✨ ZenBusiness ✨

If you’re looking for an excellent New York LLC service then choose ZenBusiness. We’ve already formed 500,000+ businesses since 2015!

  • Free LLC Service: We’ll form your LLC for free (plus your state’s required fee), while some competitors charge hundreds of dollars for similar services.
  • $5,000 Grant Program: As a ZenBusiness customer you’re eligible to enter our grant program which includes $5,000 and other special resources to help start your business. In 2023, 40 grants will be awarded. As a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) we’re focused on more than just profits – we strongly believe in giving back.
  • Stellar Reviews: With more than 12,900 ZenBusiness reviews available online and high average ratings, it’s clear that our customers are typically quite pleased with our services.
  • Quality Guarantee: We offer a 60-day money-back guarantee on our services. While some competitors have steep service charges or short windows of availability for refunds, our 100% satisfaction guarantee provides significant peace of mind.

If you want a socially conscious New York LLC service with excellent overall value, choose ZenBusiness.

Northwest

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.

  • Higher Prices: Northwest charges $225 + state fee to form an LLC in New York. However, that $225 package does at least include a year of registered agent service.
  • Customer Reviews: Northwest receives mostly positive customer feedback, but with several hundred reviews instead of the thousands you’ll find with the other companies in this guide, they can’t match competitors like us for review volume.
  • Known for Service: While some competitors outsource customer service to third-party call centers, Northwest keeps its support team in-house.

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

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).

  • Higher Average Prices: While LegalZoom charges $0 (+ your state fee) for LLC service, it has higher price points for some other services. For instance, it typically charges a rate of $199 per year for registered agent service and at least $149 to form a corporation.
  • Features: LegalZoom sometimes excludes valuable features from its LLC filing service packages. For instance, its Basic LLC service package includes only a digital welcome packet and a trial for a third-party web design service.
  • Service Guarantee: Much like ZenBusiness, LegalZoom offers a 60-day, 100% satisfaction guarantee that is among the best in the industry.

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

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.

  • Lots of Reviews: Incfile/Bizee has tens of thousands of customer reviews with strong average rating scores.
  • Customer Support: If you prioritize responsive customer support, Incfile/Bizee may not be your best option. At times, their responses can be slow and some customers complain that they don’t get a response at all to emailed support inquiries.
  • Upsells: Incfile/Bizee can also pile on the upsells, with lots of suggested add-on services sprinkled throughout the order form.

If you’re looking for a cheap LLC formation service in New York 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.

Compare Packages

Identify the LLC package and services that fit your needs and then get started.

Starter

Premium

Starter

$0

Premium

$349/yr

Starter

File in 2 to 3 weeks **

$0

PLUS STATE FEES

Premium

File in 1 to 5 days **

$349/yr

PLUS STATE FEES

Top Features

More InfoWe do everything needed to file your application with the state and make your business official. Standard LLC Filing
More InfoWe’ll file your paperwork quickly and accurately. If there are any errors with your filing, our team will do what’s needed to make it right. 100% Accuracy Guarantee
More InfoKeeps you compliant with all state-required annual report and amendment filings to maintain LLC protections and avoid fines. Worry-Free Compliance
More InfoThis essential document is like the constitution for your business. Operating Agreement
More InfoOur fastest service puts you to the front of our line of filings. Our Fastest Filing Speed
More InfoOur team will secure your EIN from the IRS so you can open a business bank account, hire employees, and pay taxes. EIN
More InfoIncludes over 25 templates for contracts, service agreements, waivers, and more. Business Documents
More InfoGet online with a website builder tool optimized for traffic and customers. Business Website Builder
More InfoBuild and protect your brand by registering a private domain name that matches your business name. Domain Name with Privacy
More InfoStay organized and give your business more credibility with a business email. Business Email Address

File in 2 to 3 weeks **

1 year free, then $199/yr*
+$99
+$79
+$99
+$99
+$15/mo
+$35/yr
+$25/yr

File in 1 to 5 days **

*SPECIAL OFFER – Get Starter for $0 plus state fees. Includes one optional free year of Worry-Free Compliance that renews at $199/yr.
**These filing times are averages and include our processing times and Secretary of State turnaround times which vary by state.

How to Set Up a New York 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 New York, but here’s a quick look at the process:

Choose a business name

Every LLC in New York 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 a NY 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 New York. You’ll need to provide some important information, including your contact information, your business address, signatures for your LLC’s members, and more. New York charges $200 for the Articles of Organization. You will also file a Certificate of Publication, which requires you to publish a notice about your business in local newspapers. The fee for the Certificate is $50, meaning your total cost to register will be $250, plus the cost of the newspaper advertisements.

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. Understandably, one of your largest tax burdens will be the state’s income taxes. Currently, New York has a flat corporate rate of 6.5%; individual rates fall between 4% and 8.82%. You’ll also need to account for the state sales tax (4%). You can learn more about these and other miscellaneous taxes at the New York Department of Taxation and Finance.

Get licenses and permits

There’s no general state business license in New York, but that doesn’t mean you won’t need to get professional licenses, such as those listed on New York’s Licenses Database. There are more than 1,200 licenses across the state, so there’s a good chance at least one will apply to your business.

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 biennial report

Every other year (on odd-numbered years), your LLC will need to file a biennial report to update the state about the standing of your business. It’s due by the end of your LLC’s anniversary month, and there is a $9 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 New York LLC Formation Guide.

New York LLC Fast Facts

  • LLC Formation Speed: Usually same-day if filed online, paper filings take 7 business days (expedited options: $25 for 24-hour service, $75 for same-day, $150 for 2-hour)
  • Cost to File a NY LLC: $250 ($200 for the Articles of Organization and $50 for the required publication certificate), plus the service’s fee if you use one
  • How to File Your Articles of Organization: Online or by mail
  • Biennial Reports: Due every other year (odd-numbered years only) by the end of your LLC’s anniversary month; costs $9 to file
  • State General Business License: Not required, but industry licenses will probably apply
  • PLLCs: Permitted, but called a “Professional Service LLC” in NY

New York Secretary of State Contact Information

Albany Location:
One Commerce Plaza,
99 Washington Ave,
Albany, NY 12231
New York City Location:
123 William Street,
New York, NY 10038-3804
Telephone:
(518) 473-2492
Website:
https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS

What Is a New York 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. For more a more in-depth description see: What is an LLC?

The Total Cost of Forming and Maintaining an LLC in New York

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 New York business. You cannot form an LLC in New York without filing the Articles of Organization, the document that officially registers your business within the state. This document has a $200 filing fee.

You will also need to submit a Certificate of Publication ($50), which requires you to post an ad in your local paper alerting the public about who you are and what your new business is. You must post this ad once a week for six weeks in two local papers before you can submit the publication certificate.

Another common requirement is the Biennial Statement, which New York requires you to submit every other year. This simple filing keeps the state up-to-date about some basic but vital business information, such as your address and registered agent. The filing costs just $9. Read more about New York costs – New York LLC costs.

FAQ's

  • We invite you to take a look at our comprehensive guide to forming a limited liability company in New York. This article walks you through the LLC formation process in this state step by step, ensuring that you don’t miss any crucial elements.

  • New York is one of a small handful of states that requires entrepreneurs to publish proof of their LLC formations in area newspapers. When you form your LLC, you’ll need to take out advertisements in two local newspapers within 120 days of filing your Articles of Organization document with the state.

    Once you’ve completed this requirement, each newspaper will send you an affidavit of publication to submit to the Department of State. At this point, the Department of State will provide you with a Certificate of Publication to certify that you have fulfilled the publication step.

    If you would like to find a service to tackle this step on your behalf, take a look at our guide to the best New York publication services.

  • One of the most important steps in forming a New York LLC is choosing a business name. Once you come up with ideas for your name, you should search through the state’s Corporation and Business Entity Database to make sure your desired name is available. For more information on conducting a business name search in New York, check out our full article on the topic.

  • You can complete your Articles of Organization on New York’s Business Express website, or you can print off a paper form to fill out and mail in.

  • New York requires all LLCs transacting business in the state to pay an annual filing fee. You will also need to file a biennial report every other year, which you can file online.

  • To find out which permits and licenses are applicable to your business, head on over to the New York Business Express site, where you can find extensive information about licensing requirements in this state.

  • The typical filing time for an LLC in New York is around seven business days. However, if you would like to expedite your formation, they offer the following options for faster service:

    • 24-hour service: $25
    • Same-day service: $75
    • Two-hour service: $150
  • 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 New York registered 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 New York LLC dissolutions, so you can complete the process in a compliant manner.

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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Written by Team ZenBusiness

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