LLC Formation in Massachusetts (2026): 7 Moves and the 3 Best LLC Services
If you are hiring for starting an LLC in Massachusetts in 2026, we rank Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($199), MA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. Massachusetts takes $500 at filing and expects the Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year. 7 moves cover it.
From the Founder Primer desk
At a glance
Formation fee
$500
Check it yourself at sec.state.ma.us; we read it in October 2026
Limited Liability Company Annual Report
$500 a year
Date to circle: on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization
State cost, years 1 to 3
$1,500
No service fees counted
Primer moves
7
One at a time
What you will be able to do
How starting an LLC works in Massachusetts
What the resident agent rule asks
How to stay in good standing
The services we rank
Massachusetts: services we rank
Marked on the scoring page: three-year cost (27%), to-dos cleared (38%), renewal, fit with Massachusetts's rules and readable pricing.
Top mark$199 plus state fee, $99/yr after
1. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for a small first invoice
We start with Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: $199 to file, then $99 a year to keep the agent.
It costs less than Mainstay Filing over three years, and three-year cost is 27% of the mark.
You file the Limited Liability Company Annual Report yourself every year.
Inside the price
Filing with the state
Agent service for year one
In its favor
A $199 formation fee
Year-one agent service costs nothing extra
Then $99 a year
Against it
You prepare the Limited Liability Company Annual Report yourself
The EIN application is not included ($99)
Massachusetts focus$199 plus state fee, $99/yr after
2. MA Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that stay in Massachusetts
Number 2 is MA Registered Agent.org, where $199 to file, then $99 a year to keep the agent.
You file the Limited Liability Company Annual Report yourself every year.
Its prices match Massachusetts Registered Agent.co's, so either one works.
Inside the price
Filing with the state
Agent service for year one
In its favor
A $199 formation fee
Then $99 a year
Year-one agent service costs nothing extra
Against it
You prepare the Limited Liability Company Annual Report yourself
The EIN application is not included ($99)
All fifty states$199 yearly; renewal $199
3. Mainstay Filing: best for dropping the annual report paperwork
Mainstay Filing is a fair third choice: $199 covers formation, the resident agent and the annual report; year two costs $199.
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co is $200 lower over three years, which keeps this one out of first.
Included: the Limited Liability Company Annual Report, with the state's $500 charged exactly as Massachusetts sets it.
Inside the price
We prepare and file the formation
Resident agent all year
Annual report filed on time
EIN application included
No markup on the state fee
In its favor
One yearly price, $199, annual report included
Renewal stays at $199
It files the EIN application for you
Against it
A $100 yearly premium over Massachusetts Registered Agent.co
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. Every row owes the $500 state fee as well.
How a Massachusetts LLC gets formed
Move 1
Name the company
Name search comes first. Use the records at the Massachusetts Secretary of State.
A spare name saves a redo.
Move 2
Who is the resident agent?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Massachusetts resident, a Massachusetts corporation, or a corporation from another state authorized to do business in Massachusetts. State regulations (950 CMR 112.13) also allow other business entities authorized in Massachusetts.
The address has to be a street address in Massachusetts. A post office address is not sufficient.
Every pick above takes the resident agent role.
Where this comes from: Check it yourself at sec.state.ma.us; we read it in October 2026
Move 3
Do it yourself, or not
Without a service you pay the state $500, nothing more. Any of our picks adds $199 and handles the paperwork.
Move 4
Submit the Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization
the Massachusetts Secretary of State forms the LLC when it accepts the Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization with $500, under M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12.
Where this comes from: Check it yourself at sec.state.ma.us; we read it in October 2026
Move 5
Apply for an EIN with the IRS
The IRS issues EINs, not Massachusetts. Apply after approval and hand the number to your bank. Mainstay Filing's yearly price covers this application.
Move 6
Write an operating agreement
A single-owner Massachusetts LLC still benefits from a written operating agreement in the files.
Move 7
Calendar the repeating deadlines
Every year the LLC files the Limited Liability Company Annual Report and pays $500; deadline on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization.
Where this comes from: Check it yourself at malegislature.gov; we read it in August 2026
Costs, move by move
What
Paid to
Price
The formation move
Paid to the state
$500
Limited Liability Company Annual Report
Paid to the state
$500 every year
Service fees (optional)
The provider
$199 in the first year
State fees for three years
Paid to the state
$1,500
We get the three-year state number by adding the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax. Service fees stay separate.
How the marks came out
The deciding criterion: founder outlay over three years, at 27% of the mark.
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co takes the cost criterion: $397 over three years, against $200 more at Mainstay Filing.
Common questions
Which Massachusetts fees apply to a new LLC?
Massachusetts bills $500. Service fees on this list run $199.
Which form creates the LLC?
Look for the Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization; the Massachusetts Secretary of State is the office.
Is a resident agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does Massachusetts require each year?
File the Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year, $500; deadline on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
A service is optional. Founders can file with the $500 fee as long as they appoint a resident agent.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co first, then MA Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing; Massachusetts Registered Agent.co wins on founder outlay over three years.