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Business Basics LabLLC paperwork, measured state by state.

Lab sheet 1 · Vermont

Forming an LLC in Vermont (2026): 7 Procedures and the 3 Best LLC Services

For forming an LLC in Vermont in 2026, the lab recommends Mainstay Filing ($199), Vermont Registered Agent.co ($199) and VT Registered Agent.org ($199), highest reading first. Forming the LLC requires 7 procedures and $155 paid to the state, followed by the annual report every year.

Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·

The short version

State fee to file
$155legislature.vermont.gov (observed October 2026)
Annual report
$45 a yearLog this date: within 3 months after the end of the LLC's fiscal year on record
State cost, years 1 to 3
$245No service fees counted
Procedures on this sheet
7Listed below

Sheet aims

  • The official Vermont fee and form
  • Who may serve as the registered agent
  • How to remain in good standing
  • Which services measured best and why

Best reading

Vermont: the ranked services

The order follows five published criteria, set out in how we measure.
Highest result

1. Mainstay Filing: best for the annual report filed on the owner's behalf

Annual $199; renewal $199; state fee extra

Mainstay Filing reads highest, and the reason is that $199 per year performs the formation, keeps the registered agent and files the annual report; year two measures $199.

Vermont Registered Agent.co measures $200 lower over three years; this service still reads higher because it performs more of the sheet.

Each annual report is filed by the service; the only addition is the state's $45.

What the price performs

  • Formation prepared and filed
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual report filed on schedule
  • EIN application included
  • State fee billed at cost

Measured strengths

  • A flat $199 yearly
  • $199 at renewal
  • The EIN procedure is part of the price

Measured limits

  • Vermont Registered Agent.co renews for $100 less
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Single-state plan

2. Vermont Registered Agent.co: best for owners who remain in Vermont

$199 in year one, $99 later

Second: Vermont Registered Agent.co, since the Vermont formation measures $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renewal reads $99.

The annual report lies outside the price.

What the price performs

  • Formation prepared and filed
  • Agent service for the first year

Measured strengths

  • A low $99 renewal
  • $199 and the state fee
  • No agent fee in year one

Measured limits

  • Responsibility for the annual report stays with the owner
  • It charges $99 for the EIN procedure
Visit Vermont Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Single-state plan

3. VT Registered Agent.org: best for owners who prepare their own reports

$199 in year one, $99 later

Third: VT Registered Agent.org, since the Vermont formation measures $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renewal reads $99.

The annual report lies outside the price.

It publishes the same prices as Vermont Registered Agent.co.

What the price performs

  • Formation prepared and filed
  • Agent service for the first year

Measured strengths

  • A low $99 renewal
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 and the state fee

Measured limits

  • Responsibility for the annual report stays with the owner
  • It charges $99 for the EIN procedure
Visit VT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Vermont Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Vermont Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3VT Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit VT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Posted prices, observed November 13, 2026. Every row needs the $155 state fee added.

The sheet, procedure by procedure

  1. Procedure 1: Settle on a name

    Run the name search at the Vermont Secretary of State before anything else.

    TipA spare name saves a second round.

  2. Procedure 2: Place a registered agent on record

    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.

    TipThe registered agent role is part of each ranked service.

    Specimen: legislature.vermont.gov (observed October 2026)

  3. Procedure 3: Weigh the two routes

    Without a service the whole bill is the state's $155. Each of the ranked services adds $199 and handles the paperwork.

  4. Procedure 4: Submit the Articles of Organization

    Deliver the Articles of Organization and $155 to the Vermont Secretary of State. That filing forms the LLC.

    Specimen: legislature.vermont.gov (observed October 2026)

  5. Procedure 5: Apply to the IRS for an EIN

    Sequence: state approval, then the IRS number. With Mainstay Filing, this procedure is performed for the owner.

  6. Procedure 6: Record an operating agreement

    Ownership and decision rules are written in the operating agreement, an internal document outside the Vermont filing.

  7. Procedure 7: Plan the second year

    Log the annual report: $45, every year, deadline within 3 months after the end of the LLC's fiscal year on record.

    Specimen: sos.vermont.gov (observed October 2026)

What each procedure costs in Vermont

ItemPaid toTotal
Filing the LLCState$155
Annual reportState$45 every year
Filing service (optional)The engaged service$199 up front
Three years of state feesState$245
Every state amount here can be verified against the specimens below. The three-year row combines formation, two later reports and a minimum tax where one exists, and it never includes service prices.

The reasoning behind the ranking

Procedures the price performs accounts for 28% of the reading, and it is where pulled ahead in Vermont.

Performing the annual report outweighed the lower price on our weights.

Common questions

Which fees does Vermont collect on formation?

$155 goes to the state. The ranked services charge $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Vermont Secretary of State receives the Articles of Organization, the document that forms the company.

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does Vermont require each year?

Log the annual report: $45, every year, within 3 months after the end of the LLC's fiscal year on record.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. An owner can file with the $155 fee, provided a registered agent is appointed.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, Vermont Registered Agent.co and VT Registered Agent.org, in descending order of reading.

Further reading

Specimens and records

  1. Control source for Vermont Secretary of State fee schedule, Annual Report: sos.vermont.gov, observed again October 2026.
  2. Control source for Vermont report due date: legislature.vermont.gov, observed again August 2026.
  3. Control source for Vermont formation fee: Filing fee, official source: legislature.vermont.gov, observed again October 2026.
  4. Control source for Vermont registered agent statute: legislature.vermont.gov, observed again October 2026.
  5. Observation of Mainstay Filing's Vermont service page, November 13, 2026
  6. Observation of Vermont Registered Agent.co's pricing page, November 13, 2026
  7. Observation of VT Registered Agent.org's pricing page, November 13, 2026