A foreign LLC must register with the Corporations Division within ten days after it starts doing business in Massachusetts and pay $500 (c. 156C, § 48). A foreign corporation registers within ten days for $400 (c. 156D, § 15.03). Both appoint a Massachusetts agent and file annual reports: $500 for an LLC, $100 online for a corporation.
M.G.L. c. 156C, § 48Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations DivisionM.G.L. c. 156C, § 51M.G.L. c. 156D, § 15.01Massachusetts General Laws chapters 156C, 156D, 180 and 110 and the Corporations Division Filing Fees page reviewed November 11, 2026. Confirm current fees with the Secretary of the Commonwealth before filing.
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits Massachusetts filings for owners. We are not the Secretary of the Commonwealth or its Corporations Division, and we do not give legal advice. Every state charge passes through at the exact amount billed, shown separately from our service fee.
- Filed with the Massachusetts Corporations Division
- We track your Massachusetts annual report
- Cited to M.G.L. chapters 156C and 156D
- Talk to a filer: (386) 465-3937
The forks in the road.
Fees
Foreign LLC $500; foreign corporation $400 ($375 by fax).
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations DivisionDoing business
Owning or leasing real estate, construction and any other activity requiring the performance of labor here count; defending lawsuits and keeping bank accounts do not (c. 156D, § 15.01).
M.G.L. c. 156D, § 15.01Penalty for skipping
An unregistered foreign corporation cannot maintain a lawsuit in Massachusetts courts until it registers (c. 156D, § 15.02).
M.G.L. c. 156D, § 15.02What to have ready
- Order a good standing certificate from your home state
- Confirm the name is available in Massachusetts
- Pick a Massachusetts agent
- List managers or officers
- Budget the fee and yearly reports
- File within ten days of starting work
Registering an Out-of-State LLC or Corporation in Massachusetts: 10-Day Rule and $500 Fee
Registering an Out-of-State LLC or Corporation in Massachusetts: 10-Day Rule and $500 Fee
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The ten-day clock
Massachusetts gives foreign companies only ten days after they begin doing business to register, far shorter than many states. Signing a lease, hiring an employee who works here or starting a construction job are typical starting points. Register before the first job if you can.
Source: malegislature.gov
What you need from home
Order a recent certificate of good standing or legal existence from the state where the company was formed. Confirm the name is available in Massachusetts; if not, choose an alternate name for use here. Pick a Massachusetts agent and list managers or officers.
Source: www.sec.state.ma.us
Annual costs once registered
A foreign LLC pays the same $500 annual report as a domestic LLC, on its registration anniversary. A foreign corporation pays $100 online. Both keep an agent. Missing reports for two consecutive years can lead to revocation (c. 156C, § 72).
Source: malegislature.gov
Should you form here instead?
If the business operates mainly in Massachusetts, a domestic company avoids paying two states. A Delaware LLC registered here pays Delaware's annual tax plus Massachusetts' $500 report each year.
Source: malegislature.gov
The yearly cost of staying registered
A registered foreign LLC files a $500 Massachusetts annual report each year, the same as a domestic LLC, in addition to whatever its home state charges. Over five years that is $2,500 in Massachusetts reports alone. Owners whose business is entirely in Massachusetts sometimes form a new Massachusetts LLC instead of keeping two states current.
Source: www.sec.state.ma.us
Leaving Massachusetts
When the company stops doing business here, file a withdrawal for $100. Until then the annual report keeps coming due.
Source: www.sec.state.ma.us
Massachusetts law and Corporations Division rules behind this.
| Topic | Massachusetts rule | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Ten days after commencing business in Massachusetts. | M.G.L. c. 156C, § 48 |
| Fees | Foreign LLC $500; foreign corporation $400 ($375 by fax). | Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division |
| Agent | A foreign LLC appoints a resident agent in Massachusetts (c. 156C, § 51). | M.G.L. c. 156C, § 51 |
| Doing business | Owning or leasing real estate, construction and any other activity requiring the performance of labor here count; defending lawsuits and keeping bank accounts do not (c. 156D, § 15.01). | M.G.L. c. 156D, § 15.01 |
| Penalty for skipping | An unregistered foreign corporation cannot maintain a lawsuit in Massachusetts courts until it registers (c. 156D, § 15.02). | M.G.L. c. 156D, § 15.02 |
Related Massachusetts reading.
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits Massachusetts filings for owners. We are not the Secretary of the Commonwealth or its Corporations Division, and we do not give legal advice. Every state charge passes through at the exact amount billed, shown separately from our service fee.
What Massachusetts owners ask us
The statute counts any activity requiring the performance of labor in Massachusetts as doing business, so regular work here by an employee generally points toward registering. Ask counsel if the facts are borderline.
M.G.L. c. 156D, § 15.01You register under an alternate name for use in Massachusetts.
M.G.L. c. 156C, § 48File a withdrawal or cancellation for $100.
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations DivisionYes. Corp USA prepares and submits your Massachusetts filing with the Corporations Division for you. The state fee is passed through at cost and our service fee is shown separately at checkout, so you never have to work through the state's filing system yourself.
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division