LLC for washington state [Glossary]

Last updated : Sept 24, 2022

How much does an LLC cost in Washington state?

How much does it cost to form an LLC in Washington? The Washington Secretary of State charges a $180 fee to file the Certificate of Formation mail and $200 if filed online. You can file an LLC name reservation for $30. You can pay an additional $50 for expedited processing.

How do I set up an LLC in Washington state?

1. Name Your Washington LLC.
2. Choose Your Registered Agent.
3. Prepare a Certificate of Formation.
4. Obtain a Washington Business License.
5. Receive a Certificate From the State.
6. Create an Operating Agreement.
7. File an Initial Report.
8. Get an Employer Identification Number.

Do I need a business license if I have an LLC in Washington state?

Corporation or Limited Liability Company (LLC) If your business structure is a Corporation, Limited Liability Company, Liability Company, or Limited Liability Partnership, you must file with the Washington Secretary of State before completing the Business License Application.

How long does it take for an LLC to be approved in Washington state?

Washington State LLC Approval: If you form your Washington LLC by mail, it will take 7-10 business days to be approved. However, during peak filing times, it can take as long as twenty three (23) business days. Online: If you form your Washington LLC online, it will take 2-3 business days to be approved.

What are advantages of LLC?

A Limited liability company (LLC) is a business structure that offers limited liability protection and pass-through taxation. As with corporations, the LLC legally exists as a separate entity from its owners. Therefore, owners cannot typically be held personally responsible for the business debts and liabilities.

How much does it cost to start a business in WA?

The cost varies based on filing method, and you will pay more if you need expedited service. The total cost could range from $180 to around $300 based on these factors. In addition to this cost, you may have state and local business licenses, permits, and insurance to pay for when starting your Washington LLC.

Can one person own an LLC?

A single-member limited liability company is an LLC with only one owner (called a “member”). It functions much as any LLC would. In fact, as far as the government is concerned, single-member LLCs are just LLCs. The paperwork to create an LLC and a single-member LLC is the same.

How much does an LLC cost?

LLC Filing Cost Filing costs will vary depending on the state laws but generally range from around $40 to up to $500 . Along with filing the articles of organization, most states require that businesses obtain a business license. Business license costs range from around $50 to $100 in most states.

What's the difference between an LLC and a professional LLC?

A PLLC is a kind of LLC specifically for licensed professionals. The difference between an LLC and a PLLC is mainly that only licensed professionals such as architects, doctors, lawyers and accountants can form PLLCs. Check with your state to determine if they permit licensed professionals to form a standard LLC.

How much is a Washington business license?

Virtually all businesses in Washington need to obtain a Washington state business license. To get your license, all you have to do is complete the Washington state Business License Application and pay a $19 fee. You can apply online or by mail.

What qualifies as doing business in Washington state?

What constitutes doing business in Washington state? Selling goods or services, having an office or a representative in the state, and having a store or warehouse in the state may constitute doing business in Washington.

Do I need to register my out of state business in Washington State?

Businesses formed in another state but doing business in Washington State are considered “foreign” entities in Washington, and so they must register to do business in Washington. This includes all types of entities, like LLCs, corporations, and more.

What do you put for business purpose on LLC?

Statement of Purpose. Most states do not require you to be specific about the purpose of your LLC. Instead, a statement such as "The purpose of the Limited Liability Company is to engage in any lawful activity for which a Limited Liability Company may be organized in this state" is usually sufficient.

Can you use a PO box for an LLC in Washington state?

The Principal Office (formerly Principal Place of Business) address must be the street address of the business. A PO BOX or PMB will not be accepted for filing. Depending on how you are structured, this address can be the same as the Registered Agent, or it can be a separate location where records are maintained.

Can I be my own Registered Agent in Washington state?

Commercial Registered Agents will be displayed on our website as such after the listing statement has been recorded. A Non-Commercial Registered Agent may be an individual or entity, but must have a physical address in Washington. They, too may have an additional mailing address in Washington.

What can I write off as an LLC?

What expenses can you write off as an LLC? There is a long list of expenses that you can deduct as an LLC. Some of the main operating costs that can be deducted include startup costs, supplies, business taxes, office costs, salaries, travel costs, and rent costs.

At what point do I need an LLC?

When a business owner has personal liability protection, they can't be held personally responsible if the business suffers a loss. This means personal assets (car, house, and bank account) are protected. If your business already earns a profit or if it carries any risk of liability, you should start an LLC immediately.

How do taxes work for LLC?

For the purposes of federal income tax, LLCs are treated as pass-through entities, which means that LLCs themselves do not pay taxes on their business income. It is rather its members who pay the taxes on their share of LLC's profits.

How long is a business license good for in Washington State?

Most city and state endorsements must be renewed annually. You will receive a renewal notice in the mail the month before your endorsement(s) expires. To avoid penalties, submit and pay fees by the expiration date. For faster service renew online through My DOR.

Do you need a license to start a business at home?

Any business, including home-based businesses, must obtain a local city or county business license. This is a basic license that allows the holder to engage in business activities within the local jurisdiction.

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foreign are you wondering how to start an LLC in Washington today you will learn the most common ways to start your business including the correct forms you'll need registering your LLC critical naming requirements and all other vital tips and tricks then as a bonus later in the video I will reveal a trustworthy registered agent who will help set up your LLC for free so make sure to stick with me until the end the state of Washington like other states has several specific LLC requirements there are three main ways you can start an LLC in Washington first is the DIY or do-it-yourself process where you mostly depend on Washington State's website the second way is hiring a professional service that practically offers more efficiency and Security in creating your LLC while the third is hiring an attorney we will skip the attorney hiring portion because that's expensive and most business owners won't need that service first let's take a look at the steps required for starting an LLC Step 1 choose a name for your LLC under Washington law an LLC name must contain the words limited liability company or limited liability company or the abbreviation LLC or el.l.c your llc's name must be distinguishable from the names of other business entities already on file with the Washington Secretary of State names may be checked for availability at the Washington Secretary of State business name database you may reserve a name for 180 days by filing a name reservation with the Washington Secretary of State the reservation must be filed by mail Step 2 appoint a registered agent every Washington LLC must have an agent for the service of process in the state this individual or business entity agrees to accept legal papers on the llc's behalf if it is sued the registered agent may be a Washington resident Corporation or LLC authorized to do business in Washington the registered agent must have a physical street address in Washington step 3 file articles of organization a Washington LLC is created by filing a certificate of formation with the secretary of state the certificate must include the llc's name whether the llc's period of duration is Perpetual or limited the effective date of formation upon the filing of the certificate or a later date the name signature and address of the llc's registered agent the llc's principal office address and the signature of executor the Washington State filing cost for LLCs is two hundred dollars for both domestic LLCs and foreign llc's step 4 prepare an operating agreement an operating agreement is a good idea to have in place with the other members if your LLC has more than one member although a limited liability company operating agreement is not necessary for Washington your operating agreement should clarify how your company or business will handle big picture issues such as allocating earnings and losses and dissolving the company your operating agreement should also cover the transfer of membership interest profits or losses and distributions initial Investments decision-making Powers voting rights and management and lastly dissolving the business step 5 of file annual reports every Washington LLC and foreign LLC authorized to do business in the state must file an annual report also known as an annual renewal with the secretary of state the initial annual report must be filed within 120 days of the date you filed to create your LLC subsequent annual reports are due on dates determined by the Secretary of State the secretary of state will send a renewal notice to the llc's registered agent approximately 45 days before the annual report is due the initial and annual reports may be filed online or by postal mail the fee for filing initial and annual reports is 60 dollars step 6 obtain an EIN an EIN or employer identification number is a federal tax ID issued by the IRS your EIN is used by them to readily identify your firm and tax filings all Washington firms pay a business privilege tax and the state requires you to have an EIN to file you may also be required to provide your EIN when opening a bank account or applying for municipal permits or licenses obtaining an EIN is a slightly longer process compared to their previous steps I'm sure you know anything to do with the IRS is confusing first you must have complete knowledge of your LLC such as your company information managing member information business address business information company details and even critical information regarding vehicular assets and federal excise taxes this is another reason why getting a professional registered agent is way more convenient as they can do this for you as part of their service now let's talk about the second option to form an LLC and that is hiring a professional formation service professional formation services do all the steps you should be doing on your own from filing necessary forms to acting as your registered agent you usually have to allocate a specific budget for this option as I already mentioned earlier Inc file is one of the best companies out there to help you form your LLC you can click on the link in the description to get access to this deal Inc file is one of a kind as it offers a free package with services such as preparing and filing your articles of organization well you still have to pay 237 dollars for the state fees which you would have to do anyway if you chose the DIY option but looking at the bigger picture all other companies will still charge their service fee on top of State filing fees Inc file does not collect this fee this plan already includes a free registered agent for your first year of subscription and 119 annually moving forward if you decide to continue the service after the first year Inc file's next packages are the gold and platinum packages which both have package fees already on top of the 237 dollar State fee each package has its own set of services which are all worthy of the subscription you are paying for the gold package offers you the benefits of filing reports and taxes for your LLC every year USA LLCs are required to file a state annual report this report is essentially an information update of your file so that the state knows who is now in charge and how to contact your company USA LLCs are also required to file state tax returns to make matters even more complicated your annual report and business privilege tax share a document and are due at the same time each year with the ink files gold package you won't have to scribble notes of these reports because Inc file will handle the whole process for you your platinum package also has these services in the bag with the unique edition of expedited filing getting a domain name and a business email which essentially increases your llc's credibility Inc file also has an exclusive partnership with Bank of America so you can easily open an eligible checking account for your business yes it is a must for your LLC to have a business account remember an LLC has limited liability for it is a separate entity from its members you may forfeit your liability protections if you combine your personal and business money and this is where t

Thanks for your comment Marcelene Sibounma, have a nice day.
- Ester Motes, Staff Member

Thanks for this interesting article

Thanks CiammettiC your participation is very much appreciated
- Ester Motes

About the author

Ester Motes

I've studied sociology of social movements at Loyola University Chicago in Chicago and I am an expert in indian religions. I usually feel melancholy. My previous job was carpenter's assistant I held this position for 10 years, I love talking about calligraphy and journaling. Huge fan of Jamie Lee Curtis I practice cycling: track and collect militaria.