State hub · Massachusetts
Massachusetts LLC true cost (2026)
Massachusetts state side: $500 formation filing, $500 for LLC Annual Report in the 3-year model, ~$2,000 state fees over three years (methodology below) — #50 of 51 on the cheapest-states ranking. Provider markup is separate — use the table for formation/RA path + state fees.
Massachusetts state filing fees
These are state fees — not Northwest / ZenBusiness / Bizee / LegalZoom service fees. The collecting agency is Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth — Corporations Division. Filings go through www.sec.state.ma.us/corporations.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Articles / Certificate of Formation | $500 | Mass.gov and Corporations Division: Certificate of Organization filing fee $500. Fax/electronic filings also require an expedited service fee per the Division schedule — for a $500 subtotal the expedite add-on is $20 (online/fax practical total often $520). Mail/in-person can pay the $500 statutory fee without that electronic expedite add-on. |
| LLC Annual Report | $500 | Mass.gov and Corporations Division state the annual report filing fee is $500. Electronic/fax filings also incur the Division expedited-service fee schedule (commonly +$20 on a $500 filing → ~$520 online). Late/non-filing risks loss of good standing and dissolution procedures. |
| 3-year state subtotal (model) | $2,000 | Certificate of Organization $500 + three Annual Reports at $500 each ($1,500) = $2,000 using statutory fees. Typical online path: ~$520 × 4 filings ≈ $2,080 if the $20 expedite applies to formation and each annual. Excludes commercial RA and tax filings. |
When Massachusetts actually bills you
Massachusetts's recurring filing is due On or before the anniversary date of the original Certificate of Organization filing — put it in a calendar the day you form, because the state will not chase you before it penalises you.
| Point in time | What Massachusetts charges | Amount | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|
| At formation | Articles / Certificate of Formation | $500 | $500 |
| Year 1 cycle | LLC Annual Report | $500 | $1,000 |
| Year 2 cycle | LLC Annual Report | $500 | $1,500 |
| Year 3 cycle | LLC Annual Report | $500 | $2,000 |
Provider + Massachusetts state (3-year)
Provider totals from the national comparison (formation + RA Y1–Y3, state fees excluded there) plus the Massachusetts state subtotal of $2,000.
| Provider | Plan | Provider 3-yr | + state |
|---|---|---|---|
| northwest | Formation $39 (RA Y1 included) | $289 | $2,289 |
| zenbusiness | Starter $0 + RA add-on | $497 | $2,497 |
| bizee | Basic $0 (RA Y1 free) | $298 | $2,298 |
| legalzoom | Basic $0 + RA $249/yr | $747 | $2,747 |
Partner link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices above are researched from public pages, not supplied by the provider. How this site makes money.
How Massachusetts ranks against the other 50 charters
Across the 51 jurisdictions covered on this site, Massachusetts sits at #50 — the 50th cheapest three-year state charter — at $2,000 in Secretary of State and revenue-department dollars. That is $1,965 more than Montana, the cheapest charter in the ranking ($35), $1,720 above the $280 median, and $510 less than California at $2,510. In plain terms, Massachusetts lands in the pricier half of the table.
Ranking caveat for Massachusetts: Whether any promotional electronic annual-report discount appears in rare older secondary sources — official Mass.gov still states $500.
- Just cheaper: Tennessee ($1,500), Rhode Island ($1,500).
- Just pricier: California ($2,510).
- Full table: all 51 states ranked by 3-year state fees — including where the ranking flips once you add a professional registered agent.
Registered agent (Massachusetts)
- Massachusetts LLC must have a resident agent. Statement of Change of Resident Agent/Office: $25 paper/fax; no fee if filed electronically (Division LLC information page).
Put the agent next to the state's own bill: three years of Massachusetts state fees is $2,000, while the cheapest provider path in our national 3-year comparison runs $289 (Formation $39 (RA Y1 included)) and the most expensive runs $747 (Basic $0 + RA $249/yr) — a $458 spread for the same statutory job. On the cheapest path the service, not Massachusetts, is about 13% of your three-year outlay. Choosing the agent well is usually a bigger lever than choosing the state.
Gotchas (fact-based)
- Massachusetts has one of the highest flat LLC annual report fees ($500/year).
- Online filers should budget the mandatory electronic expedite surcharge ($20 on $500 filings).
- Do not confuse Corporations Division annual report with Department of Revenue tax filings on MassTaxConnect.
Who Massachusetts is for / not for
Often a fit when…
- Massachusetts-nexus businesses that need a domestic MA LLC despite high SOS fees.
Often a poor fit when…
- Cost-sensitive holding companies without Massachusetts operations — $500/yr SOS alone is steep versus many other states.
Orientation only — not legal advice.
Common questions about Massachusetts LLC cost
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Massachusetts?
$500 to Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth — Corporations Division for the formation filing. Mass.gov and Corporations Division: Certificate of Organization filing fee $500. Fax/electronic filings also require an expedited service fee per the Division schedule — for a $500 subtotal the expedite add-on is $20 (online/fax practical total often $520). Mail/in-person can pay the $500 statutory fee without that electronic expedite add-on. That is the state charge only. A formation service is a separate bill on top: Formation $39 (RA Y1 included) works out to $39 in year one, versus $249 on the most expensive path we track.
What are the ongoing Massachusetts LLC fees after year one?
$500 for the LLC Annual Report, due On or before the anniversary date of the original Certificate of Organization filing. Mass.gov and Corporations Division state the annual report filing fee is $500. Electronic/fax filings also incur the Division expedited-service fee schedule (commonly +$20 on a $500 filing → ~$520 online). Late/non-filing risks loss of good standing and dissolution procedures. Recurring state charges are what make a low formation fee misleading — they are the reason this site models three years instead of one.
What does a Massachusetts LLC really cost over three years?
$2,000 in Massachusetts state fees, plus whatever your provider charges. With the cheapest tracked path that is $2,289 all-in over three years; with the most expensive it is $2,747 — a $458 difference that has nothing to do with Massachusetts.
Do I need a registered agent in Massachusetts?
Yes. Massachusetts LLC must have a resident agent. Statement of Change of Resident Agent/Office: $25 paper/fax; no fee if filed electronically (Division LLC information page). On the money side, the four providers tracked here charge $0–$249 in year one for formation plus the agent, then $125–$249 a year in agent renewal after that — separate from every Massachusetts figure above.
Is Massachusetts a cheap state to form an LLC?
On charter cost alone, Massachusetts ranks #50 of 51 at $2,000 over three years, against a $35 floor and a $2,510 ceiling. But cheapest charter is not the same as cheapest outcome: if you operate somewhere else you will likely foreign-qualify there and pay that state's fees and taxes too. See the full 3-year state fee ranking for the comparison.
How the Massachusetts three-year number is built
Certificate of Organization $500 + three Annual Reports at $500 each ($1,500) = $2,000 using statutory fees. Typical online path: ~$520 × 4 filings ≈ $2,080 if the $20 expedite applies to formation and each annual. Excludes commercial RA and tax filings. Figures are re-derived from the cited Massachusetts sources rather than copied from other guides.
Deliberately excluded from the Massachusetts state subtotal:
- Professional registered agent fees (same shopping problem in every state)
- County newspaper publication (NY, AZ, and similar — variable)
- Card / portal convenience fees unless fixed on the SOS schedule
- Expedites, name reservations, certified copies, foreign qualification
- Income / sales / payroll taxes and variable gross-receipts tiers above a stated floor
Unverified / confirm before filing
- item: unverified — check source —
- Re-check live Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth — Corporations Division fee schedules — amounts change.
Sources (official)
- Mass.gov — Starting an LLC in Massachusetts (Certificate $500; Annual Report $500)
- MA Secretary of the Commonwealth — Limited Liability Company Information
- MA Corporations Division — Filing Fees (expedited fee tiers for electronic/fax)
- 950 CMR 112.00 — Limited Liability Companies (Certificate/Annual Report $500)
Keep comparing
- Cheapest states to form an LLC (2026)
All 51 charters ranked by three-year state fees — see exactly where Massachusetts's $2,000 lands.
- LLC formation true 3-year cost: Northwest vs ZenBusiness vs Bizee vs LegalZoom
The provider side of the Massachusetts math, with the upsells worth skipping.
- All 51 state hubs
Same fee model, state by state.