New Orleans. Jazz. Cajun food and the Blues. Louisiana is known for many things including Baton Rouge and also as a place where businesses of all sorts set up shop.
Many aspiring business owners have chosen Louisiana as the location for their new limited liability company so they may take advantage of the state’s favorable economic climate and extensive infrastructure.
Summary
In addition to its many other advantages, a limited liability corporation (LLC) provides small enterprises with protection from legal responsibility and favorable tax treatment.
Follow these easy steps to start your limited liability company (LLC) operating in the state of Louisiana after you’ve decided that an LLC is the most suitable form of business for your requirements.
Note that you have the option of forming the limited liability company (LLC) yourself, or you may hire a company incorporation service to do all of the legwork on your behalf.
1. Establish Your Louisiana LLC name
Choosing a name for your new Louisiana limited liability corporation is the initial and most significant stage in the process. Be careful to select a name that satisfies the standards for naming businesses in the state of Louisiana and can be readily located by prospective customers.
Be sure to abide by the naming guidelines:
- You are required to have the word “limited liability corporation” or one of its acronyms included in the name of your business (LLC or L.L.C.)
- You are not allowed to use any terms in your company’s name that might lead to confusion with a public entity (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.)
- Words that are restricted, such as “bank,” “attorney,” and “university,” may need extra documentation and the participation of a licensed professional, such as a physician or lawyer, in your limited liability company.
Name Availability for LLCs
You may get an exhaustive rundown of the regulations that govern names in Louisiana by reading the naming guidelines established by the State Legislature.
To register the name in the state of Louisiana, conduct a name search on the official website of the State of Louisiana to see whether or not the name you desire is already in use.
If you plan on submitting the paperwork for the formation of your LLC on paper and if you wish to make absolutely sure that the title you choose your company is available, you can file an application to register your brand names for a duration of four months. This request can be made by submitting a form online.
The standard filing fee is $25, but you may pay an extra $30 to have the process done in just one day, or you can spend an additional $50 to have your papers finished in just four hours.
Make sure that “Secretary of State” is written on the memo line of any checks or money orders that you use. Documentation that has been completed should be delivered to the Commercial Division at the following address:
PO Box 94125, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804-9125.
You are required to first obtain a name reservation and get a federal employer taxation ID before submitting LLC articles of incorporation if you wish to utilize the state’s online GeauxBIZ portal to complete the documentation necessary for the establishment of your limited liability company (LLC).
2. Choose a Louisiana registered agent
A registered agent in Louisiana is required of every limited liability company operating in the state. If the limited liability company (LLC) is taken to court, this refers to a person or company that has agreed to accept service of process on its behalf.
It is possible for the Registered Agent to be either a resident of Louisiana or a corporate body that is permitted to conduct operations in the state. It is required that the Registered Agent have a real, physical address in the state of Louisiana.
What does a Louisiana Registered Agent do?
A Registered Agent is an individual or corporate organization that is tasked with the responsibility of receiving essential tax forms, legal papers, notice of litigation, and official communication from the government on your company’s behalf. You may look at your registered agent as the point of contact for your company with the state in which it is located.
Who is qualified to act as a Registered Agent?
A Registered Agent in the state of Louisiana must either be an individual who resides in Louisiana on a permanent basis or a company that is permitted to carry out business in the state of Louisiana, such as a Registered Agent service.
You have the option of selecting anybody who works for the organization, including yourself.
3. Publish your company’s articles of incorporation.
Your limited liability company (LLC) will be formally recognized after you have a document called the Articles of Organization that lays forth fundamental information about your business. Because this form serves as the legal registration for your company with the state, it is essential that all of the details be accurate.
What should be included in a company’s Articles of Organization?
When completing the Articles of Organization for your Louisiana limited liability company, you are required to include the following information:
- LLC’s name
- LLC’s duration–perpetual or limited
- Address of the main office of the limited liability company Name and address of the registered agent for the limited liability company
- Location where the Secretary of State should send notifications to the limited liability company (LLC) through mail.
- How the Limited Liability Company (LLC) will be run: by its members or by its managers
- Whether or whether the limited liability company can provide professional services
- Name and address of each LLC organizer and at least one member or manager with operational competence.
Articles of Organization filings
These must Be Submitted All domestic or in-state LLCs are required to file their Articles of Organization. The cost of submitting paperwork is one hundred dollars.
During this interim period, organizations that are situated in other nations or outside the state are needed to file a Request for Authority and deposit the $150 fee associated with doing so. When a foreign firm files its application for a limited liability company (LLC), it is needed to additionally submit certifications of formation and good order that are not older than three months. These documents must be presented with the LLC application.
If you wish to submit your return via the post, you have the option of spending $30 to get your paperwork handled within 1 day or $50 to have your documentation reviewed within a few hours. If you choose the former option, your paperwork will be processed within 24 hours.
If you do not want to rush your case, you should plan on the review of your documents taking anywhere from 7 to 21 days. If you do not want to rush your case, you can anticipate it to take longer.
If you use geauxBIZ, the name of your business will automatically be transformed to an LLC file after the registration is completed. You also need to be aware that the first item you need to do is acquire an Employer tax ID (EIN).
Please send all completed applications and money to the following address:
The Corporation Division of the Secretary of State’s Office may be reached at (225) 255 Capitol Street NE, Suite 151, Salem, Louisiana 97310-1327. If you have any questions, contact 503-986-2200.
4. Obtain a State Certificate
After the formation paperwork of the LLC has been submitted and authorized, the state will issue you a certificate that proves the LLC officially exists. If you request a copy and pay appropriate postage, the state will mail you the certificate.
With this certificate, the limited liability company will be able to get an Employer Identification Number (EIN), as well as business permits and a bank account for the f