ZenBusiness reviews its own products and services and compares them to others in the industry.
If you’re looking for an excellent Maryland LLC service then choose ZenBusiness. We’ve already formed 700,000+ businesses since 2017!
If you want a socially conscious Maryland LLC service with excellent overall value, choose ZenBusiness.
Northwest Registered Agent charges $225 (plus state fee) for LLC filing services. That said, Northwest’s personalized customer support is a feature that could make their prices worth paying for some entrepreneurs.
Overall, Northwest does have some points in its favor. However, keep in mind that it charges $225 (plus your state’s required fee) for its LLC filing services.
Want to learn more? See this Northwest LLC review.
LegalZoom is one of the biggest names in the industry, with millions of customers served and frequent advertising efforts. LegalZoom provides an LLC filing package for free (plus the state’s fee).
LegalZoom is a huge company, so while it offers extended support hours, the quality of its customer support may vary a bit from representative to representative.
Want to learn more? See this LegalZoom LLC review.
Incfile/Bizee offers LLC formations for free, as long as you pay your state’s fee. Incfile and ZenBusiness have some similar characteristics, but there are also some significant differences that set the two apart.
If you’re looking for a cheap LLC formation service in Maryland and ZenBusiness doesn’t feel right for some reason, Incfile/Bizee could be worth a closer look.
Want to learn more? See this Incfile/Bizee LLC review.
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Technically speaking, you don’t have to use an LLC formation service like ZenBusiness or LegalZoom. These services are incredibly helpful, but you can save money by completing the process yourself.
You can read our complete guide to DIY an LLC setup in Maryland, but here’s a quick look at the process:
Every LLC in Maryland needs a name that’s memorable and gives potential clients a good idea of what goods or services are available. The name also needs to be unique — both for legal reasons and so your business stands out from the competition.
As we’ve mentioned in this guide, every LLC needs an agent who can accept service of process on your behalf. In all states, you can act as your own registered agent as long as you have a physical address in the state. That said, we generally recommend that you appoint someone else (like an online service) to act as your agent.
This document, once filled out and filed, officially forms your business in the state of Maryland. You’ll need to provide some important information, including your contact information, your business address, signatures for your LLC’s members, and more. Maryland has a $100 filing fee.
Setting up the LLC is as easy as 1-2-3; it’s the maintenance requirements that are a bit more complicated:
If you have employees, you’ll need to get an Employer Identification Number from the IRS. Then there are state-specific taxes, too. Maryland keeps income taxes pretty simple with flat rates. Corporations will pay at an 8.25% rate; individuals pay at a rate of 5.75%. Most businesses will also need to account for the state sales tax (6%). You can learn more about these and other miscellaneous taxes at the Comptroller of Maryland.
You won’t need to obtain a business license from the state, but you probably need to get one from your local Clerk of the Circuit Court. There’s also a good chance that you need to obtain some professional licenses, too. Consult Maryland’s Business OneStop Portal to get started.
Even single-member LLCs should create a “master document” that sets out how the business will operate, both now and in the future.
Each year, your LLC will need to file an annual report to update the state about the standing of your business. It’s due by April 15th, and there is a $300 filing fee for this document.
Every business with employees needs to maintain workers’ compensation insurance and a commercial vehicle policy for company-owned vehicles. You may also want to get a general business liability policy, too.
You should sign up for a business bank account so you can write checks and make purchases in the name of the business instead of pulling from your personal accounts (a legal no-no).
This is just the tip of the iceberg, though. For more detailed guidance, we recommend contacting an attorney or checking out the full Maryland LLC Formation Guide.
Mailing Address: 16 Francis St. Annapolis, MD 21401 | Office Hours: 8:30 – 4:30 Certification Hours: 9:00 – 1:00 |
Telephone: 410-974-5521 | Website: https://sos.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx |
LLCs are formal legal entities that are typically taxed similarly to sole proprietorships and general partnerships, in that the owners include any company profits or losses into their personal returns — the LLC itself does not owe income taxes. For more a more in-depth description see: What is an LLC?
In addition to the costs of a business formation service or hiring an attorney (which are optional, as we’ve discussed), there are quite a few other required and optional expenses when forming and maintaining a Maryland business. You cannot form an LLC in Maryland without filing the Articles of Organization, as that document officially registers your business within the state. This filing has a base cost of $100 with a $3 convenience fee for online filings.
Your LLC will need to file the Annual Report every year. This filing is pretty simple, but it keeps the state up-to-date regarding some basic but vital business information like your address and your registered agent. Maryland charges a hefty $300 fee for this filing. Read more about Maryland costs – Maryland LLC costs.
FAQ's
We invite you to take a look at our comprehensive guide to forming a limited liability company in Maryland. This article walks you through the LLC formation process in this state step by step, ensuring that you don’t miss any crucial elements.
One of the most important steps in forming a Maryland LLC is choosing a business name. Once you come up with ideas for your name, you should search through the Maryland Business Express business entity search to make sure your desired name is available. For more information on conducting a business name search in Maryland, check out our full article on the topic.
You can fill out the Maryland Articles of Organization on the Maryland Business Express.
All LLCs operating in the state of Maryland are required to submit an annual report to the state. It’s due by April 15, and there is a $300 filing fee.
Chances are, you’ll require at least one license or permit to operate your LLC in compliance with Maryland state law. For more information about business licenses and more in this state, check out the Maryland Business Express Licensing OneStop Portal.
The Secretary of State should be able to process your LLC’s formation within 4-6 weeks. If you’re in a hurry, you can pay a $50 expediting fee to shorten your turnaround time to roughly 7-10 business days. (Online filings are automatically expedited at no extra cost.)
If you want more details about what these companies can offer in this state, or you’d like to take a look at some other options, check out our complete guide to Maryland resident agents.
Unfortunately, not all businesses last forever. If the time comes when you need to close your LLC’s doors, you’ll need to do so in a manner consistent with the state’s regulations. That’s why we wrote our guide to Maryland LLC dissolutions, so you can complete the process in a compliant manner.
If your LLC already exists in another state, you don’t actually need to “form” it in Maryland. Instead, you’ll need to foreign qualify the business in this state. This process is somewhat similar to LLC formation, but there are some crucial differences as well. Take a look at our guide to foreign qualifications in Maryland for more information.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
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