How To Start a New Hampshire LLC

I also love going through the details of what New Hampshire is known for and the business ideas associated. The top business ideas I’d recommend for your New Hampshire LLC are:

1. Start a Wind Farm Business
2. Start a Mount Washington Touring Business
3. Start a Maple Syrup Business

New Hampshire is a really fun and exciting place that allows you to build wonderful businesses around what it’s known for. After you’ve figured this out, you’ll need to focus on making sure your business name is something you can register with the Secretary of State’s office for your LLC in New Hampshire.

Name Your New Hampshire LLC

As a New Hampshire Limited Liability Company, you’re going to need to really make sure you’re following the New Hampshire LLC naming guidelines for your business. If you do this, you’ll be sure to be following New Hampshire law which is important as you take the first step in determining your business name for your future Limited Liability Company.

The business name requirements are:

• The business name must contain the phrase “Limited Liability Company” or the abbreviation “LLC.”
• The business name cannot be deceptively similar to any other business name already on file with the state of New Hampshire.
• The business name cannot imply a connection with any government agency or entity.

You can reserve your LLC business name for 120 days with the New Hampshire Secretary of State by filing an Application for Name Reservation and paying the associated $30 fee.

There is going to be a business name search portal that you can use for this that is here:

https://sos.nh.gov/corporation-ucc-securities/corporation/business-name-lookup/

Now that you have an idea about what you need to do for your business name, we can move on to the next part of starting your New Hampshire LLC.

Get a Website Domain for Your Hawaii Limited Liability Company

Once you’ve setup your business name officially with the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office, you’ll want to make sure your digital version and website are locked in too. Because the internet is global, it can be a bit more challenging to make sure you’re locking down that name for your business structure and your existing LLC.

I always recommend going to GoDaddy to help you get your domain and use their website builder to get started quickly on having a web presence.

After you’ve done this, we can move on to making sure you have a registered agent service setup to follow New Hampshire law and find the best registered agent you can for your LLC formation that you’re going through.

Choose your registered agent

The state of New Hampshire requires LLCs to have a registered agent service on file with the state at all times. This is because the registered agent will be the point of contact for any legal document service of process or other official notices from the state.

You are required by law to have a New Hampshire Registered Agent and you can learn more about what they do on the state website here:

https://sos.nh.gov/corporation-ucc-securities/corporation/online-business-services/registered-agent-list/

A New Hampshire Registered Agent service will have a physical street address in New Hampshire and be able to receive official documents for your LLC during business hours. The agent must also be available to sign for any document that is served. The agent can be an individual resident of New Hampshire or a business entity.

You can find a list of registered agents on the New Hampshire Secretary of State website or by doing a Google search for “New Hampshire Registered Agents.”

While you’re not required to use a professional registered agent service, I always recommend it because they offer valuable resources and protection for your business that an individual may not be the right fit for you.

There are also law firms that can act as a legal business entity for you to be the registered agent. I also think that it’s important to vet out a few potential registered agent options before locking in on one service that you’re going with.

Prepare and File Articles of Organization

The next step in starting your LLC is to prepare and file your Articles of Organization with the New Hampshire Secretary of State.

The Articles of Organization is a simple one-page document that includes the following information about your LLC:

• The name and address of the LLC
• The name and address of the registered agent
• The LLC’s purpose
• The name and address of each organizer
• The duration of the LLC (if not perpetual)
• Whether the LLC will be managed by members or managers
• The signature of the organizer

You can find a blank copy of the Articles of Organization on the New Hampshire Secretary of State website. The filing fee for the Articles of Organization is $100.

You can mail in the completed Articles of Organization or you can submit it online through the New Hampshire Secretary of State website.

Once your Articles of Organization have been accepted, you will be issued an LLC Certificate of Organization.

Create an operating agreement

Operating agreements are some of the most important legal documents you can have that are not required to submit (as far as I know) with your LLC formation.

The purpose of them is to make sure your LLC operating agreement protects you as you build your business. If you’re going to put in personal assets into the business and have this setup as a multiple member LLC, foreign LLC or just not a single member LLC where it’s just you – you need an operating agreement.

You’ll be thanking me in the future for getting an operating agreement template for you and really focusing on the fact that this is one of the most important documents you’ll need for your individual or business entity.

The things that are typically tracked in an operating agreement are:

• Member capital contributions
• LLC management structure
• Distribution of profits and losses
• Dissolution provisions
• Voting rights

And other important topics that you want to make sure are detailed in the operating agreement so there’s no miscommunication or misunderstanding later on down the road.

You can find an operating agreement template here:

https://legaltemplates.net/form/llc-operating-agreement/

Once you’ve built a version of your New Hampshire LLC operating agreement, it’s time for you to get your EIN so you can start to conduct business in New Hampshire.

Get an EIN

The next step is to get an EIN for your LLC. An EIN is also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number and it’s used to identify a business entity. It’s essentially a social security number for your business. You need it to open a business bank account, hire employees, and file your taxes.

This number is great for all your LLC members / LLC owners who are looking at tracking business profits tax, business enterprise tax or if you’re going to pay income tax.

The IRS employer identification number is one of the most important things before you really ramp up your business and start taking conducting business whether that’s at your physical address, business website or you’re just trying to follow the instructions on the IRS website – it’s all important. Get your EIN to open up your business bank account.

Open A Business Bank Account

I recommend getting Lili.co setup as your online banking solution. They have the easiest bank account to setup and will help you make sure everything is extremely smooth and easy to handle.

If you go with Lili, you’ll be able to sign up for an LLC bank account in five minutes. If you go with a traditional bank, it could take days or weeks to complete the process.

Lili has a great mobile app that makes it easy to track your spending, set budgets, and see where your money’s going.

Once you do all this, you can get some help setting up a business credit card which Lili can help you with or find another partner to. Either way – congrats on getting a bank account setup!

Get Small Business Insurance

I also recommend getting business insurance quotes from Commercial Insurance. They are great and will help you make the right decision on what type of business insurance you need for New Hampshire LLCs which it seems that you’re starting up!

Get a Business License

Last but not least, you need to make sure you get a business license. Depending on the type of business you have, you may need to get a special license from the state of New Hampshire or your local municipality.

You can find more information about business licenses in New Hampshire here:

https://www.sos.nh.gov/business/licensing/

That’s it! You’re now ready to start your New Hampshire LLC. Be sure to use the resources above to help you get started and be sure to consult with an attorney or accountant if you have any questions along the way.

File an Annual Report

The state of New Hampshire requires LLCs to file an annual report with the Secretary of State. The report is due by April 1st and can be filed online, by mail, or in person.

https://www.sos.nh.gov/business/registration/annual-reports.aspx

The filing fee is $100.

You can find more information about annual reports here:

https://www.sos.nh.gov/business/registration/annual-reports.aspx

Now that you’ve filed your annual report, you’re all set! Congrats on starting your New Hampshire LLC!

Pay Annual Taxes

The state of New Hampshire does not have a corporate income tax, but LLCs are still required to pay an annual $35 tax. The tax is due by April 15th and can be paid online, by mail, or in person.

https://www.revenue.nh.gov/businesses/business-taxes/index.htm

You can find more information about annual taxes here:

https://www.revenue.nh.gov/businesses/business-taxes/index.htm

FAQs

Do I need a business license to start an LLC in New Hampshire?

Yes, you will need to get a business license from the state of New Hampshire or your local municipality.

What is the filing fee for starting an LLC in New Hampshire?

The filing fee for starting an LLC in New Hampshire is $100.