How much is the Florida LLC annual report?

$138.75 a year. It combines a $50 annual report fee under section 605.0213 and an $88.75 supplemental fee under section 607.193. It is due between January 1 and May 1, starting the year after your articles take effect, and it costs more than forming the LLC.

What is the Florida LLC late fee?

An annual report paid after May 1 carries a $400 late charge on top of the $138.75 fee, so a late report costs $538.75. The charge is set by statute and applies whether or not you received a reminder. If the report is still missing in late September, the LLC is administratively dissolved.

Is there a cheaper way to form a Florida LLC?

The $125 state fee is the floor; no service can file for less. You can avoid extra spending by acting as your own registered agent, skipping the optional certificate of status, and filing late in the year with a January 1 effective date so your first annual report is pushed back a year.

Does a Florida LLC pay state income tax?

Not if it is taxed as a sole proprietorship or partnership, which is the default. Florida has no personal income tax, so the profit is taxed only federally. An LLC that elects corporate taxation pays Florida corporate income tax at 5.5% after a $50,000 exemption.

How much does it cost to reinstate a dissolved Florida LLC?

The reinstatement fee is $100, plus the annual report fee for every year that was missed. The $400 late charge does not apply to an LLC that is reinstated after dissolution for not filing, but while dissolved the company can only wind up its affairs and cannot sue in Florida courts.

Business registration & legal

How Much Does an LLC Cost in Florida in 2026? Filing Fee, Annual Report and First-Year Budget

Florida LLC cost in 2026: the $125 Sunbiz filing, the $138.75 annual report, the $400 late fee, DBA and agent costs, plus first-year and five-year budgets.

Edited by Sumeet YadavFounder & editor, MSMETOOLS · fact-checked against official sources

Updated October 2026 Verified against official sources 12 October 2026 17 min read

Florida LLC cost — MSMETOOLS guide cover

Contents (10)

1. What the $125 formation fee pays for
2. Optional Sunbiz fees and when they are worth paying
3. The $138.75 annual report: Florida's real yearly cost
4. Registered agent: $0 or a yearly service fee
5. Fictitious name: $50 plus a newspaper notice
6. Taxes and local costs that come with a Florida LLC
7. Florida LLC cost: first-year and five-year budgets
8. Worked examples
9. Common mistakes that cost Florida LLC owners money
10. What to do next

Florida is one of the cheapest big states to form an LLC, but it is not the cheapest to keep one. The formation fee is $125; the annual report you pay every spring after that is $138.75, and paying it a day late adds $400. This page is for founders who want the full price before they file: every state fee from the Florida Statutes, the optional extras, the costs that come from outside Sunbiz such as a fictitious name advertisement or a county tax receipt, and first-year and five-year budgets. If you want the filing steps themselves, our Florida LLC formation guide walks through them. Every fee here was checked against the statutes and the Department of Revenue in October 2026.

Quick answer

A Florida LLC costs $125 to form on Sunbiz ($100 articles of organization + $25 registered agent designation). After that, the only recurring state fee is the $138.75 annual report, due January 1 – May 1 each year, with a $400 late charge after May 1.

Optional: certificate of status $5, certified copy $30, fictitious name $50
EIN, sales tax registration and the FinCEN BOI report cost nothing
No state income tax for a default (pass-through) LLC
Five-year state cost for a typical LLC formed in 2026: about $680

What the $125 formation fee pays for

Florida sets its LLC fees in section 605.0213 of the Florida Statutes, not in an agency fee schedule, which is why they rarely change. The $125 you pay on Sunbiz is two statutory fees added together. Filing the original articles of organization costs $100, and the certificate designating a registered agent costs $25. Because every new LLC must name an agent in its articles, both fees are charged on every filing, and Sunbiz shows them as one $125 total.

That fee buys the legal existence of the company and a public record on Sunbiz. It does not include a certified copy of the articles or a certificate of status; both are optional add-ons you can tick at checkout or order later. It also does not include anything outside the Division of Corporations: there is no county filing for an LLC, no publication requirement for the LLC itself, and no initial report. Compared with New York, where publication can add hundreds of dollars, or Texas at $300, Florida's entry price is low.

The fee is the same whether you file online or on paper, and it is not refunded if the filing is rejected because the name is taken or the agent did not accept. The most common reason for losing it is a name that is not distinguishable from one already on Sunbiz, so search first. Our LLC name checker helps you shortlist names before you run the Sunbiz search.

Florida LLC state fees (2026)

$125

Formation

$100 articles + $25 agent

$138.75

Annual report

due Jan 1 – May 1

$400

Late charge

after May 1

$100

Reinstatement

plus reports owed

Optional Sunbiz fees and when they are worth paying

Certificate of status ($5). This is Florida's name for a certificate of good standing. Banks, landlords, payment processors and government contract portals sometimes ask for one, and lenders often want it dated within the last 30 to 90 days. At $5 it costs almost nothing, but there is no point buying one at formation unless someone has asked for it. Sunbiz also shows an active status for free on the public record, which many banks accept. Our certificate of good standing guide explains how other states compare.

Certified copy ($30). A certified copy of your articles is useful when a bank, title company or out-of-state agency needs proof of the filing itself rather than of current status. You can print an uncertified copy from Sunbiz for free, which is enough for most banks.

Amendments and other documents ($25). Section 605.0213 charges $25 for any LLC document without its own fee, which covers articles of amendment (for example to change the name or add managers) and articles of dissolution when you close. Changing the registered agent is a separate $25 filing. Many changes, such as a new principal address, can be made for no extra cost on the next annual report instead.

No name reservation. Unlike many states, Florida does not sell a name reservation for LLCs, so there is no fee to budget. The way to secure a name is to file the articles.

Jacksonville, Florida skyline along the St. Johns River — Florida charges the same $125 to form an LLC whether you are in Jacksonville, Miami or a small town; county tax receipts are what vary.· Image: JBonanno79 (CC BY 2.0)

The $138.75 annual report: Florida's real yearly cost

Every Florida LLC files an annual report on Sunbiz between January 1 and May 1, starting in the calendar year after its articles take effect (section 605.0212). The fee is again two statutory pieces: a $50 annual report fee from section 605.0213 and an $88.75 supplemental corporate fee from section 607.193, which every business entity that files an annual report pays. Together they make $138.75.

That figure is the number to plan around, because it recurs every year for as long as the LLC exists, and it is bigger than the formation fee. Over five years the annual reports cost more than four times what you paid to form the company. It is also why Florida, despite a low entry price, ends up mid-table for ongoing cost: Texas charges nothing a year for most small LLCs, Georgia charges $60, while California's $800 tax is far higher.

The late charge. If the supplemental fee is paid after May 1, section 607.193 adds a $400 late charge, making the report $538.75. The charge applies whether or not you received the Division's email reminder, and the statute gives no discretion to waive it. The single exception is an LLC that was administratively dissolved for not filing and then paid to reinstate.

Dissolution and reinstatement. An LLC that still has not filed by the third Friday in September is administratively dissolved the following week. Reinstatement costs $100 plus the $138.75 report fee for each year missed. On paper that is cheaper than a late report, which tempts some owners to let the LLC lapse. It is a poor bet: while dissolved, the company can only wind up its affairs, it cannot bring a lawsuit in a Florida court, another business can register your name, and banks and contract counterparties may freeze dealings until the record is clean. Treat May 1 as a hard deadline.

The Florida annual report year

January 1

Filing window opens on Sunbiz — $138.75

May 1

Last day to file without the late charge

May 2 onward

$138.75 + $400 = $538.75

Third Friday in September

Final deadline to avoid dissolution

After dissolution

Reinstatement $100 + each missing report

Registered agent: $0 or a yearly service fee

Florida requires every LLC to keep a registered agent with a Florida street address, and the $25 designation fee is already inside the $125. The ongoing cost depends on who serves. If you, another member or an employee who lives in Florida acts as agent at a real street address, it costs nothing. If you hire a commercial registered agent, expect roughly $50 to $300 a year; that range is our estimate from published provider pricing, not an official figure, and the higher prices usually bundle mail scanning and compliance reminders.

The decision is mostly about privacy and reliability. The registered office address is public on Sunbiz, and Florida's records are heavily scraped by marketers, so home-based owners often pay for an agent to keep their home address off the record. A missed lawsuit because nobody was at the address can lead to a default judgment, which costs far more than any agent fee. If you switch agents later, the change filing is $25; if a commercial agent resigns, they pay the $85 resignation fee, and you pay $25 to name a replacement.

Fictitious name: $50 plus a newspaper notice

If your LLC trades under any name other than its exact legal name, Florida's fictitious name act (section 865.09) requires a fictitious name registration with the Division of Corporations. "Coastal Pressure Washing LLC" trading as "Coastal Clean" needs one; trading as "Coastal Pressure Washing LLC" does not. The fee is $50, and a registration runs to December 31 of the fifth calendar year, counting the year you register as the first. Renewal is another $50, and a certificate of status for the fictitious name is $10.

There is a cost many guides skip. Before you register, the statute requires you to advertise your intent to register the name at least once in a newspaper in the county where the business is based, and you certify on the application that you did. Newspapers set their own legal-notice rates. In our experience of published rates a single notice usually costs from about $25 to $100 depending on the paper and length, but that is an estimate, so ask the paper for a quote. Skipping a required registration does not void your contracts, but the business cannot bring a lawsuit in Florida until it registers, and a court can award the other side its legal fees. Our DBA guide compares the rules in other states.

Florida LLC: required vs optional costs

Cost	Amount	Required?
Articles of organization + agent designation	$125	Yes, once
Annual report	$138.75	Yes, every year from year two
Late charge	$400	Only if filed after May 1
Fictitious name	$50 + newspaper notice	Only if trading under another name
Certificate of status	$5	Only if someone asks
Commercial registered agent	About $50–$300 a year (estimate)	No — you can serve yourself
County and city business tax receipts	Varies by location and trade	Usually yes, if you operate locally

Articles of organization + agent designation

Amount: $125
Required?: Yes, once

Annual report

Amount: $138.75
Required?: Yes, every year from year two

Late charge

Amount: $400
Required?: Only if filed after May 1

Fictitious name

Amount: $50 + newspaper notice
Required?: Only if trading under another name

Certificate of status

Amount: $5
Required?: Only if someone asks

Commercial registered agent

Amount: About $50–$300 a year (estimate)
Required?: No — you can serve yourself

County and city business tax receipts

Amount: Varies by location and trade
Required?: Usually yes, if you operate locally

Taxes and local costs that come with a Florida LLC

Income tax. Florida has no personal income tax, and a default LLC is taxed as a sole proprietorship or partnership, so the profit is taxed only on the owners' federal returns. That is a real saving compared with states such as Georgia or New York. The picture changes if the LLC elects to be taxed as a corporation: it then files Florida Form F-1120 and pays corporate income tax at 5.5% on Florida net income above a $50,000 exemption. A partnership-taxed LLC with a corporate member also files an F-1065 information return. An S corporation election, which many owners consider once profit grows, does not by itself create Florida corporate tax for most small LLCs; our LLC vs S corp guide covers when the election pays off.

Sales tax. Registering with the Department of Revenue for sales and use tax is free online. You collect the 6% state rate plus any county surtax from customers, so it is not a cost to the LLC unless you get it wrong. See our Florida sales tax guide.

Reemployment tax. Once you have employees and meet a liability test, such as a quarterly payroll of $1,500 or more, you register for reemployment tax. New employers pay 2.7% on the first $7,000 of each employee's wages a year, a maximum of $189 per employee in the first year. Owners who take draws are not employees for this purpose.

Local business tax receipts. Florida has no state business licence, but most counties and many cities charge a local business tax and issue a receipt that renews every year by September 30. Hillsborough County, for example, charges $30 for a retail store. Rates vary by county, city and type of business, so check our Florida business license guide for your location. Licensed trades add state licence fees on top.

Free federal items. The EIN is free from the IRS, and FinCEN's beneficial ownership report is Not required for US-formed companies for a Florida-formed LLC under the current rule. Any website charging for either is a filing service, not the government.

Shops and restaurants along Las Olas Boulevard in downtown Fort Lauderdale — Storefront businesses usually add a fictitious name, a county and city business tax receipt and a sales tax registration to the basic LLC cost.· Image: jared422_80 (CC BY 2.0)

Florida LLC cost: first-year and five-year budgets

The table compares three realistic setups for an LLC formed in 2026. State fees come from the statutes; the registered agent and newspaper notice are our estimates from published pricing. Local business tax receipts are left out because they vary so much by county and city.

Item	DIY minimum	Typical small business	Storefront with staff
Articles + agent designation	$125	$125	$125
Certificate of status	—	$5	$5
Certified copy	—	—	$30
Fictitious name	—	$50	$50
Newspaper notice for the fictitious name (estimate)	—	$50	$50
Commercial registered agent (estimate)	$0 (self)	$125	$125
EIN and sales tax registration	$0	$0	$0
Reemployment tax, 2 employees	—	—	$378
First-year total	$125	$355	$763
Each later year: annual report	$138.75	$138.75 + agent	$138.75 + agent

How the reemployment figure works. Two employees each paid more than $7,000 produce $7,000 of taxable wages each, or $14,000. At the 2.7% initial rate, that is $378 for the year, paid with the quarterly RT-6 returns.

Five-year state cost. An LLC formed in 2026 with an immediate effective date files annual reports in 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030. Over its first five calendar years it pays $125 plus four reports of $138.75, or $680 in state fees, before any agent or local receipts. Add a commercial agent at about $125 a year and the total is about $1,305. One late report adds $400, which is more than half of the five-year state total in a single mistake.

The January 1 effective date trick. Section 605.0207 lets articles take effect up to 90 days after filing. Your first annual report is due in the year after the articles take effect, so an LLC filed in October 2026 with a January 1, 2027 effective date files its first report in 2028, not 2027. Over the same five years that saves one $138.75 report, bringing the state total to $541.25. The trade-off is that the company does not exist until January 1, so you cannot sign a lease or open a bank account in its name before then. If you need the LLC to trade in November and December, the saving is not worth it.

Add the Florida LLC fees to your launch budget

Registration, Legal & LicencesEquipment & Fit-outOpening InventoryLaunch MarketingMonthly Operating CostRunway Needed

One-Time Costs₹7,00,000.00

Working Capital Reserve₹10,80,000.00

Recommended Buffer (10%)₹1,78,000.00

Total Capital Required₹19,58,000.00

Open the full Startup Cost Calculator (PDF, save, compare)

Worked examples

A Tampa mobile detailer on the leanest budget. Carlos forms "Bay Shine Detailing LLC" on Sunbiz in April 2026, trades under the LLC's exact name and lists himself as registered agent at his home. He pays $125, gets a free EIN and registers for sales tax for free. His only other spend is the county and city business tax receipts. In 2027 he files the annual report in February for $138.75. Two years in, his state cost is $263.75.

An Orlando bakery with a brand name. Two partners form "Lake Eola Foods LLC" and want to trade as "Sugar & Citrus". They pay $125 for the LLC, run a legal notice in an Orange County newspaper (their quote is $45), and file the fictitious name for $50. Their bank asks for a certificate of status, so they add $5. They hire a commercial registered agent for $150 a year because neither wants a home address on Sunbiz. First-year cost: $375 plus local receipts and food permits.

A Miami consultant who filed late. Dana formed her LLC in 2025 and remembers the report in June 2026. She pays $138.75 plus the $400 late charge, $538.75 in total, which is more than four times her original formation fee. She sets a recurring January reminder so it never happens again.

A Georgia company expanding into Florida. A Georgia LLC that opens a Jacksonville office does not form a new Florida LLC; it applies for a certificate of authority as a foreign LLC. That costs $100 plus the $25 agent designation, $125 in total, and the company then pays the $138.75 Florida annual report each year on top of its Georgia annual registration. Our Georgia LLC cost guide shows the other side of that bill.

Florida LLC cost checklist

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Common mistakes that cost Florida LLC owners money

Treating May 1 like a soft deadline. The $400 charge is automatic. Florida uses one window for every company, so the report is due by May 1 no matter when in the year you formed.

Paying look-alike solicitations. Every year, Florida LLC owners receive official-looking letters offering to file the annual report or supply a "certificate of status" for well over the state price. The real report is $138.75 on Sunbiz and the certificate is $5. Check the sender before paying anything.

Paying a formation package for things that are free. Some packages bundle an EIN, a "business license" or a BOI report at a price. The EIN is free from the IRS, there is no state business licence, and BOI reporting does not apply to Florida-formed LLCs. Compare the package price with the $125 state fee to see what you are actually paying for.

Forming in Florida for a business run elsewhere. If you live and operate in another state, you will usually have to register the Florida LLC there as a foreign LLC and pay both states every year. Form where you do business.

Forgetting the fictitious name renewal. Registrations lapse at the end of the fifth calendar year. Renewing costs $50; letting it lapse can cost you the ability to sue on contracts signed under the trade name until you register again.

Official links

What to do next

Decide who will be your registered agent, check whether you need a fictitious name, and then follow the step-by-step filing in our Florida LLC guide. Plug the fees into the startup cost calculator with your rent, insurance and equipment, and look up your county's tax receipt in the Florida business license guide. To compare states before you commit, see our cost guides for Texas, Georgia, New York and Ohio.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

The state fee is $125: $100 for the articles of organization plus $25 to designate a registered agent, paid together on Sunbiz. Optional extras are a $5 certificate of status, a $30 certified copy and a $50 fictitious name. The EIN and sales tax registration are free.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 12 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1.Florida Statutes 605.0213 — Fees of the department (2026) — The Florida Senate · accessed 12 October 2026
2.Florida Statutes 607.193 — Supplemental corporate fee (2026) — The Florida Senate · accessed 12 October 2026
3.Florida Statutes 605.0212 — Annual report (2026) — The Florida Senate · accessed 12 October 2026
4.Florida Statutes 865.09 — Fictitious name act (2026) — The Florida Senate · accessed 12 October 2026
5.Corporate Income Tax — Florida Department of Revenue · accessed 12 October 2026
6.Reemployment Tax — Florida Department of Revenue · accessed 12 October 2026
7.Get an Employer Identification Number — IRS · accessed 12 October 2026
8.Beneficial Ownership Information — FinCEN · accessed 12 October 2026

MSMETOOLS is an independent platform and is not affiliated with any government agency, ministry or department.

We provide tools, guides and information for general educational purposes only. Always refer to official government websites for the latest and most accurate information.