Why Create a Connecticut LLC?
The state offers numerous benefits to entrepreneurs, including several tax incentives and small business funding, provided your LLC meets specific criteria.
For example, if your business employs fewer than 100 people, has been registered to conduct business in Connecticut for at least 12 months and meets a few other requirements, you may qualify for the Small Business Express Program. The program offers funding for the purchase of machinery and equipment, training, working capital and other business necessities.
For most people looking to start a business, the fastest and easiest way is to create a Connecticut limited liability company (LLC), a type of business entity ideal for startups and small- to medium-sized businesses. It gives you the advantages and protections that larger corporations benefit from, but with simplified rules and regulations.
The benefits of starting a Connecticut LLC:
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Protects your personal assets from your business liability and debts
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Easy tax filing and potential advantages for tax treatment
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Quick and simple filing, management, compliance, regulation and administration
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Low filing fee ($120)
Learn more about the benefits of the LLC business structure.
In this guide, you’ll find information on naming your LLC, getting a Registered Agent, the fees you’ll need to pay, Connecticut business taxes and much more. We also cover what you'll need to register and file your LLC and how you'll interact with the CT Secretary of State.
How to Start an LLC in Connecticut Yourself in 6 Steps
Step 1 - Choose a Unique Business Name and Complete a Connecticut LLC Search
Step 2 - Provide an Official Address for Your LLC
Step 3 - Assign a Registered Agent
Step 4 - File Your Certificate of Organization with the CT Secretary of State
Step 5 - Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service
Step 6 - Create an Operating Agreement
1
Choose a Unique Business Name and Complete a Connecticut LLC Search
You’ll need a distinctive and original name for your LLC that’s not used by any other business in the state. If you’re having trouble coming up with a name, try using our Business Name Generator to brainstorm ideas. You'll need to follow a few naming rules, which you can read about in detail on the Connecticut Business Names page.
Once you’ve chosen a name, you’ll need to make sure it’s available in Connecticut. To find out whether another company is using your chosen business name, use our tool to do a business name search. Alternatively, you can carry out a name search on the CT Secretary of State website.
We can search the Connecticut business registry for you.
2
Provide an Official Address for Your LLC
Whether it’s an office building, a home (if the company is run from a residence) or any other physical location, every LLC in Connecticut must have a designated street address. It can be outside the state, but it cannot be a P.O. Box.
3
Assign a Registered Agent
Someone who receives official legal and tax correspondence and is responsible for filing reports with the CT Secretary of State is called a Registered Agent. Every LLC in Connecticut is required to have one.
This position can be filled by you, another manager in the business or a dedicated Registered Agent service. If your Connecticut Registered Agent is a person, they must reside and have a physical street address in Connecticut and must be present during business hours to receive important documents for your company. In Connecticut, you designate your Registered Agent when you file your Certificate of Organization and formally create your business.
All of Incfile's packages include Registered Agent service that's free for the first year and just $119 per year afterward. We also provide a dashboard where you can log in and easily view any document we've received on your behalf.
4
File Your Certificate of Organization with the CT Secretary of State
Most states call this document Articles of Organization. In Connecticut, it's a Certificate of Organization. Once you've gathered all the information for your LLC, you’ll need to file this document with the CT Secretary of State to officially create your business.
Here’s what is typically included:
- Your business name and address
- Details of your Registered Agent
- Purpose of your business
- Duration (can be temporary; perpetual by default)
- Provisions for the regulation of the internal affairs of the company
- Names and addresses of managers or members of the LLC at the time of filing
- Name of the organizer
Your Certificate of Organization can be filed online via the CT Secretary of State filing system, mailed to the Office of the Secretary of State or Incfile can do it on your behalf. The Connecticut LLC filing fee is $120.
Note: As of July 2017, when the revised Connecticut LLC Act went into effect, you are no longer required to state the purpose of your business in the Certificate of Organization.
File by Mail
Business Services Division
CT Secretary of the State
P.O. Box 150470
Hartford, CT 06115-0470
You only need to file your Certificate of Organization once, but every year after, you must file an annual report for your LLC. This is something Incfile can remind you to do, or we can do it for you if you have us handle the paperwork.
What are the fees and requirements to form a business in Connecticut?
State Fee
$120State Filing Time
3 Weeks
Expedited Filing Time
2 Business Days
Annual Report
Frequency
Annually
Due Date
April 1st
Filing Fee
$80Note: The annual report filing fee increased from $20 to $80 as of July1, 2020.
5
Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service
You’ll need an EIN to identify your business to the IRS. You use this number when filing and paying taxes or when submitting payroll information and payments for your employees. An EIN is also required to open a business bank account. You can obtain one directly from the IRS, or Incfile can get one for you as part of the Connecticut LLC formation process.
6
Create an Operating Agreement
A kind of "instruction manual" that explains how you'll run your business, an LLC Operating Agreement details how decisions will be made, how the business is divided among members and what will happen if a member leaves the company.
Many states require that a company have an Operating Agreement in place. It isn’t legally required in Connecticut, but it’s a good idea to have one to protect your business and yourself.
Other Connecticut LLC Types
Professional LLC
Some states, including Connecticut, allow certain occupations to form Professional Limited Liability Companies (PLLCs). A Connecticut PLLC may only have licensed individuals as shareholders, such as dentists, chiropractors, physicians and surgeons, veterinarians, architects, professional engineers, landscape architects, real estate brokers, insurance producers, accountants, land surveyors, psychologists, attorneys and therapists.
Learn more about PLLC vs. LLC and which one is right for your business.
Foreign LLC
If your business is already operating in another state and expanding to Oregon—or vice versa — you’ll need to form a Foreign LLC.
Learn more about Connecticut Foreign LLC registration.
Helpful Resources from the State of Connecticut
More Information in This Guide
You’ll find plenty more insight and guidance on the other pages of this guide, including:
How to search the Connecticut business registry to find the right name. Includes information on Connecticut LLC naming rules, trade names, reserving a business name and more.
How to appoint, change and search for a Registered Agent. Also includes the rules an agent is required to follow.
How to understand the various fees you’ll need to pay and the requirements you’ll need to meet for both state and federal rules. Includes details of Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), state and federal business licenses, annual reports and more.
How to understand the various taxes you'll need to pay to the state and federal governments. Includes details of state taxes such as sales and income, and federal taxes such as income and self-employment.
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