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How to start an LLC in Massachusetts

Every step to form your LLC in Massachusetts, with the state's fees and the official page for each. Checked against the state's own pages on September 30, 2026.

Filing fee
$500
Regular report
$500
What you file
Certificate of Organization
Where
The Corporations Division of the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth

Get the free checklist It follows these steps with you, for your business, and keeps track of what's done.

What an LLC costs in Massachusetts

Filing Certificate of Organization with the Corporations Division of the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth$500
The regular report that keeps it in good standing$500
An EIN from the IRSFree
A registered agentFree if you're your own; a service charges a yearly fee

The state's fees only. Card or handling fees, a registered agent service, local licenses and taxes come on top where they apply. Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It's general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

In the order most owners do them. Each step says where it happens and links to the official page.

  1. With the state

    Check your name is free

    Search the Corporations Division of the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth's business records to check no business already uses your name, or one too close to it. An LLC's name must also end with "LLC" or a similar ending.

    Search business names (opens the official site)

  2. Your records

    Choose a registered agent

    In Massachusetts, an LLC's resident agent must be a Massachusetts resident, a Massachusetts corporation, or a corporation authorized to do business in the state, and the agent must consent in writing, on the certificate of organization or an attached page.

  3. With the state

    File your Certificate of Organization

    File it with the Corporations Division of the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, online, by fax, by mail or in person. The state's fee is $500; filing online or by fax adds a $20 expedite fee, so it's $520. Once it's filed, your business exists.

    File online (opens the official site)

  4. Your records

    Write an operating agreement

    It sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions are made and what happens if someone leaves. It isn't filed with the state: keep it with your records. A lawyer can help you write one.

  5. With the IRS

    Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is your business's tax number, for taxes, hiring and a bank account. Apply once your Certificate of Organization are filed. It's free from the IRS: with a Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply on the IRS's own site and get it at once. Watch out for look-alike sites that charge for it.

    Apply for an EIN on IRS.gov (opens the official site)

  6. With the state

    Register for state taxes

    If you'll sell taxable goods or services, or hire employees, register with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue through MassTaxConnect. Employers also register with the Department of Unemployment Assistance for unemployment insurance.

    Register for state taxes (opens the official site)

  7. City or county

    Check local licenses and permits

    Some trades and professions need a license from a state board, and your city or town may need its own licenses, permits or zoning approval.

  8. Your records

    Open a business bank account

    Keep the business's money apart from your own: it keeps your records clear at tax time, and keeps the LLC separate from you. Banks usually ask for your filed Certificate of Organization and your EIN.

  9. With the state

    Put the yearly report in your calendar

    Every LLC in Massachusetts files an annual report with the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Corporations Division by the anniversary of the date its certificate of organization was filed, each year. The fee is $500 by mail, or $520 online or by fax. The state can dissolve an LLC that fails to file annual reports for two years in a row.

    About annual reports (opens the official site)

Questions about an LLC in Massachusetts

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

The state's fee to file Certificate of Organization is $500. To stay in good standing, it also files a regular report, which costs $500. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Does Massachusetts require a yearly report for an LLC?

Yes. Massachusetts asks every LLC for a regular report to stay in good standing. It costs $500, and the step below says when it's due and where to file it.

Can I form an LLC in Massachusetts myself?

Yes. You file Certificate of Organization with the Corporations Division of the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth and pay the state's fee, and the steps above show where. You don't need a lawyer, though one can advise on your situation. PressUp's free checklist follows these steps with you.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. PressUp isn't a law firm or an accountant. This guide is general information from Massachusetts's official pages, checked on September 30, 2026. For advice about your own situation, ask a lawyer or an accountant.

Where this comes from

Massachusetts's official pages, read on September 30, 2026:

LLC guides for other states