Cheapest LLC formation in Massachusetts

What does Massachusetts charge to form and keep an LLC?

These fees are set by the state, so no provider can lower them, and every provider on this page quotes its package price before them.

The $500 certificate fee is the one charge every new LLC pays. On top of it, fax and online filings carry what the state's fee page calls an expedited service fee, set on a sliding scale: $20 on a $500 filing, then 4.5% over $500. Despite the name, it doesn't buy a faster tier. Mail and walk-in filings are described without it, so they are the lowest-cost route to file. The trade-off is timing, since there is no published time for mail or online filings.^{3, 5}

The annual report costs $500 and is due by the anniversary date of the filing of the original certificate of organization, every year. By the second report, the yearly fees have passed what it cost to form the LLC. Founders comparing Massachusetts with a neighboring state can check that state's yearly filing first, for example on the New York registered agent page.⁶

Two other state fees apply only in some cases. A name reservation costs $30 for 60 days, and it only helps if you need to hold a name before you can file. An LLC formed in another state that registers to do business here pays $500 for its foreign registration instead of the certificate fee.^{3, 7}

What raises the cost of a Massachusetts LLC?

The bill rises above the state's fees through the resident agent, a paid annual report service, add-ons sold at checkout, and falling behind on reports.

The resident agent

Every Massachusetts LLC names a resident agent (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 156C, § 5). An owner who lives in the state can take the role without paying a provider, though that person's street address then goes on the certificate as the agent's address. Paying a provider means a yearly charge, and the first year is often discounted or bundled while the second is billed in full. The Massachusetts resident agent guide explains who may serve.²

Switching away from a renewal you don't want is cheap here. The statement of change costs $25 by paper or fax and $0 if filed electronically. File the change before cancelling the old provider, so the LLC always has an agent on record; changing a resident agent walks through it.⁶

Annual report services

Most providers sell a service that files the Massachusetts report for you. Its price is charged on top of the state's $500, every year you use it. Filing the report yourself costs the state fee alone. Some services start through a trial or a free first year and then renew automatically, so check the renewal date on any you accept.

Speed

Massachusetts has no separate expedite option. Fax filings are already processed generally same business day, no later than the next business day. Paying a provider extra for rush handling speeds up its own preparation only, and a mail filing with no service charge is cheaper if you can wait.^{3, 5}

Add-ons and upsells

Formation checkouts commonly offer an EIN (the federal tax ID), an operating agreement, a business address and bookkeeping or legal-document subscriptions. Each is a separate purchase from the certificate. The EIN itself is issued by the IRS, and the operating agreement can be drafted outside any package.

Missed reports

There is no late fee listed for LLCs, so the state doesn't publish a penalty for a single late report. The risk builds over time: failing to file for 2 consecutive years is grounds for administrative dissolution. Reinstatement then costs $100, and an LLC may apply at any time. Staying compliant in Massachusetts covers the report and the dissolution rules.^{6, 8}

Which providers have the lowest published prices for a Massachusetts LLC?

The table shows each provider's agent price, renewal and lowest-priced package. Rows follow our score, highest first, with tied scores in editorial order, so they aren't sorted by price.

Below, in the same order, is what each lowest-priced option adds in year one and what it leaves for year two, when the annual report fee arrives.

Tailor Brands. Lite is $0 plus state fees, with no agent listed, so the agent adds $199/year unless you qualify to serve as your own. The package at $199/yr plus state fees lists annual compliance (report filing and updates); that is a yearly plan charge, with the state's report fee still added. See the Tailor Brands review.^{9, 10}

ZenBusiness. Starter is $0 + state fees (does not renew). The agent is an add-on (+$199/yr) with 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC, and it renews at $199/yr. Starter also includes Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr), so the first report may be filed for you and the second billed. On its own, report filing costs $100 per report. See the ZenBusiness review.^{11, 12, 13}

LegalZoom. The lowest package is $0 + state filing fees, and the agent is a separate purchase at $249/year (first-time registered agent customers) that renews at the purchase rate each year, with the rate subject to change. Each report filing is sold once, at $99 + state filing fees, so a Massachusetts owner using it would buy it again every year. See the LegalZoom review.^{14, 15, 16}

Bizee. Basic is $0 + state fee and includes the agent's first year. From year two, the agent renews at $149/year (ongoing annual fee), next to the state's report fee. Bizee sells report filing without a published price. See the Bizee review.^{17, 18}

Swyft Filings. Basic is $0 + state fees. Its agent is billed quarterly, which is $596/year. Packages include a trial of its report service (ComplianceGuard $199/year) on these terms: 14-day free trial then auto-charged. An owner who plans to file the report alone would need to cancel before the charge. See the Swyft Filings review.^{19, 20, 21}

doola. Starter is $297/yr and includes the agent, and because it is a yearly plan, the whole price recurs. For the report, doola says Starter does not include ongoing compliance filings. See the doola review.^{22, 23}

Northwest Registered Agent. Formation is $39 + State Fees. Its corporation page mentions one year of registered agent service included with formation, so confirm that applies to an LLC. Its terms also say RA customers auto-enrolled in Compliance Services billed in annual auto-pay, at $100 + state fees per filing, so the report service is billed unless you opt out. See the Northwest review.^{24, 25, 26, 27}

Rocket Lawyer. Formation comes with membership (First registration free with a Rocket Lawyer membership), billed yearly. Standard ($149/year) doesn't include the agent; on Plus ($249/year) or Pro ($349/year) it costs $125/year more. Count the membership as part of the yearly cost. See the Rocket Lawyer review.^{28, 29}

InCorp Services. Formation starts at $99 plus state fees, with the registered agent sold separately at $129 per state per year. InCorp calls the renewal a $129 per year flat rate, though its terms say the agent is billed at then-current fee unless a cancellation condition is met. Its report filing is $89 + state fees, the lowest published standalone report price on this page. See the InCorp review.^{30, 31, 32, 33, 34}

Harbor Compliance. Formation starts at $99 plus state fees. The agent is $99 first year (new customers), then $159 annually, and stopping that renewal takes notice at least 90 days before the end of the current term. See the Harbor Compliance review.^{35, 36, 37}

Agent prices for every state are on the cheapest registered agent services page.