Short answer
The Massachusetts Secretary of State takes $500 at formation[2], and the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth bills $500 for each Limited Liability Company Annual Report[3]. For ongoing state fees, no state charges more.
Mainstay Filing does the Massachusetts filing for $199 a year; the state's $500 is added at cost[1].
- Formation fee
- $500
- Limited Liability Company Annual Report
- $500, every year
- Ongoing, per year (avg.)
- $500
- Change of agent
- $0
- Other states, ongoing fees
- Highest
Updated October 29, 2026. Fees from official sources; prices from providers' own pages.
The fee table
| Filing | Fee | When | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formation (Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization) | $500 | Once | [2] sec.state.ma.us, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Limited Liability Company Annual Report | $500 | Every year | [3] sec.state.ma.us, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Change of resident agent | $0 | When filed | [4] sec.state.ma.us, updated October 29, 2026 |
Fees paid to Massachusetts agencies only; card and portal charges and expedite options are not included.
Add it up for a Massachusetts LLC's first five calendar years and the formation fee is the one fixed number; report fees depend on when the first Limited Liability Company Annual Report falls due.
The Limited Liability Company Annual Report
Every Massachusetts LLC files the Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year. The details, as the state sets them:
- Filing: Limited Liability Company Annual Report
- Filed with: Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth
- Fee: $500, every year[3]
- Deadline: On or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization[5]
- How to file: online or on paper
The fee stays $500 whether or not the filing is late. An LLC that keeps missing it loses good standing, and Massachusetts law then allows the state to end its registration[5].
Businesses in Massachusetts
Massachusetts had 147,493 employer firms and 612,132 nonemployer businesses in the Census Bureau's 2022 counts. Of the business locations that opened in Massachusetts between April 2019 and March 2020, 52.7% were still open in March 2025.
Service costs on top of state fees
The state does not charge for naming a resident agent, but a commercial agent charges every year. Owners who live in Massachusetts qualify as individuals and can take the resident agent role themselves.
At Mainstay Filing, Massachusetts resident agent service alone is $149 a year[1]. The $199 package covers formation, the EIN application and the $500 Limited Liability Company Annual Report filing (state fee at cost) as well. State fees are passed through at cost.
Other services' published Massachusetts agent prices (6 of them, read October 20, 2026) cover a wide range. They started at $89 and went up to $249 for year one, with renewals of $89 to $249.
Regional comparison
Spread over the years, a Massachusetts LLC pays the state $500 a year. The 50-state median is $30, and no state charges more. Next door, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont cost less per year.
| State | Formation | Report | Per year (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $500 | $500 / yr | $500 |
| Connecticut | $120 | $80 / yr | $80 |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $100 / yr | $100 |
| New York | $200 | $9 / 2 yrs | $4.50 |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $50 / yr | $50 |
| Vermont | $155 | $45 / yr | $45 |
Each state's figures come from its own statute or fee schedule, verified August 12, 2026. "Per year" spreads a biennial fee over two years and excludes taxes billed by revenue departments.
Questions
How much is the Massachusetts LLC Limited Liability Company Annual Report?
$500, every year[3]. It is due on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization.
What happens if a Massachusetts LLC misses the deadline?
The LLC loses good standing with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, and continued non-filing can end in administrative dissolution or revocation.
Can a service handle these Massachusetts filings?
Yes. For $199 a year, Mainstay Filing files the formation with the Massachusetts Secretary of State, serves as resident agent and applies for the EIN[1]. The $500 Limited Liability Company Annual Report fee is passed through when it is filed.
Is Massachusetts an expensive state for an LLC?
Massachusetts's formation fee is $500: no state charges more. The yearly cost of keeping it, $500 on average, compares like this: no state charges more.
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12 (certificate of organization). www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/download/c156c512dllccert.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth: Limited Liability Company Annual Report rules and fee. www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/download/c156c512cdllcannual.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Limited Liability Company Statement of Change of Resident Agent/Resident Office fee. www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/download/Fee_Schedule.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- MGL c. 156C § 12; 950 CMR 112.22. malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter156c/Section12. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Statistics of U.S. Businesses 2022 and Nonemployer Statistics 2022. www.census.gov/programs-surveys/susb.html. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Establishment Age and Survival, Table 7 (data through March 2025). www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmage.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.