Cheapest LLC formation in Vermont

What does Vermont charge to form and keep an LLC?

The Secretary of State charges these fees whichever route you take, and no provider can lower them. Every package price on this page is quoted before them.

The one charge every new Vermont LLC pays is $155 for the Articles of Organization. The state lists no extra fee for filing online, and online processing is normally less than 1 business day, so the cheapest way to file is also the fastest. Mail takes 7 to 10 business days, and the fee table shows one Articles charge with no separate price for paper.⁵

A name reservation ($25 for 120 days) is optional and only useful if you need to hold a name before you're ready to file.¹

An LLC formed in another state that registers to do business in Vermont pays $155 (Application for Certificate of Authority) instead of the formation fee. The two charges come to the same amount, so registering an existing LLC costs no more up front than forming a new Vermont one.¹

Then there is the yearly report. Every Vermont LLC files an annual report for $45, due within three months after the end of the LLC's fiscal year. That makes the report fee the smallest yearly charge from the state; the Vermont compliance page explains the report and its timing.⁶

What pushes the cost of a Vermont LLC higher?

The agent's renewal, report-filing services, the business entity tax for some LLCs, and the penalties for missed reports are what lift the bill above the state's fixed fees.

The agent for service of process

Vermont requires an agent that meets 11 V.S.A. § 1655. A Vermont resident can take the role at no cost, since the statute accepts an individual resident of this State. Owners elsewhere need a resident individual or a qualifying business, and a commercial agent is a yearly charge.⁷

There are three routes. Act as your own agent if you live in Vermont, accepting that your address and email go on the filing. Take a package that bundles the agent's first year, then pay the renewal. Or buy agent service by itself at the published prices below.

If a renewal climbs, switching costs $35 on the Statement of Change. File it before cancelling the old service so the LLC is never without an agent; changing an agent for service of process gives the order of steps.¹

Report filing services

The state fee for the report is fixed, but paying someone to file it is optional. LegalZoom, InCorp and Northwest quote these prices plus state fees, so the state's $45 comes on top; ZenBusiness's per-report price doesn't say either way.

• ZenBusiness, Annual Report Filing $100 per report⁸
• LegalZoom, $99 + state filing fees, bills once⁹
• InCorp, $89 + state fees¹⁰
• Northwest, $100 + state fees, charged at filing¹¹

Filing it yourself costs only the state fee. Northwest needs a closer look, since its terms describe RA customers auto-enrolled in Compliance Services billed in annual auto-pay.¹²

The business entity income tax

Vermont's business entity income tax applies to LLCs electing partnership or S-corporation treatment, and the Department of Taxes says that, generally, a minimum tax of $250 is due. Whether it applies depends on how the LLC is taxed for federal purposes, so check that with the department or an accountant before assuming the LLC owes no state business tax.⁴

Missed reports

A missed report costs more than the report. Reinstatement runs $35 per year missed, plus the overdue annual report(s) and annual report fee(s). Waiting too long also costs the name, with name protection lost if not filed within five years of the due date.¹

Upsells at checkout

Formation checkouts offer an EIN, an operating agreement, a business address and compliance subscriptions. The EIN comes from the IRS, and an operating agreement can be drafted from a template, so each paid extra is a separate choice from the filing.

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

The table below gives each provider's agent price, renewal and lowest formation package. Rows follow our score, highest first, ties in editorial order, not price.

What follows is what each lowest-priced option adds to Vermont's $155 fee in year one, and what keeps costing money after.

Tailor Brands. Lite is $0 plus state fees and doesn't list an agent, so budget $199/year for one or, as a Vermont resident, act as your own. The next plan, Essential, is $199/yr plus state fees, a yearly charge that lists annual compliance (report filing and updates). Tailor Brands review.^{13, 14}

ZenBusiness. Starter costs $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, renewing at $199/yr. Starter also bundles Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr); cancel before it renews if you'd rather file the Vermont report yourself. ZenBusiness review.^{15, 16}

LegalZoom. The lowest package is $0 + state filing fees. The agent costs $249/year (first-time registered agent customers) and auto-renews at the purchase rate each year until you cancel, with the rate subject to change. LegalZoom review.^{17, 18}

Bizee. Basic is $0 + state fee, with the agent free for the first year with any Bizee formation package and then $149/year (ongoing annual fee). In year one the state fee is close to the whole bill; in year two the renewal and the report fee take over. Bizee review.^{3, 19}

Swyft Filings. Basic is $0 + state fees. The agent is $149 per quarter ($596/year), billed quarterly, so compare its yearly total. Its package details don't mention an agent. Swyft Filings review.^{20, 21}

doola. Starter is $297/yr and includes the agent, but the plan itself renews every year, so the whole plan price recurs. doola review.²²

Northwest Registered Agent. Formation is $39 + State Fees, described on its corporation page as a total that includes one year of registered agent service; confirm that wording covers an LLC. The agent alone is $125 per year. Its terms enrol agent customers in report filing ($100 + state fees, charged at filing), so opt out if you plan to file the report yourself. Northwest review.^{11, 23, 24, 25}

Rocket Lawyer. Formation is offered through membership, on these terms: First registration free with a Rocket Lawyer membership. Standard costs $149/year and doesn't cover the agent, which is $125 with a Plus or Pro membership and needs Plus ($249/year) or Pro ($349/year). Count the membership as part of the agent's yearly cost. Rocket Lawyer review.^{26, 27, 28}

InCorp Services. InCorp's formation is priced starting 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, while its terms say service is billed at then-current fee unless a cancellation condition is met. InCorp review.^{29, 30, 31, 32}

Harbor Compliance. Formation starts at $99 plus state fees. The agent is $99 first year (new customers), renewing at $159 annually, and stopping it needs notice at least 90 days before the end of the current term. Harbor Compliance review.^{33, 34, 35}

Agent-only prices nationwide are on the cheapest registered agent services page. Packages are compared step by step on Vermont LLC formation services, and agent terms on agents for service of process in Vermont.