4 Best Minnesota LLC Services

Minnesota LLC Fast Facts

• LLC Formation Speed: Online and in-person filings processed same-day, mailed forms take 3-5 business days
• Cost to File an MN LLC: $135, plus the service’s fee if you use one
• How to File Your Articles of Organization: Online or by mail (additional $20 fee for online filings)
• Annual Renewal: Due each year by December 31st; no fee is required for businesses in good standing
• State General Business License: Not required, but industry licenses may apply
• PLLCs: Permitted, but formation documents must include additional language for professional firms

What Is a Minnesota LLC?

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.

An LLC may also elect to be taxed like a corporation, although this is not a very common option.

There are similarities to corporations too, especially when it comes to financial responsibilities. In an LLC, the owners or members are not usually personally accountable for the financial status of the business. This means that if someone sues your LLC, your personal assets are not at risk.

Minnesota does not require LLCs to create an operating agreement, although it is still strongly recommended. This document can help clear up any disagreements between your owners, and it’s also just generally convenient to have a roadmap of your LLC’s operational aspects.

The state of Minnesota has middle-of-the-road fees for LLC formations, as you’ll pay $135 to file by mail or $155 to file online or in person. You can pay by check, money order, or credit/debit card. The state typically processes online and in-person LLC formations immediately, while mailed filings take roughly 3-5 business days.

The ongoing LLC maintenance requirements in Minnesota include the Annual Renewal. You need to file it by December 31 each year, and the filing fee is just $25 by mail or $45 online or in person.

The Total Cost of Forming and Maintaining an LLC in Minnesota

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 Minnesota business. You cannot form an LLC in Minnesota without filing the Articles of Organization, the document that officially registers your LLC within the state. The filing fee for this varies depending on how you file, with mail-order filings costing just $135 and online filings costing $155.

One way you can avoid additional expenses is to file your Annual Renewal on time each year. It costs $25 by mail or $45 online or in person. Basically, this report keeps the state up-to-date about certain basic but vital info about your business, such as your registered agent and address.

Another substantial expense is business taxes. Minnesota maintains a bracketed tax system for personal income taxes (and, therefore, most LLCs) but has a flat rate for corporate income taxes. But state taxes aren’t the only ones you’ll have to account for. You’ll also have to pay federal taxes, along with several others.

For instance, if you have employees, you’ll pay unemployment insurance tax. If you sell goods or services, you’ll pay sales and use tax. Depending on the nature of your business, there could be other taxes required, so check with the Minnesota Department of Revenue to make sure.

Other than that, the other potential expenses only apply to certain businesses. These include things like professional or industry-specific business licenses and business insurance.

Pros and Cons of Creating a Limited Liability Company

An LLC is one of the most popular entity types nationwide. But it isn’t the right type for everyone.

Only you can pick which entity type best fits you and your business; after all, you understand your business idea better than anyone. You have a clear vision for your products and services, both present and future.

To truly determine whether an LLC is right for you, it’s helpful to consider the advantages and disadvantages of LLCs.

Pros

• Easier to form and maintain than a corporation
• Personal asset protection
• Flexible taxation structure; can pay as a partnership or a corporation
• Business name is protected for exclusive use within state boundaries

Cons

• No authority to issue stock, so opportunities to raise capital are limited
• Fees are higher than partnerships or sole proprietorships
• Requires more paperwork than some entrepreneurs are comfortable with

Should You Form a Minnesota LLC or Corporation?

Common characteristics

There are some common aspects of the LLC and the corporation, starting with the personal asset protection they both provide. Also known as limited liability, this personal asset protection ensures that if your business is sued, only the business assets are at risk. Meanwhile, your personal assets — like your house, car, personal bank accounts, investments, etc. — are protected by your LLC or corporation’s business structure.

In addition, LLCs and corporations both provide their owners with business name exclusivity. If you own and operate a sole proprietorship or general partnership, you will not have exclusive rights to your business name. Instead, if another company decides to use your name as its own, you won’t be able to stop them. In fact, they could even register your business name and gain exclusive rights to it, forcing you to come up with a new one.

Advantages of the LLC

In general, an LLC is quicker and easier to form than a corporation. LLCs usually need to provide less information for their formation documents than corporations do, and there are fewer steps in the process as well. For instance, LLCs don’t need to draft corporate bylaws, name officers or board members, hold initial board meetings, or issue stock. On the other hand, corporations need to do all of these things and more.

The LLC is also a less rigid business structure that allows its owners greater flexibility. The business structure of a corporation is inflexible, with many regulations dictating how the business should look and function. Meanwhile, LLCs have options for business management structure and ownership responsibilities that corporations simply don’t have.

Another even more valuable option LLCs have is that they can choose how they want to be taxed. Most LLCs are taxed as pass-through entities, which means the business itself does not pay taxes, but the profits are passed through the LLC itself to its owners, who pay taxes on this money on their personal returns. However, LLCs can also opt to be taxed like corporations (either as a C corporation or an S corporation), giving them more options for taxation than a corporation has.

Advantages of the corporation

Corporations have some advantages too, like the ability to sell stock. It’s quite difficult for an LLC to attract outside investments because it cannot issue stock. The vast majority of investors prefer stock as their investment medium, and it’s also very rare to see venture capitalists investing in LLCs. For these reasons, the corporation is a much better option for businesses looking to attract investments.

In addition, the corporation has been around for hundreds of years, while the LLC is a newer addition to the American business landscape. This means that the corporation has more established legalities and also that it’s easier to expand into other states because the corporation’s structure is essentially the same no matter where you form it.

How to Set Up a Minnesota LLC on Your Own

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 Minnesota, but here’s a quick look at the process: 

Choose a business name

Every LLC in Minnesota 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.

Appoint an MN registered agent

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.

File the Articles of Organization

This document, once filled out and filed, officially forms your business in the state of Minnesota. You’ll need to provide some important information, including your contact information, your business address, signatures for your LLC’s members, and more. Minnesota charges $135 for mail-in filings and $155 for online filings.

Setting up the LLC is as easy as 1-2-3; it’s the maintenance requirements that are a bit more complicated:

Register for and pay taxes

If you have employees, you’ll need to get an Employer Identification Number from the IRS. Then there are state-specific taxes, too. Minnesota has a pretty hefty income tax burden: 9.8% for corporations and for individuals, one of four brackets ranging between 5.35% and 9.85%. There’s also the sales tax (6.875% plus local fees) to account for. You can learn more about these and other miscellaneous taxes at the Minnesota Department of Revenue.

Get licenses and permits

There’s no general state business license in Minnesota, but that doesn’t mean you won’t need to get professional licenses. Minnesota eLicensing maintains a comprehensive index of the state’s 750+ professional licenses, so it’s a good place to start.

Create an operating agreement

Even single-member LLCs should create a “master document” that sets out how the business will operate, both now and in the future.

File your annual renewal

Each year, your LLC will need to file an annual renewal to update the state about the standing of your business. The official due date is December 31st, and as long as your business is in good standing, you won’t need to pay a filing fee.

Obtain business insurance

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.

Get a business bank account

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 Minnesota LLC Formation Guide.