How Do I Register My Business As A Foreign Entity In Maryland

Starting an LLC in Maryland is Easy

LLC Maryland - To form aMaryland LLC, you'll demand to file the Articles of Organization with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Revenue enhancement, which costs $100. Y'all tin can utilise online, by mail, or in-person. The Articles of Arrangement is the legal document that officially creates your Maryland Express Liability Company.

Follow our step-by-step How to Offset an LLC in Maryland guide to get started today. You can learn more about LLCs and their benefits in our What is an LLC guide.

Pace 1: Proper name your Maryland LLC

Choosing a company name is the beginning and near important step of forming an LLC in Maryland. Be sure to choose a name that complies with Maryland naming requirements and is hands searchable past potential clients.

ane. Follow the naming guidelines:

Your proper noun must include the phrase "limited liability company" or one of its abbreviations (LLC or L.L.C.).
Your name cannot include words that could misfile your LLC with a government bureau (FBI, Treasury, Land Section, etc.).
Restricted words (due east.thou. Bank, Attorney, University) may crave additional paperwork and a licensed private, such as a doctor or lawyer, to be part of your LLC.
Your proper noun must be distinguishable from whatsoever other Maryland express liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, or corporation.

2. Is the proper name available in Maryland? Make sure the proper noun you want isn't already taken by doing a Concern Entity Search with Maryland Concern Limited.

To larn more than about searching for a Maryland LLC proper name, read our total guide.

iii. Is the URL available? We recommend that yous check to come across if your business proper noun is available equally a web domain. Even if you don't plan to make a business organization website today, y'all may want to purchase the URL in gild to prevent others from acquiring information technology.

Find a Domain Now

Now that y'all accept verified your proper noun and secured the URL you may select a professional person service to complete the LLC formation procedure for y'all. Nosotros recommend using one of these professional person services:

ZenBusiness ($39 + State Fees)

LegalZoom ($149 + State Fees)

FAQ: Naming a Maryland LLC

What is an LLC?

LLC is curt for Limited Liability Visitor. It is a unproblematic business organization structure that offers more than flexibility than a traditional corporation while providing many of the aforementioned benefits. An LLC is one of several business organisation structures, such as a sole proprietorship, partnership, and corporation (C corp and Southward corp). For more information, read our What is an LLC guide.

Watch our video: What is an LLC?

How practise I name my Maryland LLC?

Yous must follow the Maryland LLC naming guidelines when choosing a name for your LLC:

Include the phrase "express liability visitor" or one of its abbreviations (LLC or Fifty.50.C.).
Do not use words that could confuse your business with a government agency (FBI, Country Department, CIA, etc.).
Receive the proper licensing when using the words such every bit lawyer or doctor.

If y'all are having trouble coming up with a name for your LLC employ our LLC Proper name Generator. That volition not merely find a unique name for your business organisation but an available URL to match.

Later on you become your business name, your next pace is getting a unique logo. Go your unique logo using our Free Logo Generator.

Do I need to become a DBA or Trade Proper noun for my concern?

Almost LLCs do not demand a DBA. The name of the LLC can serve as your visitor's brand proper noun and you tin can accept checks and other payments under that name as well. However, yous may wish to annals a DBA if you would like to conduct business organization under another name.

To learn more nigh DBAs in your state, read our How to File a DBA guide.

STEP two: Choose a Resident Amanuensis in Maryland

You are required to nominate a Maryland resident agent for your LLC. A resident agent is more normally known as a registered agent in other states.

What is a Resident Agent? A resident agent is an individual or business concern entity responsible for receiving important tax forms, legal documents, notice of lawsuits, and official government correspondence on behalf of your business. Think of your resident agent as your business's point of contact with the land.

Who can be a Resident Amanuensis? A resident amanuensis must exist a resident of Maryland or a corporation, such as a registered amanuensis service, authorized to transact business organization in Maryland. You may elect an individual within the company including yourself.

To learn more than almost Maryland Registered Agents, read our full guide.

Recommended: ZenBusiness provides the first year of registered agent service free with LLC germination ($39 + State Fees)

FAQ: Nominating a Maryland Resident Agent

Can I be my own Resident Agent in Maryland?

Is a Registered Agent service worth it?

Using a professional registered agent service is an affordable manner to manage government filings for your LLC. For most businesses, the advantages of using a professional service significantly outweigh the annual costs.

For more information, read our commodity on Maryland resident agents.

Footstep three: File the Maryland LLC Articles of Organization

To register your Maryland LLC, you will need to file the Articles of Organization with the Section of Assessments and Revenue enhancement. You lot can apply online, in-person, or by mail.

At present is a expert fourth dimension to make up one's mind whether your LLC will be member-managed vs. manager-managed.

Pick one: File Online with Maryland Concern Express

File Online

- OR -

Option 2: File by Postal service or In-Person

Download Form

State Filing Cost: $100, payable to the Secretary of Country (Nonrefundable)

Mail or Submit In-Person:
Department of Assessments and Taxation
301 W. Preston Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

For help with completing the form, visit our Maryland Manufactures of Organization guide.

If you're expanding your existing LLC to the state of Maryland, you will need to class a Strange LLC.

FAQ: Filing Maryland LLC Documents

How long does it take to set up an LLC in Maryland?

Filing the Articles of Organization takes about 5-7 days online or 4 to 6 weeks by mail. Expedited filings are likewise bachelor.

What is the departure between a domestic LLC and foreign LLC?

An LLC is referred to every bit a "domestic LLC" when information technology conducts business in the land where it was formed. Commonly when we refer to an LLC we are actually referring to a domestic LLC. A foreign LLC must be formed when an existing LLC wishes to expand its business concern to another state.

Read our What Is a Foreign LLC article to acquire more.

How much does it cost to start a Maryland LLC?

STEP iv: Create a Maryland LLC Operating Agreement

In Maryland, LLCs are not required to have an operating understanding, simply it'southward a good exercise to have i.

What is an operating agreement? An operating agreement is a legal document outlining the buying and operating procedures of an LLC.

Why are operating agreements of import? A comprehensive operating understanding ensures that all business owners are on the aforementioned folio and reduces the risk of future conflict.

For more information on operating agreements, read our Maryland LLC operating agreement guide.

FAQ: Creating a Maryland LLC Operating Agreement

Practise I need to file my operating agreement with the state?

No. The operating agreement is an internal document that you should keep on file for hereafter reference. However, many states practise legally require LLCs to take an operating agreement in place.

Stride 5: Go a Maryland LLC EIN

What is an EIN? EIN stands for Employer Identification Number. EINs are a nine-digit number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to help identify businesses for taxation purposes. Information technology is substantially a Social Security number for a business.

An EIN is sometimes referred to equally a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or Federal Tax Identification Number (FTIN).

Why practice I need an EIN? An EIN is required to:

Open a business bank account
File and manage Federal and State Taxes
Hire employees

What if I already have an EIN for my sole proprietorship? The IRS requires that sole proprietorships get a new EIN when converting to an LLC.

Where do I become an EIN? You can go an EIN for free from the IRS. Getting an EIN is an easy procedure that can be done online or by mail.

FOR INTERNATIONAL EIN APPLICANTS: You do not need a SSN to get an EIN. For more information, read our How to Get an EIN equally a Foreign Person guide.

Option 1: Request an EIN from the IRS

Apply Online

- OR -

Selection 2: Apply for an EIN by Mail or Fax

Download Class

Mail to:
Internal Revenue Service
Attn: EIN Functioning
Cincinnati, OH 45999

Fax: (855) 641-6935

Fee: Gratuitous

FAQ: Getting an Maryland EIN

How do I become an EIN if I don't take a Social Security Number?

What revenue enhancement structure should I cull for my LLC?

Do I demand an EIN for my LLC?

All LLCs with employees, or any LLC with more than one member, must have an EIN. This is required by the IRS.

Learn why we recommend e'er getting an EIN and how to get 1 for complimentary in our Exercise I Need an EIN for an LLC guide.

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Enquire us a question, tell u.s. how we're doing, or share your experiences. Join the conversation in our Comment Section.

Accept a question? Leave a Comment!

Enquire us a question, tell us how we're doing, or share your experiences. Bring together the conversation in our Comment Section.

Considering Using an LLC Formation Service?

We reviewed and ranked the top 5 LLC germination services.
Discover out which is best for you.

Best LLC Services

Of import Steps After Forming an LLC

Separate Your Personal and Business organization Assets

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal avails (your home, auto, and other valuables) are at chance in the event your Maryland LLC is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing the corporate veil.

You tin start protecting your LLC in Maryland with these steps:

1. Opening a business checking account:

Separates your personal assets from your company's avails, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Need aid finding your EIN for your bank application? Visit our EIN Lookup guide for aid.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Pocket-size Business review to observe the best national bank, credit union, business-loan friendly banks, one with many brick-and-mortar locations, and more.

2. Getting a business credit card:

Helps categorize and separate all business expenses for end-of-year revenue enhancement purposes.
Helps build your business organization credit score — an essential step toward getting a line of credit or business loan in the hereafter.
Allows y'all to go along track of section expenses by issuing multiple cards (with multiple budgets) to your employees.

For a closer look at business credit cards and their benefits, bank check out our review of the all-time small-scale business organization credit cards.

Recommended: Visit Divvy to apply for their business organization credit card and build your concern credit quickly.

Apply With Divvy

For other important steps to protect your corporate veil, like properly signing legal documents and documenting visitor business, please read our corporate veil commodity.

3. Hiring a business auditor:

Prevents your business from overpaying on taxes while helping you lot avoid penalties, fines, and other costly tax errors
Makes bookkeeping and payroll easier, leaving y'all with more than time to focus on your growing business organisation
Manages your business funding more effectively, discovering areas of unforeseen loss or extra profit

For more business bookkeeping tools, read our guide to the best business bookkeeping software.

Go Business concern Insurance for Your LLC

Concern insurance helps you manage risks and focus on growing your Maryland business. The nigh common types of business organization insurance are:

Full general Liability Insurance: A broad insurance policy that protects your business from lawsuits. Near small businesses get full general liability insurance. In Maryland, businesses are required to accept general liability insurance.
Professional Liability Insurance: A business organisation insurance for professional service providers (consultants, accountants, etc.) that covers claims of malpractice and other business errors.
Workers' Compensation Insurance: A type of insurance that provides coverage for employees' job-related illnesses, injuries, or deaths. In Maryland, businesses with i or more employees, including LLC members and corporate officers, are required past law to have workers bounty insurance.

Read our review of the best small-scale business organisation insurance companies.

Create Your Business Website

Creating a website is a large step in legitimizing your business concern. Every business needs a website. Even if yous call back that your business is too modest or in an offline industry, if you don't take a website, you are missing out on a large percentage of potential customers and revenue.

Some may fright that creating a business website is out of their reach because they don't have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web engineering has seen huge advancements in the by few years that makes the lives of modest business concern owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why y'all shouldn't delay edifice your website:

All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business organisation does not matter when information technology comes to getting your business online.
Social media accounts similar Facebook pages or LinkedIn concern profiles are not a replacement for a business organization website that you lot own and control.
Website architect tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder accept made creating a basic website extremely unproblematic. You don't need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that y'all can exist proud of.

Using our website building guides, the process will be elementary and painless and shouldn't have y'all whatever longer than 2-3 hours to complete.

Send Out a Press Release

Press releases are among the easiest and all-time ways to promote your business. They are also one of the most cost-constructive strategies as they:

Provides publicity
Constitute your make presence on the web
Meliorate your website'south search engine optimization (SEO), driving more customers to your website
Are a one-time cost in terms of effort and money
Have long-lasting benefits

Proceed Your Company Compliant

Maryland Business concern Permits and Licenses

To operate your Maryland LLC y'all must comply with federal, state, and local regime regulations. For case, restaurants likely need health permits, building permits, signage permits, etc.

The details of business licenses and permits vary from state to state. Brand sure you read advisedly. Don't be surprised if there are short classes required every bit well.

Fees for business licenses and permits volition vary depending on what sort of license you are seeking to obtain.

Observe out how to obtain necessary licenses and permits for your business or have a professional service do it for you:

Business License Guide: Use our detailed Maryland Business organisation License guide.
Federal: Apply the U.S. Small Concern Administration (SBA) guide.
Country:Use the State of Maryland's Department of Commerce website.
Local: Contact your local county clerk and ask about local licenses and permits.

Recommended: If you lot are a first-time entrepreneur, consider having a professional service enquiry your business organization's licensing requirements. Read our all-time business organization license services review on Startup Savant.

Maryland LLC Tax Filing Requirements

Depending on the nature of your business organization, yous may exist required to annals for ane or more than forms of state tax.

Maryland Sales Tax

If you are selling a concrete product, you lot'll typically need to register for a seller's permit through the Maryland Combined Registration Online Awarding website.

This document allows a business to collect sales tax on taxable sales.

Sales tax, besides called "Sales and Utilise Revenue enhancement," is a taxation levied by states, counties, and municipalities on concern transactions involving the exchange of certain taxable goods or services.

Read our Maryland sales tax guide to find out more.

Maryland Employer Taxes

If you accept employees in Maryland, you lot will have to register for the Unemployment Insurance Revenue enhancement, and the Employee Withholding Tax through the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation.

Federal LLC Tax Filing Requirements

Most LLCs will need to report their income to the IRS each year using:

Form 1065 Partnership Return (most multi-member LLCs use this form)
Form 1040 Schedule C (most single-member LLCs use this form)

How you pay yourself as an owner will too affect your federal taxes. Visit our guide to larn more about how to pay yourself from your LLC.

Read our LLC Tax Guide to learn more almost federal income taxes for LLCs.

File Your Maryland LLC Annual Report

Maryland requires LLCs to file an annual report with the Department of Assessments & Tax.

Choice i: File Online with Maryland Business organisation Express

File Online

- OR -

OPTION 2: File past Mail

Download Course

Fee: $300, payable to the Secretary of State (Nonrefundable)

Mail to:
Department of Assessments and Taxation
Taxpayer Services Division
P.O. Box 17052
Baltimore, MD 21297

Due Date:Due April 15 each year

Late Filings: If you file late, Maryland will accuse yous ane/10 of a percent of your holding value. At that place is an extra two percent interest for every thirty days that your return is filed late. Failure to file will result in your business beingness assessed at twice the originally estimated value, then your belatedly fees will be doubled, or your LLCmay exist dissolved.

Avoid Automatic Dissolution

LLCs may face up fines and even automatic dissolution when they miss one or more than state filings. When this happens, LLC owners risk loss of limited liability protection. A quality registered amanuensis service can help forbid this consequence by notifying yous of upcoming filing deadlines and past submitting reports on your behalf.

Recommended: ZenBusiness offers a reliable registered agent service and excellent client back up. Learn more by reading our ZenBusiness Review.

Hiring Employees

If you plan to hire employees for your Maryland business, stay compliant with the police by following these steps:

Verify that new employees are able to work in the US
Report employees every bit "new hires" to the Country
Provide workers' compensation insurance for employees
Withhold employee taxes
Print workplace compliance posters and place them in visible areas of your workspace

Find out more information from the Maryland Section of Labor website.

FAQ: Hiring Employees in Maryland

What is the minimum wage in Maryland?

The minimum wage in Maryland is $12.50 per hour for employers with 15+ employees and $12.xx per hr for employers with fourteen or fewer employees.

How often practise I demand to pay employees in Maryland?

Employers in Maryland are required to pay employees on a bi-weekly footing.

Small Business Resources

Become Aid Starting a Business in Maryland

We understand that creating an LLC and getting your business upward and running comes with many challenges. To assistance you succeed, we compiled the best local resources in every major metro area in Maryland. You can go free assist in the following areas:

Baltimore | Hagerstown | Silver Spring

Minor Business Trends

Acquire about the electric current US business trends then you can make the almost informed business decisions.

Women in Business concern Tools and Resources

If you have a woman-owned concern, many resources are available to help yous concentrate on your business's growth:

Funding - (ie. grants, investors, loans)
Events - (ie. conferences, meetups)
Guides - (ie. business formation, personal growth)
Support - (ie. advice, communities, business strategies)

Our information and tools will provide educational sources, allow you to connect with other women entrepreneurs, and help you manage your business concern with ease.

Free LLC Legal Forms

TRUiC offers a number of gratuitous LLC legal forms to assistance with creating documents like:

Operating agreements
LLC resolutions
Hiring documents, including:
- Employment contracts
- Independent contractor service agreements (ICSA)
- Non-disclosure agreements (NDA)

All you'll demand to do to download the forms is sign up for the TRUiC Business Center, which is also complimentary, forever.

How to Build Business Credit

Learning how to build concern credit can help you go credit cards and other business organisation funding optionsin your business'south proper name (instead of yours), with improve involvement rates, higher lines of credit, and more.

TRUiC's Small Business Tools

TRUiC believes business tools should exist free and useful. Our tools aid solve business organisation challenges, from finding an thought for your business, to creating a concern plan, writing an operating agreement for your LLC, and more.

Check out TRUiC's pocket-sized business tools:

Business Name Generator
Business organisation Idea Generator
Free Logo Maker
Operating Understanding Tool
Business Plan Generator
Entrepreneur Quiz

More Maryland LLC Data

Maryland Foreign LLCs

Forming a foreign LLC allows your company to operate as one entity in multiple states. If you take an existing LLC and desire to do business in Maryland, y'all will need to register as a foreign LLC. This can be done online or by mail.

Choice 1: File Online with Maryland Business Express

File Online

- OR -

OPTION 2: File past Mail

Download Form

Fee: $100, payable to the Secretary of Country (Nonrefundable)

Mail to:
Department of Assessments and Tax
301 West Preston Street
Baltimore, Doctor 21201

How to Obtain a Certificate of Good Continuing in Maryland

A Document of Good Standing, known in Maryland every bit a Certificate of Condition, verifies that your LLC was legally formed and has been properly maintained. Several instances where you lot might need to get one include:

Seeking funding from banks or other lenders
Forming your business organization every bit a foreign LLC in some other country
Obtaining or renewing specific business organisation licenses or permits

In Maryland, y'all tin lodge a Certificate of Status online with Maryland Business concern Limited.

Request a Document Online with Maryland Business Express

Order Online

Fee: Free

Instructions: Do a search for your business entity, click on your business organization, and make your order.

How to Dissolve an LLC in Maryland

If at any point in the future you no longer wish to conduct business with your Maryland LLC, it is of import to officially dissolve it. Failure to exercise and then in a timely fashion tin result in tax liabilities and penalties, or even legal trouble. To deliquesce your LLC, there are ii broad steps:

Close your business taxation accounts
File the Articles of Dissolution

When you are gear up to dissolve your Maryland LLC, follow the steps in our Maryland LLC Dissolution Guide.

Guide to Starting a Business in Maryland
Top Five LLC Formation Services Compared
Cost to Course an LLC in Maryland

Key Terms for Entrepreneurs

LLC: An LLC is a US business structure that offers the personal liability protection of a corporation with the pass-through taxation of a sole proprietorship or partnership.

DBA: A DBA, or doing business organisation as name, is any name a business operates under that isn't its legal name.

Partnership: A partnership is an informal business structure owned by more than one individual that doesn't provide personal liability protection.