How to Start a Mississippi LLC

Mississippi is located in the southern U.S. and shares a border with Mexico, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana and Arkansas. It is a predominantly rural state and a major center for agriculture.

If you want to start your own business in Mississippi, one of the best ways to do so is by forming a Mississippi LLC. Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) are a business entity designed for startups and small- and medium-sized businesses. Mississippi LLCs give you many of the protections and advantages of larger corporations without all the rules, regulations and compliance issues common to larger business entities.

We cover several areas for Mississippi companies including business searches, the Mississippi Secretary of State, business licenses and sales tax.

Briefly, the benefits of starting a Mississippi LLC include:

• Separating and limiting your personal liability from your business liability and debts
• Quick and simple filing, management, compliance, regulations and administration of your Mississippi LLC
• Easy tax filing and potential advantages for tax treatment

Learn more about the benefits of the LLC business structure.

Six Quick Steps for Setting Up Your Mississippi Company

We've got lots of useful information on starting a business in MS. On this page you'll find the basic steps of how to form a Mississippi LLC, with more in-depth content throughout the rest of our guide.

1. Gather Information for Your Members

First, you need to gather basic information about your LLC, including the names and addresses of the managers or members. The LLC members are typically the people who own and run the business. They are also the ones who can take profits out of the business to pay themselves.

2. Search for and Choose a Unique Business Name for Your Mississippi LLC

You will need a distinctive and original name for your Mississippi LLC that's not used by any other business in MS. To find out if another company is using your chosen business name, carry out a Mississippi business entity name search on the MS Secretary of State website.

There are a few rules you'll need to follow when choosing an LLC name. You can find out more in our guide to searching for and naming your Mississippi LLC.

Learn about Mississippi LLC business naming rules.

3. Provide an Official Address for Your MS LLC

Every Mississippi LLC must have a designated street address. That could be your home address (if you're running the company from your residence), your company's office building or any physical address of your preference. The address can be outside the state of Mississippi and can be a P.O. Box.

You can also use a Virtual Mailbox service if you do not have a physical address.

4. Assign a Registered Agent for Your Mississippi LLC

Every MS LLC must have a “Registered Agent” when it is formed. This is an official position; the Registered Agent is someone who receives official legal and tax correspondence and has responsibility for filing reports with the Mississippi Secretary of State.

This position can be filled by you, another manager in the business or a dedicated Registered Agent service. Your MS Registered Agent must have a physical street address in Mississippi and must be present to receive important documents for your company during business hours.

At Incfile, all of our packages include a Mississippi Registered Agent service that is free for the first year and just $119 per year afterward. We also have a dashboard where you can log in and easily view any document your Registered Agent has received on your behalf.

Learn more about Mississippi Registered Agents.

5. Get an Employee Identification Number (EIN) From the Internal Revenue Service

You will 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. You can obtain one directly from the IRS, or we can get one for you as part of the Mississippi LLC business formation process.

6. File a Certificate of Formation With the Mississippi Secretary of State

Once you've gathered all the information together for your Mississippi LLC, you'll need to file a formal document with the MS Secretary of State. This document is known as your “Certificate of Formation,” and filing the document creates your Mississippi LLC.

You can file your Mississippi LLC Certificate of Formation online, mail in a form or have Incfile do it on your behalf. There is a fee to file and start an LLC in Mississippi. You only need to file your Certificate of Formation once.

Form Your LLC Now.

Review Information From the Mississippi Secretary of State

The MS Secretary of State has plenty of information on forming and running a business in Mississippi.

These are all the basic steps for forming an LLC in Mississippi. You'll find other useful information below.

• Mississippi Secretary of State for forming and running your MS LLC
• Mississippi Department of Employment Security for MS employers and hiring
• Mississippi Department of Revenue for MS taxes

Special Types of Mississippi LLCs

A regular Mississippi LLC is suitable for most business needs, but you also have a few other options to incorporate a special type of LLC.

Form a Professional Mississippi LLC

Some states, including Mississippi, allow certain occupations to form “Professional LLCs.” These types of business typically have specialized requirements and licensing. Here are the occupations that the MS Secretary of State allows to form Mississippi professional LLCs:

• Public accountants
• Dentists
• Architects
• Veterinarians
• Osteopaths
• Physicians
• Surgeons
• Attorneys-at-law

Form a Foreign LLC in Mississippi

If your business is already operating in another state and expanding to Mississippi, you'll need to form a foreign LLC.

More information on Mississippi filing and licensing requirements here <link to page once published>

Detailed Information for Your Mississippi LLC

You'll find plenty more insight and guidance on the other pages of this guide, including:

Naming Your Mississippi LLC

How to search the Mississippi business registry of the MS Secretary of State and find the right name. Includes information on naming rules, fictitious names, reserving a Mississippi LLC name and more.

Mississippi Registered Agents for Your LLC

How to appoint a Mississippi Registered Agent to your new LLC or change to a different Registered Agent. Includes information on Registered Agent rules and searching for Mississippi Registered Agents.

Fees and Requirements for Your Mississippi LLC

How to understand the various fees you'll need to pay and the requirements you'll need to meet for both federal and Mississippi rules. Includes details of Employee Identification Numbers (EINs), Mississippi and federal business licenses, Mississippi annual reports and more.

Federal, State, Sales and Other Taxes for Your Mississippi LLC

How to understand the various taxes you will need to pay to the federal and Mississippi government. Includes details of federal taxes like income and self-employment and Mississippi taxes like sales tax and income tax.