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Starting an LLC in Georgia comes with more costs than just filing the initial paperwork. But it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think.
We explain all of the initial and ongoing Georgia LLC cost details below, as well as give you tips on how to save money.
How much does an LLC cost in Georgia?
It costs $100 to form an LLC in Georgia. This is a fee paid for the Articles of Organization.
You’ll file this form with the Georgia Secretary of State. And once approved, your LLC will go into existence.
Need to save time? Hire a company to form your LLC:
Northwest ($39 + state fee) or LegalZoom ($149 + state fee)
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In addition to this LLC filing fee, there are other costs to be aware of when forming a Georgia LLC (Limited Liability Company).
Costs to forming a Georgia LLC
There is a $100 one-time state filing fee to form a Georgia LLC.
There are also ongoing fees (like a $50 Annual Registration Fee fee), which we discuss below.
LLC Costs in Georgia
| Requirement | Cost |
|---|---|
| LLC Name | $0 |
| Registered Agent | $0 or $125 per year |
| Articles of Organization | $100 |
| Operating Agreement | $0 (free on our site) |
| EIN Number | $0 (free through IRS) |
| Annual Registration Fee | $50 |
| Taxes | varies (filed and/or paid every year) |
Georgia LLC Articles of Organization Filing Fee ($100)
Starting an LLC costs $100 in Georgia. This is the state filing fee for a document called the Georgia Articles of Organization.
The Articles of Organization are filed with the Secretary of State (aka the Georgia Corporations Division). And once approved, this is what creates your LLC.
The $100 fee is a one-time Georgia LLC cost. You don’t have to pay any monthly (or annual) fees to start your Georgia LLC.
Note: LLCs are the most common business structure used in Georgia. They are the most popular business entity because they offer liability protection for the LLC owners.
Depending on the state, the LLC formation document is sometimes called a Certificate of Organization or Certificate of Formation. Articles of Organization is the most common name – but they all mean the same thing: the form used to create your LLC.
Georgia business name cost ($0)
Naming your Limited Liability Company doesn’t cost anything. Your Georgia LLC Name is approved (at no extra cost) when your Articles of Organization filing is approved by the state.
You may have read online that LLC Name Reservations are required. However, this is not true in most states. Most states don’t require a Name Reservation to form an LLC.
How much does a DBA cost? (varies)
In Georgia, a DBA is filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where your LLC is located. So the filing fee for a DBA varies, depending on the county. But these are not required Georgia LLC fees, because a DBA is optional.
Note: A DBA is sometimes called a Trade Name, Fictitious Name, Assumed Name or Fictitious Business Name. They all mean the same thing.
Tip: You aren’t required to get a DBA for your LLC. It’s optional. For more information, read our article: Do I need a DBA?
Georgia Registered Agent Fee ($0 or $125/year)
Georgia law requires that you designate a Registered Agent when forming your LLC.
A Georgia Registered Agent is a person or company who receives legal documents and state notices for your LLC. A Registered Agent needs a street address in the state and should generally be available during normal business hours.
There is no additional cost if you will be your own Registered Agent, or have someone you know be your LLC’s Registered Agent. This could be one of your business partners, or a friend or family member.
However, you have the option of hiring a Registered Agent service. This will cost you between $100 to $300 per year. But service companies offer other helpful business services and can protect your privacy.
Either way, there are no state filing fees when you name a Registered Agent on your LLC formation paperwork.
Hiring a Registered Agent service is a good idea if:
- You don’t have an address in the state (Georgia law requires Registered Agents to have a physical address in the state)
- You want to keep your address off public record (depending on which company you hire, you may be able to use their address to keep your address private)
Special offer: Hire Northwest to form your LLC ($39 + state fee), and you'll get a free year of Registered Agent service.
(Why is Northwest the best? Read our Northwest Registered Agent review)
LLC Operating Agreement Fee ($0)
A Georgia LLC Operating Agreement is a written contract between the LLC Members. Operating Agreements include detailed information about LLC ownership, how the LLC is managed, and how profits are distributed.
Single-Member LLCs and Multi-Member LLCs should draft an Operating Agreement, keep it with their business records, and give a copy to each Member.
Most websites charge $50 to $200 for LLC Operating Agreements. This is one of the other Georgia LLC fees that you can save money on by using internet resources.
Here at LLC University®, we offer free LLC Operating Agreement templates for all types of LLCs.
LLC EIN Number Fee ($0)
An EIN Number is also known as an Employer Identification Number (EIN) or a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN).
This number is used to file income taxes, to open an LLC bank account, and to hire employees (if applicable).
Although many websites charge a service fee to get an EIN for your LLC, it can actually be done for free.
You can obtain an EIN for your LLC from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at no cost. The online filing can be completed in a few minutes.
Georgia LLC Annual Registration Fee ($50/year)
Georgia requires you to keep your LLC’s information up to date by filing an Annual Registration (aka Annual Report).
This keeps your Georgia LLC in good standing and in compliance with state law so it can continue operating. You simply confirm the information on the Annual Registration, file it with the state, and pay the Annual Registration Fee.
The Georgia LLC Annual Registration Fee costs $50 per year. This fee is paid every year for the life of your LLC, and can be filed online.
Georgia Business License and Permit Fees (varies)
Depending on where your LLC does business in Georgia and the industry you’re in, you may need to obtain additional Business Licenses or Permits. For example, you may need to get a City Business Permit.
The costs for these other business licenses or permits will vary depending on location and industry, but usually the fees are not very high. Some licenses and permits are issued at the state level, and others are issued by a municipality (the town, city, or county).
LLC Taxes (varies)
There are many different types of Georgia LLC taxes that owners must pay, so this annual cost varies widely. How much your company pays in taxes will vary based on your business income.
Some of the taxes LLC owners pay include:
- Federal taxes
- State income tax
- Georgia business taxes
- Local income tax
- Self-employment taxes
- Sales tax (aka sales and use tax)
- Payroll tax (if you have employees)
- Property tax (if the LLC owns property)
Your Georgia LLC taxes depend on your industry and amount of business activity, so we’re not able to provide an estimate. Every business is different, and your specific circumstances determine what taxes apply to your LLC.
Note: By default, a Single-Member LLC is taxed like a Sole Proprietorship. And a Multi-Member LLC is taxed like a Partnership.
Hiring an Accountant
How much your small business pays in taxes is best determined by working with a qualified accountant in Georgia.
The amount you’ll pay your accountant will vary. However, most accountants will charge $300 per year for a simple tax return, or up to $900 for more detailed filings.
Note: We recommend speaking with a few accountants in Georgia to make sure they can help you meet all of your federal, state, and local tax obligations. We offer detailed tips on How to Find an Accountant.
Georgia Secretary of State
If you have any questions about the cost of opening a Georgia LLC, you can contact the Georgia Secretary of State.
(Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division Building)
Georgia LLC Costs FAQs
It costs $100 to start a Georgia LLC. This is a one-time filing fee for the LLC Articles of Organization.
Some LLCs may need a business license in Georgia. This depends on your industry and where your LLC is located. The cost of local business permits varies.
All Georgia LLCs need to pay $50 per year for the Annual Registration Fee. These state fees are paid to the Secretary of State. And this is the only state-required annual fee. You have to pay this to keep your LLC in good standing.
If you hired a Registered Agent service, you’ll have an annual subscription fee to pay each year. This is usually about $125 per year.
Some LLCs may need a business license in Georgia. This depends on your industry and where your LLC is located. You’ll need to check with your municipality to see if there are any annual renewal fees for the business permit.
You aren’t required to hire a professional service company to form your Georgia LLC. You’re allowed to form your LLC yourself if you’d like.
However, if you want to save time and make sure your LLC is filed correctly, we recommend hiring Northwest Registered Agent.
Northwest Registered Agent has excellent customer service and they include Registered Agent services free for the 1st year. They also offer other services, like an Operating Agreement and filing your Annual Registration Fee.
Check out Best LLC Services for more suggestions.
No, you aren’t required to hire an attorney to form your LLC in Georgia. You’re allowed to form your LLC yourself if you’d like.
However, some people may want to hire an attorney if their LLC has a complex ownership or management structure, has investors, or requires industry-specific documentation.
A business attorney usually charges between $800 and $2,500 to form an LLC.
Here are the steps to starting an LLC in Georgia:
- Choose an LLC business name and make sure it’s available
- Choose who will be your Georgia Registered Agent
- File the Georgia Articles of Organization
- Complete and sign an LLC Operating Agreement
- Get a Tax ID Number (EIN) from the IRS
- Open an LLC bank account
- Check whether you need a business or sales tax license in Georgia
You can get an LLC cheaply by filing your formation documents yourself. You’ll also save money by being your own Registered Agent, and using our free LLC Operating Agreement template.
By forming your LLC yourself, being your own Registered Agent, and using our Operating Agreement template you can save over $400.
How long it takes to get an LLC in Georgia depends on how you file your Articles of Organization.
You can get an LLC in Georgia approved in 7-10 business days if you file online. On the other hand, filing by mail takes about 15 business days (plus mail time).
It varies. Some banks charge monthly fees ($10 to $20 per month), but these can sometimes be avoided by meeting certain requirements. For example, if you make a certain number of direct deposits or maintain a specified minimum balance, then they’ll waive the monthly fees.
And you might be able to find a bank that doesn’t charge any monthly fees.
Before you open your LLC business bank account, we recommend calling and asking if there are ways to avoid the monthly maintenance fees.
A Foreign LLC is an LLC formed in another state that must register (aka Foreign Qualify) in Georgia. This is because the LLC is doing business in both states.
The cost to register Foreign LLCs in Georgia is $225 for each Georgia Foreign LLC. This is the fee to register an LLC formed somewhere else in Georgia.
If you form an LLC in Georgia, it is called a “Domestic LLC”. If you formed your LLC in another state, it would be a Foreign LLC once you register it in Georgia.
Yes, Georgia is a great state to start a business. Georgia doesn’t charge a state business license fee, has quick approval times and helpful representatives at the Secretary of State if you have questions.
However, the most important factors in deciding where to start a business are where you live and where you’re doing business.
Meaning, if you live in or do business in Georgia, then you should start your business in Georgia. While many websites talk about tax rates and advantages of certain states, none of that applies if it’s not the state where you live and do business. And just because a certain state has cheaper LLC fees doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to form your LLC there.
For example, if you form an LLC in Wyoming, but live in and conduct business in Georgia, you’ll also need to register your Wyoming LLC in Georgia (and pay fees). And you’ll end up paying Georgia taxes anyway. This ends up leading to more costs and more headaches with no advantages.
In summary, if you are a Georgia resident, then yes, Georgia is the best state to form an LLC. If you don’t live in and do business in Georgia, then no, Georgia probably isn’t a good state to start an LLC.
References
Georgia Secretary of State: Business FAQs
Georgia Secretary of State: Business Filing Fees
Georgia Secretary of State: Corporations Division
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.
