLC taxed as a disregarded entity doesn't file that return.

Maya And the ownership report?

Dan Skip it. FinCEN no longer requires one from U.S. companies.

2:53 Step 6: File the annual report

Maya What does Vermont want after I form?

Dan An annual report, within three months after your fiscal year ends. For a calendar year, that's by March 31.

Maya What does it cost?

Dan $45, filed online.

Maya And if I'm late?

Dan There's no late fee. But if you never file, the LLC loses its good standing and is terminated.

Maya Can I recover it?

Dan Reinstatement is $35, plus the $45 report for each missed year.

3:24 What it costs

Maya Do-it-yourself total?

Dan $155 to form the LLC. Then $45 a year for the annual report. The EIN is free.

Maya First two years?

Dan $200, with your first report.

Maya And the optional extras?

Dan A name reservation is $25, and a change of agent is $35.

3:47 Fiscal year and your due date

Maya The report is due three months after the fiscal year ends. Whose fiscal year?

Dan The one on record for your LLC. The state's rule is based on that.

Maya So a calendar-year LLC?

Dan Its report is due March 31.

Maya And if the fiscal year is different?

Dan Then count three months from that year-end instead. Check your due date on the state's site.

4:08 The $250 income tax minimum

Maya Let me go back to that $250. Who does it hit?

Dan An LLC that files its own business return. Vermont calls it the business entity income tax, and the form is BI-471.

Maya And who's exempt?

Dan A single-member LLC taxed as a disregarded entity doesn't file that return.

Maya So a solo founder may never see it.

Dan Right. But a multi-member LLC should ask a tax professional, since it's general information here, not tax advice.

4:39 Choosing an agent in Vermont

Maya Who would you pick as an agent?

Dan Someone with a Vermont street address and a Vermont mailing address, who'll be there for years.

Maya What if that's me?

Dan If you live in Vermont, you can do it. But the agent's address is public.

Maya And if I move?

Dan You'd file a change, which is $35. A commercial agent saves you that worry.

5:01 When an LLC is terminated

Maya The no-late-fee rule sounds friendly. What's the downside?

Dan Vermont doesn't charge a penalty. It ends the LLC's good standing instead.

Maya And then?

Dan The LLC is terminated. To reinstate, it's $35, plus $45 for every year of reports you missed.

Maya So two missed years would be?

Dan $35 plus $90, which is $125.

Maya Versus filing on time.

Dan $45 a year. So filing on time is far cheaper.

5:34 Online or mail, side by side

Maya Compare filing channels one more time.

Dan Online: $155, no extra online fee, and normally less than one business day.

Maya Mail?

Dan The same fee, but seven to ten business days.

Maya Why would anyone mail it?

Dan Some people prefer paper. But online is faster at no extra cost.

5:55 Your first-year checklist

Maya Order of operations?

Dan Search the name, and wait on signs or a website until it's confirmed. Choose your agent. File the Articles online for $155.

Maya Then?

Dan Write your operating agreement, get your EIN, and mark your report deadline for the $45 filing.

6:14 The 3 best ways to file in Vermont

Maya What if I want it handled for me?

Dan Here are the three best ways to file in Vermont. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With the $155 state fee, checkout comes to $354.

Maya What's covered?

Dan Your Articles filed, your EIN application, and your registered agent every year. It renews at the same $199.

Maya What about the annual report?

Dan Mainstay files it within three months after your fiscal year ends. You pay only the state fee.

Maya Number two?

Dan VT Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Articles for $199 plus the state fee, also $354 at checkout. The first year of agent service is free, then $99 a year.

Maya And three?

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

Maya How do I pick?

Dan If you'll file the annual report yourself, numbers two and three cost less from year two, at $99 a year for the agent alone. The $45 state fee is the same either way.

7:38 Three years of service fees

Maya Three-year view?

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

Maya A $200 gap.

Dan Yes. With Mainstay, that gap pays for your annual report to be filed for you.

8:01 Recap

Maya Can you recap?

Dan Choose a name with LLC in it, name a registered agent with a Vermont address, file the Articles online for $155, write an operating agreement, get your free EIN, and file your $45 annual report within three months after your fiscal year ends.

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 Vermont LLC.