In New Hampshire, it costs $102 to form an LLC online, but the state’s tax structure can surprise new owners as revenue grows. Your startup cost is usually $102 to $417, depending on your registered agent choice and name reservation needs. Your key ongoing deadline is the annual report, due by April 1 each year. We recommend budgeting for required state fees first, then adding optional services for privacy and convenience. Based on our 2025 filings through the NH QuickStart portal and a December 2025 fee check (no scheduled 2026 NH SOS fee increases found), here is the exact 2026 cost breakdown to budget for.
| Expense Type | Cost (2025–2026) | Expert Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| State Filing Fee | $102 online ($100 by mail) | Paid once via NH QuickStart (online total includes the $2 handling charge). |
| Annual Report | $102/year online ($100 by mail) | Due by April 1 each year. |
| Name Reservation | $15 | Optional, but helpful if you want to lock the name before filing. |
| Registered Agent | $0 (DIY) or typically $50 to $300/year | A service helps with privacy (avoid using your home address). |
| Late Fee Penalty | $50 | Applies if filed after April 1 (that year’s report becomes $150, plus $2 if paid online). |
Don't forget the ‘Business Enterprise Tax’ (BET). In New Hampshire, if your gross business receipts exceed $298,000, you may have BET filing obligations beyond the $102 annual report fee. We often see new owners ignore this until tax time or a notice from the NH Department of Revenue Administration. Also watch the Business Profits Tax (BPT): New Hampshire lists a filing threshold of gross business income over $109,000.
*Note: Thresholds referenced above are updated as of December 2025 and apply to taxable periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025.
New Hampshire LLC formation costs
Most of your upfront cost comes from a single required state filing, plus a small online processing charge if you file electronically. Everything else here is optional and only worth paying if it solves a specific need, like locking in a name early or using a separate public brand name.
If you are a licensed professional such as a doctor, lawyer, or accountant, you may also want to compare LLC vs PLLC to see which structure your state expects you to use before you file anything.
Domestic LLC Certificate of Formation filing fee: $100
To form a New Hampshire LLC, you file the Certificate of Formation and pay the $100 state filing fee. If you file online through NH QuickStart, the state adds a $2 electronic handling charge, so your total at checkout is $102.
What you should see after approval: Save your acceptance confirmation (often a PDF) and your stamped filing copy. These usually show your Business ID and filing details, which you may need later for state requests and future filings.
Payment note (mail filing): If you file by mail or in person, include a $100 check or money order payable to State of New Hampshire for the exact filing fee. Paper filings do not include the $2 online handling charge, and incorrect payments can cause delays if your filing is returned for correction.
For a more detailed walkthrough, you can also link to a step by step guide on how to start an LLC in New Hampshire from name selection to first year compliance.
Name Reservation: $15 (optional)
If you are not ready to file yet but want to hold your business name, you can reserve it for 120 days for a $15 state fee. Before you pay for a reservation or file your LLC, it helps to run a quick New Hampshire business name search so you know your preferred name is available and not too close to an existing company.
Trade Name / DBA Registration: $50 (optional)
If you want to operate under a different name than your legal LLC name, you can register a trade name (DBA) using Form TN 1 and pay a $50 filing fee. This is useful when you want a simpler or more marketing friendly brand on your website, invoices, or signage while keeping the original LLC name on file with the state. Trade names in New Hampshire must be renewed periodically, so this is a small repeating cost if you keep using the DBA long term.
Foreign LLC registration in NH: $100 (+$2 online)
If your LLC was formed in another state, you register it as a foreign LLC before doing business in New Hampshire. The filing fee is $100, and if you submit the registration online the state usually adds the $2 electronic handling charge, so your total is $102. This registration is on top of whatever you already paid in your home state, so multi state operations should budget for fees in each jurisdiction.
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New Hampshire LLC Ongoing Costs
After your LLC is approved, the main recurring state cost is the annual report. As long as you file it on time each year and keep up with any trade name renewals, your ongoing New Hampshire LLC cost stays predictable and you avoid extra money going to late fees or reinstatement work.
NH Annual Report: $100 per year
New Hampshire charges a $100 annual report fee for LLCs that want to stay in good standing. If you file and pay online through NH QuickStart, the state typically adds a $2 electronic handling charge, bringing the total to $102.
The annual report is due by April 1 each year; if filed late, the state adds a $50 late fee, bringing the total to $150 for that year, plus $2 if you still file online.
For a broader look at how these filings work in general, including what information they include and how other states structure them, see our guide to the LLC annual report.
New Hampshire Business Taxes (BET and BPT)
New Hampshire’s LLC filing fees are straightforward, but the state’s business tax system can add real costs as your revenue grows. Two taxes to know are the Business Profits Tax (BPT) and the Business Enterprise Tax (BET). These are separate from your LLC formation fee and annual report.
Business Profits Tax (BPT): For taxable periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025, New Hampshire generally requires a BPT return if your gross business income from all business activities is more than $109,000. If your LLC crosses that threshold, you may have a filing requirement even if your state compliance fees are low.
Business Enterprise Tax (BET): For taxable periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025, New Hampshire generally requires a BET return if your gross receipts from all activities exceed $298,000, or if your enterprise value tax base exceeds $298,000. This is why some owners get surprised: BET is tied to a different tax base than profits, so it can show up once the business scales.
If you are close to either threshold, treat BET/BPT as a real budget item and confirm your obligations with a tax professional before filing season.
Trade Name Renewal: $50 (optional)
If your LLC uses a registered trade name, you also need to plan for renewal every 5 years at a $50 state fee. This cost is separate from the annual report and only applies if you keep a DBA active. Spread over five years it is a small branding expense, but it still belongs in your long term cost plan.
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Other Common New Hampshire LLC Costs
State filing fees are often the smallest part of your budget. Your real New Hampshire LLC cost can rise based on whether you pay for a registered agent service, bookkeeping tools, tax help, and payment processing instead of doing everything yourself.
Here is a quick real world cost snapshot. These are not fixed New Hampshire state fees, but typical market ranges you will see when running a small LLC.
| Cost item | Typical cost you’ll see |
|---|---|
| Registered agent | $0 if DIY, or $100 to $300 per year for a paid service |
| EIN | $0 from the IRS (avoid “EIN fee” sites) |
| Bookkeeping software | Often $25 to $38 per month for popular plans |
| Card payment processing | Commonly 2.9% + 30¢ online (provider-dependent) |
| Licenses and permits | Varies by industry and city/town, not a fixed state LLC fee |
Registered Agent Costs
If you act as your own registered agent, your direct cost is $0, but you must maintain a physical street address in New Hampshire and be available during normal business hours to receive official documents. If you hire a registered agent service, the typical cost is about $50 to $300 per year, and many owners choose this option to keep their home address off public records and avoid missed notices.
For faster handling, prioritize a provider with a staffed in-state office in hubs like Concord or Manchester plus same-day scanning and online uploads, so service of process and state notices are digitized quickly when they arrive. This can be especially helpful if you are out of state, because services that rely on forwarding mail to another processing step can add extra time.
If you want help choosing a provider, our comparison of the best registered agent services in New Hampshire ranks options by price, privacy, support quality, and compliance tools.
New Hampshire Certificate of Good Standing
A Certificate of Good Standing (sometimes called a Certificate of Existence) is an official document that proves your LLC is active and compliant with New Hampshire. You may need it for business banking, loans, vendor onboarding, or registering to do business in another state.
New Hampshire’s routine certificate fee is $5. If you need it expedited, the expedited certificate fee is $30 (the $5 certificate fee plus a $25 expedite fee).
EIN cost: $0 from the IRS
The EIN itself is free when you apply directly with the IRS using the online application or Form SS-4. Sites that charge an “EIN fee” are simply reselling a free government service, so you only use them if you value the convenience, not because there is any required federal cost. For most single state LLCs, applying on your own is quick and keeps your startup budget lean.
Bookkeeping and Tax Help Costs
For bookkeeping software, a common baseline is about $25 to $38 per month for entry level plans from major providers. This usually covers invoicing, expense tracking, bank feeds, and basic reports. For tax prep, small business returns handled by a CPA often fall somewhere in the $500 to $1,800 or more per year range, depending on the number of owners, whether you have payroll, and how organized your records are when you hand them over.
Banking and Payment Processing (varies)
Business checking can be low-cost, but fees depend on your bank and how you use the account. For payments, Stripe’s standard online card rate is 2.9% + 30¢, and Square commonly charges 2.6% + 15¢ for in-person card-present transactions (online and keyed-in rates differ).
Local Permits and Licenses
Local permits and licenses are where costs can swing the most. A simple home based consultant might only need a cheap local business license, while a restaurant, salon, or contractor may need multiple approvals like health, fire, building, and zoning, each with its own fee schedule. Because cities and towns set many of these rules, there is no single “NH LLC license fee” you can plug into your budget, so you will need to check requirements in your specific location and industry before you finalize your numbers.
If you want a bigger-picture view beyond New Hampshire, our breakdown of business license costs by state shows typical ranges nationwide and why some industries pay much more than others.
New Hampshire LLC Cost Scenarios
These numbers assume you file online and stay on-time. Also note timing: New Hampshire’s first annual report is generally due between Jan 1 and April 1 of the year after the year you form your LLC, so your “first-year” cost can be higher if that deadline hits within your first 12 months.
| Scenario | Realistic 1st-year budget | Ongoing annual budget (year 2+) |
|---|---|---|
| Bare-bones DIY (state fees only) | $102 to $204 | $102 per year |
| Standard setup (paid agent + basic tools) | $224 to $605 | $224 to $503 |
| Small active LLC (agent + bookkeeping + tax prep) | $1,074 to $2,861 | $1,074 to $2,759 |
1. Bare-bones DIY NH LLC (state fees only)
In this scenario you only pay state fees. You spend $102 to form online, then about $102 per year for the annual report if you file online and on time. The first year shows $102 to $204 because some owners will also have their first annual report due within that same first 12 month window.
2. Standard setup (paid registered agent + basic admin tools)
Here you add a paid registered agent plus simple office tools on top of the state fees. The range in the table assumes a typical agent in the $50 to $300 per year range plus roughly $70 to $200 per year for things like business email and cloud storage. When you stack those costs on the formation fee and, in some years, the annual report, you get the $224 to $605 first year and $224 to $503 in later years.
If you want to compare full-service formation options before you spend that money, our roundup of the best LLC services in New Hampshire shows how different providers bundle filing, registered agent, and ongoing compliance support.
3. Small active LLC (agent + bookkeeping + yearly tax prep)
This scenario reflects a busier LLC that invoices clients regularly and uses professional support. The table assumes the standard setup costs above, plus about $300 to $450 per year for bookkeeping software and roughly $500 to $1,800 or more for yearly tax prep. When you add those ranges to the state fees, you reach the $1,074 to $2,861 first year and $1,074 to $2,759 for ongoing annual costs.
Once you start hiring employees, you may also want to compare New Hampshire PEO companies, which bundle payroll, benefits, and HR compliance into one monthly fee that can change your overall cost picture.
New Hampshire LLC cost FAQs
This FAQ section gives straightforward answers to the most common questions about New Hampshire LLC costs. If you are trying to estimate what you will pay to start and keep your LLC active, the quick answers below will help you plan your budget fast.
How much does it cost to start an LLC in New Hampshire in 2025?
$100 to file by mail, or $102 online (the $100 filing fee plus a $2 electronic handling charge).
If you file a domestic LLC Certificate of Formation on paper, you generally pay the base $100 state fee. If you file online through the state system, most applicants will see $102 total because New Hampshire adds a $2 handling charge to fees paid electronically. The service you choose changes the total, not the state’s base filing fee.
How much is the NH annual report and when is it due?
The annual report is $100, due by April 1 each year (online filings often add +$2).
New Hampshire LLCs must file an annual report to stay in good standing. The standard report fee is $100, and many people file online where an extra $2 electronic handling charge usually applies. The deadline is April 1 each year, including the first April after your LLC is registered. Missing that date is what triggers the state late penalty.
What’s the late fee if I miss the annual report deadline?
$50 late fee, so $150 total ($100 report + $50 late), plus $2 if filed online.
If your annual report is not filed by the April 1 deadline, New Hampshire adds a $50 late fee on top of the standard $100 annual report fee. That is $150 total before any online processing charge. If you submit late online, the extra $2 electronic handling charge is typically added because the payment is electronic.
How much does a New Hampshire DBA (trade name) cost and how long does it last?
$50, and it lasts 5 years before renewal.
In New Hampshire, a DBA is handled as a trade name. The state fee to register it is $50. After approval, the trade name is not “forever.” It lasts five years and must be renewed to remain active. Renewal is typically another $50, so it’s a small repeating cost only if you actually use a DBA.
If you’re still deciding between forming an LLC or just using a trade name, see our comparison of LLC vs DBA to understand the cost and liability differences.
Do I have to pay the extra $2 online charge?
Yes, if you pay electronically. You can usually avoid it by filing on paper and paying by non-electronic method.
New Hampshire applies an extra $2 handling charge to “fees received electronically,” which is why online totals often show $102 instead of $100. If you file online, you should expect the $2 add-on as part of the checkout total. If you want to avoid it, filing by mail with the standard $100 fee is the typical workaround.
- New Hampshire Secretary of State: Limited Liability Companies (Forms & Fees)
- New Hampshire Secretary of State: File an Annual Report (NH QuickStart)
- New Hampshire Secretary of State: Trade Names (Forms & Fees)
- New Hampshire Secretary of State: UCC Forms and Search Requests
- New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration: Business Taxes
- New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration: Registering a New Business
- U.S. Small Business Administration: Apply for licenses and permits
- Justia (New Hampshire Revised Statutes): RSA 304-C:191
Looking for an overview? See New Hampshire LLC Services
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