Cheapest LLC formation in New York

What does the state of New York charge to form an LLC?

The Department of State sets these fees, and no provider can lower them; every package on this page quotes its price before them.

Two state charges apply to every new domestic LLC. The first is $200 for the Articles of Organization, whether you file online yourself or a service files for you. The second comes after publication: the certificate that proves the notice ran costs $50, and it is due within 120 days.

A name reservation is optional. It costs $20 and holds a name for 60 days, which only helps if something will delay your filing.⁵

An LLC formed in another state pays a different entry fee. Registering it here costs $250, and foreign LLCs must also publish within 120 days, so the newspaper cost follows it too.⁶

The recurring state filing is the biennial statement at $9, due in the calendar month the articles of organization were filed. A missed statement carries no published penalty; the LLC is shown as past due in DOS records. The New York compliance page covers what else is due after formation.^{1, 7, 8}

What raises the cost of a New York LLC?

Publication is the largest unknown, followed by expedite fees, a paid agent if you choose one, yearly plans and add-ons, and for some LLCs a yearly tax-department fee.

Newspaper publication

New York requires you to publish the Articles or a notice in two newspapers chosen by the county clerk for six consecutive weeks. The newspapers are designated by the county clerk of the county in which the office of the LLC is located, so two LLCs with identical packages can pay different amounts depending on the office county. Ask the county clerk which papers are designated, then ask each paper for its rate before you file. Skipping the step isn't a saving: missing the deadline will result in the suspension of the LLC's authority, per the Department. None of the provider packages on this page lists publication, so budget for it separately.²

Expedited filing

Online filing already brings an email filing receipt within minutes, so the paid tiers are mostly of use to paper filers. They are $25 within 24 hours, $75 same day and $150 within 2 hours, charged per document, plus filing fee. If a formation service advertises fast processing, ask whether that includes one of these state fees or only its own handling.²

A registered agent you don't have to buy

Because a registered agent is optional in New York, the cheapest route leaves the agent out. Adding one is a recurring cost, and dropping it later means a Certificate of Change at $30. Hiring one is still an option if you want a named recipient for legal papers in the state; registered agent services for New York compares the yearly prices.¹

Yearly plans, trials and add-ons

Some formation packages are billed every year, and some bundle a first year of compliance or agent service that renews later; the table below shows which. EIN filing, operating agreements and business addresses are sold separately by several providers, as New York LLC formation services compared sets out. Each is a separate decision from the filing itself.

The tax department's yearly fee

LLCs with New York-source income file Form IT-204-LL. An LLC treated as a disregarded entity pays $25. An LLC taxed as a partnership pays $25 to $4,500, set by New York-source gross income. LLCs with no New York-source income, and LLCs that elect corporate tax treatment, do not file Form IT-204-LL.⁹

Which providers have the lowest published prices for a New York LLC?

The price table lists each provider's agent price, renewal and lowest formation package by our score, highest first, with ties in editorial order; it isn't a price ranking.

The table below puts each lowest package next to what it costs again in the second year, before New York's own fees and publication.

A few terms change the arithmetic.

Bizee's $0 + state fee Basic plan includes the agent's first year (Registered Agent (1st year included)). Since New York doesn't require an agent, the designation can be revoked with a Certificate of Change at $30. Bizee's terms describe cancelling by assigning a new registered agent with the state and notifying Bizee of the change, so ask Bizee whether a revocation with no new agent meets that condition before the renewal.^{1, 28}

ZenBusiness says its Starter package does not renew, but it bundles Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr).¹²

LegalZoom's agent renewal carries the words "rate subject to change", so its second-year price isn't fixed in advance.¹⁴

Swyft Filings bills its agent at $149 per quarter, which comes to $596/year. Compare that yearly figure, not the quarterly one.¹⁷

doola's Starter is $297/yr as a whole, and its terms say recurring fees auto-renew at the rates then in effect, so year two bills the plan again, not just the agent.²⁹

Northwest's statement that its formation price includes the agent's first year appears only on its corporation page (One year of registered agent service included with formation ($39 + state fees), as stated on the corporation page); check before relying on it for an LLC.³⁰

Rocket Lawyer's membership comes with a trial (Free 7-day trial, then billed yearly). The agent requires Plus ($249/year) or higher, plus its own fee of $125 with a Plus or Pro membership.^{23, 31}

InCorp's terms say the agent is billed at then-current fee unless a cancellation condition is met, so the renewal can move.³²

Harbor Compliance's agent starts at $99 first year (new customers) and needs notice at least 90 days before the end of the current term to stop renewing.^{27, 33}

For agent prices beyond New York, see cheapest registered agent services.