The answers, before the sales pitch
Most of what people need to know about starting a company is free, and several of these pages end with "you can do this yourself". That is deliberate. A customer who understands what they are buying complains less and comes back, and the ones who file it themselves were never going to pay us anyway.
How to form an LLC
How to form an LLC in six steps: pick a state, check the name, name a registered agent, file the articles, get an EIN, and write an operating agreement.
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LLC vs S-corp
LLC vs S-corp: an S-corp is a tax election, not a company type. What it changes about self-employment tax, what payroll costs, and when the math works.
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Do I need an EIN?
You need an EIN to open a business bank account, hire, or elect S-corp status. The IRS issues it free. When you need one, and when paying is reasonable.
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What a registered agent actually does
A registered agent is where your state and the courts reach your company. You can usually be your own, free. When paying $99 to $300 a year is worth it.
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Which state should you form your LLC in?
The best state to form an LLC is usually your own. Forming in Wyoming, Delaware or Nevada while operating elsewhere means two states, fees and reports.
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Reseller permit vs business license
A reseller permit registers you to collect sales tax and buy inventory tax-free. A business license is local permission to operate. Which one you need.
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LLC vs sole proprietorship
LLC vs sole proprietorship: both are taxed the same. The difference is liability: one puts your house behind the business. When the LLC is worth it.
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The LLC operating agreement
An LLC operating agreement is rarely required by the state. What it decides, who asks to see it, and the default rules that apply if you never write one.
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Getting an EIN without an SSN
Getting an EIN without an SSN: the IRS online tool needs an SSN or ITIN, but the fax route is open to everyone and needs no ITIN. How the fax route works.
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Missing your annual report
Missing an LLC annual report moves the company out of good standing, then toward administrative dissolution, with costs rising each step. How to recover.
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Registering your LLC in a second state
Foreign qualification means registering in another US state, not overseas. What triggers it, what it costs, and the price of operating there unregistered.
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DBA vs LLC
DBA vs LLC: a DBA registers a name; an LLC creates a legal entity that protects your personal assets. When a DBA is right and when it's a false economy.
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After your LLC is approved
What to do after your LLC is approved: EIN, bank account, operating agreement, licences and the annual report date, in order, and which ones are free.
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How long forming an LLC takes
How long it takes to form an LLC: under an hour of paperwork, then the state's queue, which runs from same day to several weeks. What controls the clock.
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LLC naming rules
LLC name rules: the designator requirement, restricted words, and what "distinguishable" means, plus why an approved name still isn't yours to keep.
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Single-member LLC taxes
Single-member LLC taxes: Schedule C, self-employment tax and quarterly estimates, what you owe, and when the S-corp election is worth the payroll.
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Closing an LLC
How to dissolve an LLC: abandoning it doesn't close it and fees keep accruing. The winding-up steps, the filings that end the obligations, and your EIN.
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Opening a business bank account
Business bank account requirements for an LLC: EIN, formation document, operating agreement and ID, plus the ownership questions every bank asks.
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The S-corp election deadline
Form 2553 is due 2 months and 15 days after the tax year starts: March 15 for calendar-year companies (March 16 in 2026), and sooner for a new business.
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Late S-corp election relief
Late S-corp election relief: Rev. Proc. 2013-30 allows up to 3 years and 75 days after the intended date, with a reasonable-cause statement and no fee.
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Checking your S-corp election status
The IRS confirms an S-corp election with a CP261 notice, usually about 60 days after Form 2553. If it never came, call the IRS at 800-829-4933.
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How to verify a reseller permit
Verify a reseller permit on the issuing state's site (CDTFA, Texas Comptroller, Washington or Florida DOR), check the certificate, and know who owes tax.
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What's in an LLC annual report
An LLC annual report asks for addresses, the registered agent and who runs the company, never revenue. What each field means and what states call it.
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Forming an LLC with a January 1 effective date
A delayed effective date lets an LLC filed in November or December start January 1 and skip a stub year. Most states allow 90 days; California differs.
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Do you still have to file a BOI report?
No BOI report is due for a US-formed company: FinCEN's final rule exempts them. Only foreign companies registered here file. BOI fee letters are scams.
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The best time of year to start an LLC
The best time to start an LLC is January 1: a full first tax year and no stub-year return. How to get that date by filing in November, and when to skip it.
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