Simple Steps to Start Your New Jersey LLC

New Jersey, the Garden State, is ideally located on the east coast, between New York, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Although it is one of the smallest states, it’s the second-wealthiest, and the most densely populated in the Union, making it a great place to start a business. New Jersey’s economy is boosted by several major industries including tourism, finances and investment, telecommunications, food processing, agriculture, printing, equipment manufacture, pharmaceuticals and chemical production.

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

Advantages of Forming an LLC in New Jersey

New Jersey LLCs have several benefits for business owners...

• Starting a New Jersey LLC is quick and easy — you can complete all the necessary forms and actions online to start your company.
• An LLC limits your personal liability — any liabilities created by your New Jersey business (debts, obligations and other liabilities) are legally considered to be completely separate from your personal assets as the business owner or founder.
• New Jersey LLCs are easy to maintain — LLCs are light on rules and regulations. There’s no need for boards of directors, complex rules and regulations or formal annual meetings.
• LLCs are very easy to manage and you can add and amend members and make other changes with just a little paperwork.
• Tracking, filing and paying taxes is simple and easy — any income you earn through your New Jersey LLC is reported on your personal tax return. This means you won’t run into “double taxation” issues common with larger corporations.

Start your New Jersey LLC in Seven Steps

1. Name Your New Jersey LLC

• Your New Jersey LLC needs an original, unique name. It should:
  • Be distinctive and not used by another company in New Jersey
  • Not be confusable with the name of another company in New Jersey
  • End with the words “Limited Liability Company” or the abbreviations “LLC” or “L.L.C.”
  • For example: “New Jersey Farming Survey Reports LLC” or “Braffington and Sons, Limited Liability Company”

To find out if another company is using your choice of business name, carry out a New Jersey business entity name search.

2. Your New Jersey LLC Needs a Street Address

A New Jersey LLC must have a designated street address. That could be your home address (if you’re running the company from your residence), where your office is located or any physical address of your preference — even outside of New Jersey. In New Jersey, unlike other states, you are permitted to use a PO Box as your LLC address.

3. Your New Jersey LLC Needs a Registered Agent

Every New Jersey LLC must have a “registered agent.” That could be you, the managing director, owner or a dedicated registered agent service. The registered agent in New Jersey is someone who receives official legal and tax correspondence and has responsibility for filing reports with the New Jersey Secretary of State.

At Incfile, all of our packages include a “Registered Agent” service free for the first year and $119 per year thereafter. We also have a dashboard you can login to and easily view any document your registered agent has received on your behalf. Here are a few reasons you might want to appoint Incfile as their registered agent service...

1. The Registered Agent must have a physical street address in the state where you are forming the company. Some people establish companies outside of the state they live in and will need to use a Registered Agent service to provide the address.
2.  You always need to have someone on hand to receive important documents for your business during business hours (typically 9 AM to 5 PM Monday to Friday). Therefore, person must always be available to sign for legal correspondence.
3. The Registered Agent’s name and address is part of the public record and available through the New Jersey Secretary of State's website. If you would prefer your name and address isn’t published, this is a reason to choose a Registered Agent service.
4. If you change your New Jersey  business address or move out of state, you don’t need to file additional documentation with the secretary of state for the new address of your Registered Agent. You will need to setup a new registered agent service in the new state.

There are more considerations, but this should help you with your decision to use a Registered Agent service.

4. You Should Provide Names and Addresses of all New Jersey LLC Members

Your New Jersey LLC members are the people who own and run the business. They will be the individuals who withdraw profits from the business to pay themselves. New Jersey requires you to list the names and addresses of all managers or members when you register the New Jersey LLC. You can register these addresses as street addresses or PO Boxes. If you are the sole owner, operator and manager of your LLC, then you are the only member.

5. You Need to File a Public Records Filing for New Business Entity with the New Jersey Department of the Treasury

Once you've gathered all the information together for your LLC, you’ll need to file formal documents with the New Jersey Department of the Treasury. Filing a "Public Records Filing for a New Business Entity" creates your New Jersey LLC. You can do this online or download a PDF, fill it out and mail it in. Here at Incfile we can file on your behalf with the Department of the Treasury for New Jersey and create your LLC.

6. You Must File an Application for Registration for Tax Purposes

LLCs in New Jersey must file an Application for Registration with the New Jersey Division of Taxation. This allows you to receive and provide tax information. You must file this even if you don’t plan to collect, withhold, or pay taxes. You must file your application at least five business days before you start doing business and fifteen days before if you will be collecting sales tax.

7. You Can Create a New Jersey LLC Operating Agreement

New Jersey LLCs aren’t required to have an operating agreement, but they are extremely useful for several reasons. Your operating agreement covers how the business will be run, how managers and members are chosen, rights and duties of members and several other key areas. Learn how to create your operating agreement.

We also have a lot more information on how to form an LLC.

Starting Your New Jersey LLC: Useful Resources

• New Jersey state website
• General information from the New Jersey Department of the Treasury
• New Jersey Business Portal

Form a New Jersey LLC without Breaking the Bank

Incfile provides a cost-effective service to help you create your LLC. We guide you through the process and handle most of the administrative steps, such as filing the "Public Records Filing for New Business Entity" or Certificate of Formation on your behalf. Our basic package also provides a free Registered Agent service for the first year. If you're looking for help to start an LLC, our comprehensive services provide outstanding value