Massachusetts Foreign Registration / Fees
What Massachusetts charges a foreign LLC, now and every year
Massachusetts charges a foreign LLC $500 to register and another $500 for each annual report. Faster handling of an electronic or faxed filing adds $20. Our fee for preparing and filing is $199, shown on its own line at checkout.
Every state charge an LLC meets
| Filing | Fee | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Registration of a foreign LLC | $500 | Within ten days of starting business |
| Annual report | $500 | Each anniversary of registration |
| Amendment | $100 | For a change in the registered facts |
| Withdrawal | $100 | Good standing first |
| Cancellation | $100 | Good standing first |
| Reinstatement after revocation | $100 | File missing annual reports first |
| Name reservation | $30 | Optional |
Why it adds up quickly
Massachusetts charges $500 for both. An LLC that registers and files three annual reports has paid $2,000 to the state before it considers any speed fee or agent. If it later withdraws, the total reaches $2,100.
What an LLC spends
| Path | Total to the state |
|---|---|
| Registration only | $500 |
| Registration with expedited handling | $520 |
| Registration and the first annual report | $1,000 |
| Registration and one paper agent change | $525 |
| Registration and three annual reports | $2,000 |
| Registration, three reports and withdrawal | $2,100 |
None of these totals includes our fee, the certificate from home or an outside agent.
Expedite charges
For fax and electronic filings the Division adds an expedite fee that rises with the order. It is $3 for the smallest orders and climbs through six steps to $20 for a $500 subtotal, and 4.5 percent of the subtotal beyond that. A $100 amendment pays $10.
The price of waiting
The statute fines an LLC up to $500 for each year it does business unregistered, so three years could cost up to $1,500 before the registration fee. That is separate from the reports the LLC never filed and from the bar on suing in a Massachusetts court.
Certificates and copies
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Certificate of good standing | $25 |
| Certificate of existence | $12 |
| Certificate of registration | $12 |
| Special certificate (cancellation, withdrawal) | $25 |
| Service of process on the state secretary | $10 |
| Certified copy, first page | $7 |
The certificate of good standing shows current standing once the LLC is registered. Each page after the first in a certified copy costs $2, and a letter of compliance stating that service was made costs $10.
Agent changes
A change of resident agent or office filed on paper or by fax costs $25 on the current fee page, and nothing if filed electronically.
What our fee covers
For $199 we draft the application from your answers, test the home certificate against its ninety-day limit, enter the agent with the written consent, send everything to the Division and return the record. The Commonwealth's fee, any expedite fee and an outside agent's charge stay on separate lines.
Corporation fees beside the LLC fees
| Filing | Fee |
|---|---|
| Foreign corporation registration | $400 |
| Same, filed by fax | $375 |
| Annual report, filed on time | $125 |
| Annual report, filed electronically | $100 |
| Annual report, filed late | $150 |
| Certificate of amendment | $100 |
| Certificate of withdrawal | $100 |
A foreign corporation pays less than an LLC to register and to file the annual report, but the ten-day rule is the same.
What each state charge buys
The $500 registration puts the LLC on the Commonwealth's record and ends the bar on suing. Each $500 report keeps it in good standing, which the Division requires before it will take a cancellation or a withdrawal. An amendment at $100 updates a registered fact, and a withdrawal at $100 closes the registration. The certificates are optional extras: a good standing certificate at $25 is the quickest way to show current standing.
Registered agent: first year included, then $149 a year
$199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
Massachusetts fee questions
Is the first annual report due the same day I register?
No. The report waits for the anniversary of registration.
Do I pay again if my agent changes?
Possibly $25 on paper, and nothing online.
Does an LLC pay less than a corporation?
No. An LLC pays $500 to register and a corporation $400.
Our fee and the Commonwealth's
Start my Massachusetts registration
$199
+ $500 state fee
The Commonwealth's $500 is itemized on its own when you pay. $199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
- The foreign LLC application for registration, completed from your answers
- The certificate from your home state, checked against the ninety-day limit before anything is sent
- A Massachusetts resident agent: ours, or one you already use
- Filing with the Corporations Division and the record sent back to you
- Renewal: after the first year, the agent service renews at $149 a year
Sources
- Massachusetts 950 CMR 112.29, LLC fees
- Massachusetts Corporations Division, filing fees
- Massachusetts Corporations Division, fee schedule
- Massachusetts G.L. c. 156C, section 54, failure to register
- Delaware Division of Corporations, LLC/LP/GP annual tax
- Delaware Division of Corporations fee schedule (PDF)
- Wyoming Secretary of State, Business Division fee schedule
Working in Massachusetts?
Tell us when work starts and we prepare your application.