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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 1 · Vermont

Starting an LLC in Vermont (2026): 7 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

VT Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Vermont Registered Agent.co ($199): that is the order of the services we would hire in Vermont in 2026 for setting up an LLC. By the numbers: 7 tasks, $155 to file, $45 for the annual report.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Unit overview

Formation fee
$155
Taken from legislature.vermont.gov in October 2026
Annual report
$45 a year
Deadline wording: within 3 months after the end of the LLC's fiscal year on record
What the state collects in three years
$245
Service fees not included
Tasks
7
Listed below

By the end you will know

  • The Vermont formation paper, its price and where it goes
  • What the agent rule says
  • Upkeep that repeats
  • How the picks stack up

Services we recommend in Vermont

Five published criteria decide the order; read them on how we grade.

Top of the class

1. VT Registered Agent.org: best for a tight-budget formation

Best overall$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

VT Registered Agent.org earns the top grade in Vermont: a $199 formation fee, followed by $99 yearly for the agent.

Three years cost less here than at Mainstay Filing, and three-year cost is 34% of the grade.

The annual report falls outside the price.

What the price covers

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • Year-one agent service costs nothing extra
  • $199 plus the state fee

What to weigh

  • It does not file the annual report for you
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit VT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one bill for filing and upkeep

Any state$199 per year, with $354 at checkout to cover the state fee

Mainstay Filing is a solid second-place option: $199 a year hands over three assignments at once: the filing, the registered agent and the annual report.

Counted over three years, it trails VT Registered Agent.org by $200.

That includes the annual report; the state's $45 is billed without markup.

What the price covers

  • We mean: the filing is done for you
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • No markup on the state fee

What works

  • No jump at renewal ($199)
  • The EIN task is part of the package
  • A single $199 yearly price, annual report included

What to weigh

  • Renewal costs $100 above VT Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. Vermont Registered Agent.co: best for owners who file their own reports

One-state plan$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Vermont Registered Agent.co takes third place: a $199 formation fee, followed by $99 yearly for the agent.

The annual report falls outside the price.

It lists the same prices as VT Registered Agent.org.

What the price covers

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • Year-one agent service costs nothing extra
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • $99 yearly from year two

What to weigh

  • It does not file the annual report for you
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit Vermont Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Vermont picks compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1VT Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit VT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Vermont Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Vermont Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices come from each company's own site, opened November 13, 2026. Add the $155 state fee to every row.

The tasks

  1. Task 1

    Pick a name and see whether it is free

    If another Vermont company already has your name, the filing can come back rejected, so run a search at the Vermont Secretary of State first.

    Bring two backup names to the search.

  2. Task 2

    Line up a registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An individual, or a business registered and active with the Secretary of State other than the company itself, with a street and mailing address in Vermont.

    The address has to be a street address in Vermont. P.O. boxes and virtual addresses are not accepted.

    Any of the recommended services can take the registered agent job.

    Source: Taken from legislature.vermont.gov in October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Compare doing it alone with paying for help

    You can file yourself for $155, or pay $199 more for a service. Our recommended services sit at the top of this unit.

  4. Task 4

    Prepare and sign the Articles of Organization

    Here is the key filing: the Articles of Organization goes to the Vermont Secretary of State with $155, and that is what creates the company.

    Source: Taken from legislature.vermont.gov in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Obtain an Employer Identification Number

    With approval in hand, the IRS can issue the LLC a federal tax ID, and a business bank account depends on it. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application as part of the package.

  6. Task 6

    Write an operating agreement

    Owners sign it to settle shares, voting and what happens when a member leaves. It is a private document and never gets filed.

  7. Task 7

    Stay in good standing in Vermont

    Once a year the LLC sends in the annual report with $45; it is due within 3 months after the end of the LLC's fiscal year on record.

    Source: Taken from sos.vermont.gov in October 2026

Vermont costs by task

EntryReceiverCost
Filing to form the LLCState agency$155
Annual reportState agency$45 every year
Service fees (optional)The service$199 to start
State fees over years one to threeState agency$245
To get the three-year state number we add up the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax, and we keep service fees separate.

How we ordered the Vermont picks

What decided it was course fee across three years, which carries 34% of the grade.

VT Registered Agent.org comes to $397 across three years, a saving of $200 next to Mainstay Filing.

Questions students ask

What does a Vermont LLC cost to start?

$155, paid to the state. Put $199 on top if a service does the filing.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Articles of Organization, which you send to the Vermont Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Vermont require each year?

Once a year the LLC sends in the annual report for $45, due within 3 months after the end of the LLC's fiscal year on record.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes. You pay the state $155 when you file, and the LLC still needs a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

VT Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and Vermont Registered Agent.co, from highest grade to lowest.

Reading list and sources

  1. Want proof for what the unit says about Vermont Secretary of State fee schedule, Annual Report? Go to sos.vermont.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  2. Want proof for what the unit says about Vermont report due date? Go to legislature.vermont.gov; the copy we used dates from August 2026.
  3. Want proof for what the unit says about Vermont formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to legislature.vermont.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  4. Want proof for what the unit says about Vermont registered agent statute? Go to legislature.vermont.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  5. VT Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  6. Mainstay Filing Vermont service page, opened November 13, 2026
  7. Vermont Registered Agent.co pricing page, opened November 13, 2026