Form an LLC in Florida with Tailor Brands
Starting an LLC in Florida can be challenging, but with the help of our trusted partner Tailor Brands, it's easy and 100% FREE. Form your LLC today and start your business journey with Tailor Brands.
Completely Free, No Hidden Charges
Free LLC formation with end-to-end service from document review to application filing.
Additional services like operating agreement drafting are available with the paid plans.
Also, get annual compliance reminders to ensure your LLC in Florida remains compliant.
Things You Should Know Before Forming an LLC in Florida
If you’re planning to start an LLC in Florida, there are several things you need to understand about the process and the costs associated with it.
Let’s discuss some of the crucial ones in this section.
- It costs $125 to form an LLC in Florida, including a $100 filing fee and a $25 registered agent fee.
- To reserve your chosen LLC name for a period of 120 days, you need to pay an additional fee of $25.
- You’ll need to file an annual report for your LLC in Florida, which requires a $138.75 filing fee.
- If you fail to submit your annual report by May 1 of the filing year, the filing fee will increase to $538.75.
Given the extremely high penalty for late filing, make sure you never miss a deadline. Tailor Brands offers annual compliance reminders with its paid plans to avoid such scenarios.
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How to Form an LLC in Florida
Florida’s growing economy and the many tax benefits it offers to small businesses make it an ideal location to start an LLC. However, the process of forming an LLC in Florida is difficult.
Here are the steps you should follow to form your LLC in Florida.
Choose a Name for Your LLC in Florida
The first step in the process of starting an LLC in Florida is choosing a unique name for your business. This name should represent your business, follow the state’s naming guidelines, and should be available for use within the state.
This means you’ll need to check the state business database to confirm that no other business is using the name before you register your LLC with your chosen name. Also, make sure your chosen business name is short and easy to spell.
Reserve Your LLC Name and Domain
If you’ve found the perfect name for your LLC in Florida but are not yet ready to register your business, you can reserve your LLC name. Florida allows you to reserve a name for your LLC for a duration of 120 days by paying a $25 filing fee.
Apart from that, you should also consider reserving a domain name that matches your chosen LLC name via a domain registrar. You can do this before or after name reservation, but make sure a matching domain name is available.
Appoint a Florida Registered Agent
This is a small but crucial step when forming an LLC in Florida. The State of Florida requires businesses to appoint a registered agent who will receive crucial legal or business documents and other official paperwork on behalf of the business.
You can be your own registered agent, but it will be difficult to run your operations since agents are required to be present at the official address during working hours. It’s better if you choose from the available registered agent services in Florida.
File Your Documents
Filing your Articles of Organization makes your business official and allows you to carry out your operations legally. To accomplish this, you need to log into Florida’s Department of State website and submit the requested information online.
The Florida LLC articles you need when filing your documents include your business name, your main business address, your registered agent info, and the purpose of your LLC. You can also submit an application via mail or in person as well.
Pay Florida State Fees
When filing your documents with the state, you need to pay the state filing fees for your LLC in Florida. You will be charged a fee of $125 to register your LLC. Once paid, the state will process your documents and issue your LLC certificate.
Our trusted partner Tailor Brands has decided to make it more affordable to form your Florida LLC. They have waived the service charge completely so you only have to pay the mandatory state fees and they will assist you to register your LLC for free.
Receive Your LLC Certificate From the State
The State of Florida will issue you with a Certificate of Formation that confirms that your business has been formally incorporated after your LLC formation documents were filed and approved. It authorizes you to conduct business in the state.
Your LLC certificate demonstrates that no action is being taken to remove your business from the registry. As such you can use it to acquire an Employer Identification Number, the required business permits, and open a bank account.
Craft an LLC Operating Agreement
A Florida LLC Operating Agreement is not a requirement, but it’s advisable to have one in place when setting up your business. An LLC Operating Agreement takes care of key issues like your business structure, financing, and decision-making.
The agreement also clarifies which assets are personal and which belong to the business. This adds another layer of protection to your assets from business debt. The agreement also spells out the ownership percentages for easy profit distribution.
Apply for an EIN
The law requires business owners with an LLC in Florida to register with the federal government by applying for a federal Employer Identification Number. Also known as Federal Tax ID, the EIN is a 9-digit code assigned by the IRS to US businesses.
The EIN is unique to every Florida LLC, thus protecting your business from fraud and identity theft. LLCs with more than one member or those with employees need an EIN for reporting employment taxes and other important business functions.
Open Your Business Bank Account
When you get your EIN, you can use it to open a business bank account to keep your personal and business finances separate. Separating your personal and business accounts will also help you when you file your business taxes.
Additionally, a separate business bank account helps you create a relationship with your chosen bank. This can help you unlock many funding opportunities to grow your businesses, such as long-term loans, business credit cards, and other solutions.
Get Your Business Licenses and Permits
Obtaining the necessary licenses and permits for your LLC in Florida is crucial if you want to conduct business legally in the state. You can learn about the licenses you need for your business by visiting the Florida official Department of State website.
Visit the relevant departments and pay for the licenses you need. Most of these are renewed annually, so note the renewal dates to avoid interruption. If you choose a paid plan, Tailor Brands will send you those reminders when the dates get closer.
Comply With Employee Obligations
If your Florida LLC has employees, you need to comply with the state’s obligations regarding employees. First of all, you are required to report all hires and rehires for your LLC to the Florida Department of Revenue within 20 days of employment.
Next, get workers’ compensation insurance for your LLC in Florida. All businesses in the state are required by law to obtain workers’ compensation as soon as they bring their fourth employee on board. Research and find the best policy for your LLC.
Get a DBA (If Needed)
If you want to conduct business under a different name than your legal business name, then you need to file a DBA (doing business as). This allows you to register a fictitious name or assumed name, which will be used for day-to-day business.
You can file a DBA with the Florida Department of State online or via one of the available offline filing methods. The filing fee to get a fictitious name is $50. If you want to get a certified copy of the same, you need to pay an additional $30.
Why Should You Consider Outsourcing LLC Formation?
Outsourcing the process of forming an LLC in Florida has numerous benefits for entrepreneurs. Let’s discuss some of the key benefits and reasons why you should consider outsourcing.
Convenience
Outsourcing allows you to delegate tedious tasks to professionals, with minimal input required from your end. This not only saves time but makes your life much easier and the process more convenient for you.
Accuracy
By outsourcing LLC formation to experts who do this every day, you can ensure that there are absolutely no mistakes on your application or any missing documents that may get your application rejected.
Speed
If you’re doing this for the first time, then the process of preparing and reviewing all legal documents may take a long time for you. Outsourcing speeds up the process and gets your LLC up and running in no time.
Benefits of Forming an LLC in Florida
There are many advantages to choosing a limited liability company over other business entities in Florida.
Let’s take a look at some of the most important ones to help you make a decision.
Personal Liability Protection for LLC Members
An LLC in Florida is a legal entity that’s separate from its owners. As such, if the LLC incurs debts or faces a lawsuit, its members are not held personally liable. This offers some level of protection for LLC members, though it’s not absolute.
Unlike a corporation, which offers complete liability protection, LLC members benefit from limited liability protection. Still, in most cases, their personal assets and finances are protected in case the business fails or is not able to pay its debts.
Tax Flexibility
One key advantage of starting an LLC in Florida is that it offers more tax flexibility than most other business entities. You can go with the default pass-through taxation for your LLC in Florida or choose a different one, based on your preferences.
Your Florida LLC, for example, can be treated as an S-corp for tax purposes if you fill out Form 2553 of the IRS and apply for it. Similarly, you can also choose your LLC in Florida to be taxed as a corporation and pay corporate taxes.
Inexpensive to Form and Run
You need to pay a one-time filing fee of $125 to start an LLC in Florida. This involves a $100 filing fee for the Articles of Organization and a $25 fee for the registered agent. This is practically nothing for someone starting a new business.
Running the day-to-day operations of an LLC is also not expensive. Unlike corporations, LLCs don’t have detailed meetings and recordkeeping requirements. The taxes are generally lower than corporations, making it an affordable option.
Requires Less Paperwork
Forming an LLC in Florida is a simple and straightforward process that does not require too much paperwork. This is not the case with corporations, which have a more formal business structure and require additional steps and paperwork.
Corporations also need to keep detailed records of shareholder meetings and have numerous other strict legal requirements. LLCs, on the other hand, are only required to file annual reports and don’t have other recordkeeping requirements.
Easy to Manage
The members of an LLC in Florida can decide how they want to run the business and what rules of management will apply to the company. During the formation process, they can meet and decide all the rules of governance for their LLC in Florida.
These rules are mentioned in the LLC operating agreement and must be followed by everyone in the company. This is unlike corporations, which have more formal, pre-defined rules of how the company should be managed.
Ownership Flexibility
Both individuals and organizations can be members of an LLC in Florida. They don’t necessarily have to be US citizens to do so. In general, LLCs offer a lot more ownership flexibility than other business entities, such as an S-corporation.
S-corporations, for example, have a limit of 100 maximum shareholders and these can’t be non-resident aliens. LLCs have no such limitations on the number and type of owners. A multi-member LLC can have as many members as needed.
Ability to Hold Business Assets
An LLC in Florida is treated as a separate legal entity, which affords it several legal rights, just like individuals have. One such right is the right to hold business assets in the business name, without requiring members to get involved.
This flexibility allows an LLC in Florida to buy real estate, equipment, and other business assets in its own name and not in the members’ names. This provides an added layer of personal liability protection to LLC members.
Right to Enter into Business Contracts
Adding to the previous point, Florida LLCs also have the right to enter into business contracts in their own name. LLC members don’t need to sign contracts on the company’s behalf or get personally involved in legal contracts.
Again, this ensures liability protection for members in case the business fails to meet a legal contract’s terms. Only the business can be sued in such cases, not the members. This is a good way to keep members protected from business lawsuits.
Why Choose Tailor Brands for Florida LLC Formation
Tailor Brands has years of experience and tons of expertise in establishing successful businesses. Here are some key reasons why you should choose Tailor Brands to form an LLC in Florida.
Stress-Free Service
Let a team of experts handle the LLC formation process while you focus on business growth. No need to bother yourself with complex paperwork and boring filings when Tailor Brands will do it for you.
Accurate Filing
Outsource the process of forming an LLC in Florida to professionals and ensure complete accuracy. They’ll ensure that your application is completely error-free and gets approved quickly.
100% Free
Benefit from Tailor Brands’ free LLC formation service, where you only need to pay the state filing fee and nothing else. No hidden charges or service fees. Save money while still getting expert help.
Tailor Brands’ Pricing Plans for Florida LLC Formation
Whether you want simple LLC formation or additional business services, Tailor Brands has something in store for you.
Here’s what you’ll get with its free and paid plans.
Lite
This is the free plan that Tailor Brands offers, primarily for LLC formation and nothing else.
Here’s what you’ll get with the free plan:
- LLC formation: A team of professionals will help you prepare the documents and fill out your Articles of Organization to get your Florida LLC established. They’ll take care of the process from start to finish, guiding you at every step of the way from preparation and review to the actual application filing.
Price: Free
If you just want someone to handle your LLC application but are not looking for any other services, then go with this free plan.
Essential
Here are the additional services, apart from LLC formation, that you’ll enjoy with this paid plan.
- Legal compliance: Get annual reminders related to tax or annual report filings and other compliance requirements. Tailor Brands will ensure that you never miss a deadline and always stay in good standing with the state.
- 2-5 day processing: With both paid plans, you get expedited processing of your LLC application by Tailor Brands. This means that your application will be treated as a priority and will be prepared and filed by them within 2-5 business days.
- LLC operating agreement: Tailor Brands’ team will help you prepare a detailed operating agreement for your LLC in Florida. They’ll help you draft an agreement that covers all important details, ensuring your Florida LLC runs smoothly.
- $30 Amazon gift card: One of the added benefits of choosing this plan is that you’ll get a complimentary Amazon gift card for $30. You can use this to shop on the platform for anything you like, not necessarily something business-related.
Price: $199 per year
Elite
The Elite plan is the top-tier plan that Tailor Brands offers and has the most number of business services.
Here are the additional services you’ll get.
- Website domain: If you’re planning on launching a business website, you’ll need a domain name that’s relevant to your business. Tailor Brands offers you a free domain for the first year, after which you will need to keep paying to retain it.
- DIY website builder: You will also get access to a DIY website builder, which you can use to create your website. This is a useful tool that can save you a lot of money as you don’t need to hire costly developers to create your website.
- Business tools: Tailor Brands also offers many business and branding tools with this plan. This includes a digital business card, 8 complimentary logo designs, a social media post creator, and plenty of other business tools and resources.
- $50 Amazon Gift Card: With the Elite plan, you will get an upgraded $50 gift card that you can use to shop on Amazon. This is a complimentary gift that is just an extra incentive for you to opt for the highest-tier plan by Tailor Brands.
Price: $249 per year
Additional Services
Apart from the services mentioned above, Tailor Brands also offers some additional services as add-ons to its subscription plans. This includes an array of business services.
Let’s discuss some of the main ones.
- Business Licenses: Tailor Brands’ team of experts will help you assess the requirements for your business and get the required licenses and permits at federal, state, and local levels.
- Employer Identification Number: If you want to apply for a Tax ID, Tailor Brands can help with that as well. Their team will take care of the application process from start to finish.
- Business Bank Account: With this add-on service, you will get assistance in finding the best banks for your business. They’ll also help you choose the right business checking account.
- Business Insurance: Every business needs to insure itself against potential liabilities and threats. Tailor Brands can help you identify requirements and get all the required insurance coverage.
- Tax and Accounting: Let their team take the stress out of tax filings by doing it on your behalf. They’ll keep your accounts updated and file taxes in a timely manner to avoid any penalties.
- Invoicing and Bookkeeping: With this service, you will get a professional who will manage your business finances, including invoices and bookkeeping, so you don’t need to hire one separately.
Price: Custom
FAQ
Starting an LLC in Florida with Tailor Brands is absolutely free of charge. You only have to pay the state registration fee and Tailor Brands will handle everything else for free.
By waiving the service charge, Tailor Brands wants to make it affordable for everyone in Florida to form an LLC and launch their dream business.
An LLC is a business entity that has a separate legal existence from the business owners. When starting a business in Florida, it’s advisable to form an LLC because it offers more personal asset protection than Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships, yet provides more flexibility than a Corporation.
Other benefits of starting an LLC in Florida include:
- It’s easier to raise capital from investors – Investors prefer working with LLCs because they are more credible as a legal entity separate from the owners.
- LLCs enjoy massive tax advantages – Florida LLCs are entitled to many tax deductions that can help you make significant savings on your tax bill.
- LLCs offer profit-sharing flexibility – LLC members can decide how they want to split the profits the business makes based on their contribution to the organization.
LLCs can be managed informally – Unlike corporations, LLCs don’t need a board of directors, regular meetings, minutes, quorums, and other formalities.
Yes, they do. LLCs in Florida are required by law to pay certain taxes to the state and federal government. However, the tax rules and requirements can be complicated, especially for new LLC owners, hence the need to work with tax experts for tax planning.
They will also guide you on how to manage your taxes so you can pay less taxes and save more of your revenue.
The time it takes to register a limited liability company in Florida varies depending on several factors, such as the accuracy of your documents and paperwork. Generally, it can take anywhere from one to two weeks for the state to process and approve your application.
While you can’t do anything about the state’s application processing time, you can make the filing process quicker by working with Tailor Brands. If you opt for its paid plans, you can get expedited filing within two business days. This will help you get your Florida LLC started quickly.
- Choose a name for your LLC – Choose a unique name that represents what your business stands for now and in the future. Also, ensure the name is easy to pronounce to make it easy to market your brand to customers.
- Reserve Your LLC Name: Reserve your chosen LLC name for 120 days by paying a fee of $25. Also, consider buying a domain name that matches your business name, as you’ll need that for opening a business website. Tailor Brands offers this as an additional service, so you can check that out.
- Appoint a registered agent – This is the organization or individual who will receive documents and other official paperwork/communication from the state and other concerned partners.
- File your documents – Filing your Florida Articles of Association with the state makes your business official and allows you to conduct operations legally. The articles must include the name of your LLC in Florida, your main business address, your registered agent, and the purpose of your LLC.
- Pay state filing fee – After filing your documents, you must pay the business formation fees for your LLC in Florida which currently stands at $125.
- Receive Your LLC Certificate From the State –The State of Florida will issue you with a Certificate of Status that confirms that your business has been formally incorporated after your LLC formation documents were filed and approved. The certificate authorizes you to conduct business in the state.
- Create your operating agreement – An Operating Agreement is not a requirement to operate your LLC in Florida, but it’s advisable to have one in place to take care of key issues such as your business structure, voting rights, and decision-making.
- Obtain necessary Florida business licenses – Identify the licenses and permits you need to operate your LLC in Florida and obtain them from the relevant state departments.
- Apply for an EIN – The law requires business owners with an LLC in Florida to register with the federal government by applying for an Employer Identification Number. Also known as Federal Tax ID, the EIN is a 9-digit code assigned by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) to US businesses for tax purposes.
- Open a Business Bank Account – When you get your EIN, you can use it to open a business bank account to keep your personal and business finances separate. Separating your personal and business accounts will also help you maintain good standing with the IRS at tax time.
- Comply With Employee Obligations – If your Florida LLC has employees, you need to comply with the state’s obligations regarding employees. First of all, you are required to report all hires and rehires for your LLC to the Florida Department of Revenue within 20 days of employment.
- Obtain a DBA – If you want a shorter and more marketable name for running your day-to-day business, then you can apply for a DBA. This will allow you to register a fictitious name or assumed name, which is different from your legal business name. This is an optional step, so skip it if it’s not relevant to you.
Next, get workers’ compensation insurance for your LLC in Florida. All businesses in the state are required by law to obtain workers’ compensation as soon as they bring their fourth employee on board. Research and find the best insurance policy for your LLC.
Create an LLC in Florida With Tailor Brands
Choose Tailor Brands to start an LLC in Florida for free. You may choose from its paid business services or just go with the free LLC formation. Either way, you get experts to handle your application and get your business started without hassle.
$0 + State Filing Fees