8 months ago · Updated 3 days ago
Forming an LLC in Florida costs $125 in state fees. You file Articles of Organization online through Sunbiz, the Division of Corporations' filing system, and from the following year you pay a $138.75 annual report every year by May 1. Florida has no personal income tax, so LLC members owe only federal tax on their share of profits, plus sales tax if the business sells taxable goods or services.
That is the short version. Below is the full order of steps, what each one costs, and where people get caught, mostly on the annual report.
How do I start an LLC in Florida?
Search the name on Sunbiz, choose a registered agent with a Florida street address, file the Articles of Organization online for $125, then get an EIN and open a business bank account. Your first annual report is due January 1 through May 1 of the year after you form, at $138.75. Missing May 1 adds a $400 late fee.
The steps to form a Florida LLC
Check that your name is available
Search the Sunbiz records for your proposed name before you file. A conflicting name gets the filing rejected. Details are in the name section below, and our LLC name availability checker links to the state search.
Choose a registered agent
Every Florida LLC needs one, with a street address in Florida. That address is public. See registered agent below.
File the Articles of Organization
File online on Sunbiz and pay the $125 fee. Sunbiz emails the stamped Articles with your document number once the filing is accepted.
Write an operating agreement
Florida does not require you to file one, but you should have one. Our operating agreement guide explains what to put in it.
Get an EIN and open a bank account
The IRS issues EINs for free. See the EIN guide, then compare options in the business bank account guide.
Choosing a Florida LLC name
Florida Statutes 605.0112 requires the name to contain "limited liability company," "L.L.C." or "LLC," and to be distinguishable from other names on the state's records. The same statute says a punctuation mark or symbol alone does not make a name distinguishable, so adding a comma will not get a taken name through. Our LLC punctuation guide explains how to write the designator.
Names that suggest a government agency or a regulated profession, such as a bank, insurer or licensed profession, can need extra approval or proof of licensing. Check the wording against the rules before you file. If your business will trade under a different name, read LLC name vs business name and DBA vs LLC.
Registered agent
Florida law (605.0113) requires every LLC to keep a registered agent with a physical street address in Florida. A PO box does not count. The agent can be a Florida resident aged 18 or older, or a company authorized to do business in the state, and has to be available at that address during business hours to accept legal papers.
You can be your own agent. The tradeoff is privacy. The agent's name and address appear on the public Sunbiz record the moment you file, and removing them later does not erase the earlier filing. A registered agent company puts its own address there instead. Our registered agent guide compares the options, including renewal prices after the first year.
How long it takes
Florida does not guarantee a turnaround. Sunbiz publishes the dates it is currently working through for online and paper filings, and those change with volume. Online filings are generally faster than mail, because mail adds postal time before the state even receives the document. Check the state's document processing dates page for the current estimate rather than relying on a fixed number of days.
What a Florida LLC costs
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization | $125 | The same fee online and by mail |
| Annual report | $138.75 | Due January 1 to May 1, starting the year after formation |
| Late fee | $400 | Added if the annual report is filed after May 1 |
| Registered agent service | Varies | Optional. Northwest charges $125 a year after the free first year |
| Articles of Dissolution | $25 | When you close the LLC |
| EIN | Free | From the IRS |
If you act as your own registered agent and file on time, the minimum over the first two calendar years is $125 plus $138.75, or $263.75. Fees are from the state's published fee schedule as recorded in our fee data, last confirmed October 4, 2026. For a calculator that adds your own choices, use the LLC cost calculator, or see how much an LLC costs across states.
EIN, bank account and operating agreement
Once Sunbiz accepts your filing, get your EIN online from the IRS, and keep the confirmation letter. If you lose it, our 147C letter guide shows how to request a replacement. Banks usually want the stamped Articles, your EIN letter, the operating agreement and ID for each signer, though each bank sets its own list. The post-formation checklist covers the rest, including a business license where your city or county requires one.
Keep business and personal money separate from day one. It is the simplest protection for your single-member LLC or multi-member LLC. If you plan to hold property, see LLCs for real estate.
Florida LLC taxes
Florida has no state personal income tax, so members of a standard LLC (a single-member LLC taxed as a sole proprietorship, or a multi-member LLC taxed as a partnership) pay federal tax only on their profits. Florida's corporate income tax, 5.5%, applies to C corporations, which includes an LLC that elects to be taxed as one. Members also owe federal self-employment tax at 15.3% on net earnings up to the Social Security wage base.
| Tax | Applies to a standard Florida LLC? |
|---|---|
| State personal income tax | No such tax exists |
| State corporate income tax (5.5%) | Only if taxed as a C corporation |
| Franchise tax | No |
| Sales and use tax | Yes, if you sell taxable goods or services. State rate 6%, plus county surtax where it applies |
| Federal income and self-employment tax | Yes |
Our LLC taxes guide explains the federal side. If your profit is steady and well above your living costs, an S corporation election can change what you pay in self-employment tax. Run the numbers in the LLC vs S corp calculator and read LLC vs S corp before you elect.
The annual report
This is the obligation that catches new Florida owners. Every active LLC files an annual report with Sunbiz between January 1 and May 1. The fee is $138.75. Your first report is due in the calendar year after you form: an LLC formed in March 2026 files its first one between January 1 and May 1, 2027.
Set a reminder for April. Our annual report tracker and the LLC annual report guide compare Florida's requirement with other states.
Closing a Florida LLC
To close the company, file Articles of Dissolution on Sunbiz for $25 after you settle debts, close accounts and handle final taxes. Stopping activity without filing is not enough, because the annual report obligation continues until the state record is closed. The full process, including federal tax steps, is in our guide to dissolving an LLC. An out-of-state LLC doing business in Florida registers as a foreign LLC and withdraws its authority separately; check Sunbiz for that filing.
Do you need a formation service?
No. Filing directly on Sunbiz costs $125 and works if you are comfortable with the forms. A service makes sense if you want a registered agent address that keeps your home address off the record, or help with later filings. Compare providers in the best LLC services guide and the registered agent comparison.
Pay $125 to file on Sunbiz, keep a Florida registered agent, and file the $138.75 annual report by May 1 every year starting next year. Florida has no personal income tax, but sales tax and federal taxes still apply.
Sources
Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Florida Statutes 605.0112 (LLC names), and our state fee data, which cites the Sunbiz LLC fee schedule and was last confirmed October 4, 2026. Sunbiz blocked automated checks on October 7, so confirm fees and deadlines on the state's site before you file. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.
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