Form a Maryland LLC
Considering forming a Maryland LLC? The most common first steps include:
– Submitting Maryland LLC Articles of Organization
– Getting a federal tax ID if necessary
– Applying for Maryland permits and licenses
– Writing an operating agreement
We’re happy to file and form your Maryland LLC Articles of Organization—and that’s just the start. We offer a full package of formation services that give you a ready-in-hand LLC!
OUR FORMATION SERVICES
Our formation package gives you the services you need—with the speed, privacy, efficiency and support you deserve.
What You Get
– A Full Year of Premium Resident Agent Service
– Expert Customer Support (Never an Automated Operator!)
– Immediate Access to Our Secure Client Portal
– Local Filers with Real Knowledge of Maryland Business
– FREE Electronic Delivery of Your Documents
– FREE Auto-Reminders for Annual Reports
– FREE Operating Agreement, Initial Resolutions and More!
We’re in the business of forming Maryland LLCs, and we’ve put together a package that gives you everything you need—and nothing you don’t. We don’t nickel and dime you for unnecessary services. We offer you expert service at an affordable price.
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Service
Fees
Maryland Filing Fees
$155
Our Formation Service Fee
$100
One Year Resident Agent Service
$49
Total
$304
We’d love to help take your business from dream to reality. If you’d like to learn more and explore the formation process, however, check out the walk-through guide below.
MARYLAND LLC ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION:
WALK-THROUGH GUIDE
Submitting Maryland LLC Articles of Organization registers your business with the state and forms your company. In your Articles, you provide information about your business on the following topics:
Name
A good first step is to check if the name you want is available using Maryland Business Express’s Business Entity Search. Your company can’t use a name that’s already in use in Maryland. Your LLC will also need to include “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.,” “L.C.,” “LLC,” or “LC” in its name.
General Purpose
A general purpose is a statement about why your company is being created. It’s common to state that your company is organized to “engage in lawful activity” or “pursue lawful business” in the state of Maryland.
Address
The address of your Maryland LLC must be a street address, not a P.O. box. The address you choose should be your main business office in Maryland.
Maryland Resident Agent
Maryland requires companies to have and maintain a Maryland resident agent. A resident agent performs an important function, accepting service of process and legal documents for your LLC. A resident agent must be regularly available at the address listed, which can make it tough for business owners to also be resident agents. As part of our formation package, we include a year of resident agent service. Using our service also means you can keep your personal address private and leave us to the spam and junk mail that come with a publicly-listed address.
Signatures
The resident agent must sign your Maryland LLC Articles of Organization. You also need the signature of an “authorized person”—the person you’ve authorized to form your LLC. The authorized person can be any adult Maryland citizen (and doesn’t have to be a member of the LLC).
Submitting Maryland LLC Articles of Organization
You can submit your Maryland LLC Articles of Organization by mail, in person, or online.
Submitting By Mail or In Person
The Maryland LLC Articles of Organization form is available from Maryland’s Department of Assessements & Taxation. Complete the form and include a credit card voucher form, check or money order for the following:
- $100 for standard processing (4-6 weeks)
- $150 for expedited processing (within 7 business days if mailed, same-day processing for filings hand-delivered during business hours)
Submitting Online
To submit online, follow the steps below. Filings are processed in an average of 1-3 days but can take up to 7 business days.
- Visit Maryland Business Express
- Select “Register Your Business”
- Select “Create Account”
- Provide your name, phone number and email addresses
- Create a user name and password
- Click “Create a New Business Filing”
- Choose “Limited Liability Company”
- Answer the questions on the screen
- Pay the $150 fee plus a service fee of either $3 (eCheck) or 3% (credit card or PayPal)
AFTER FORMING YOUR MARYLAND LLC
Your Maryland LLC may need a federal tax ID, state licenses and more before you’re ready to engage in business.
Federal Tax ID
A federal tax ID (also called an Employer Identification Number or EIN) is a unique number issued to your company by the IRS for federal tax purposes. Not all Maryland LLCs will need an EIN. The most common reasons your LLC would need an EIN are if you have employees or if you file Employment, Excise, or Alcohol/Tobacco/Firearms returns. If you plan to open a business bank account, your bank may request an EIN as well.
To apply for an EIN, visit the IRS website. The IRS doesn’t charge a filing fee for EINs.
Maryland Licenses & Permits
Maryland Business Licenses has a list of business categories with their required state and county permits. Maryland does not require a general state business license for all businesses.
Operating Agreement
Operating agreements are not submitted to the state; they are internal documents that outline the policies and procedures for your Maryland LLC. You’re not required to have a written operating agreement, but taking the time to codify operating procedures can save you a lot of headache down the road (especially if there are member disagreements). We provide a custom operating agreement when you sign up for our formation services.
Maryland LLC Annual Report
In Maryland, businesses submit a report to the state each year that updates contact and ownership information. Every year, corporations are required to submit a report with the business’s most current information. The form can be filed online using Maryland Business Express and is also available for download from the Department of Assessments & Taxation.
Due: April 15th each year
Cost: $300 (plus service fees if filing online)
Maryland PPR
Along with your annual report, most Maryland LLCs are also required to file a Maryland Personal Property Tax Return (PPR). If your LLC owns, leases, or uses personal property in Maryland or maintains a Maryland Trader’s License (sales license), filing is required. Personal property includes inventory, supplies, computers, furniture, etc. However, personal property doesn’t include property in the sense of real estate, land or intellectual property. Registered vehicles are also not considered property for this return.
MARYLAND LLC VS CORPORATION
Pass-through taxation and easy management are great advantages that LLCs have over corporations.
- No Double Taxation
LLCs (along with sole proprietorships, partnerships and S corporations) are considered pass-through entities. This means that the company’s profits “pass through” the company and are distributed to members before being taxed. Profits are taxed when members report the profits on their tax returns. C corporations, however, are not pass-through entities and are typically taxed twice. The business itself has to pay a corporate income tax, and shareholders also have to pay taxes on the profits they receive.
- Easy Management
LLCs are often described as easier to operate than a corporation. Corporations require specific management roles, with directors and officers. In an LLC, members have more options—they can simply manage themselves or they can hire or appoint one or more managers to run the show. There are fewer formalities as well. Unlike corporations, LLCs aren’t required to have annual meetings or meeting minutes, making it simpler for LLCs to make changes and decisions.
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With our formation services, you walk away with a ready-in-hand LLC, complete with a year of resident agent service and loads of custom documents, for an affordable price. Let us form your Maryland LLC today!