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Just the state fee for forming an LLC in Florida costs $155, payable to the Florida Division of Corporations. If you want to add a DBA (“doing business as”) it will cost an additional $50.

Business filings in Florida typically take 7-21 business days if they are completed online. If you complete the filing in person and need documents mailed to you, the process can take up to four weeks.

LLC filing requires several important steps, including picking a name for your business, selecting a registered agent, properly filing articles of organization with your state, and creating an LLC operating agreement, all while staying on top of local, state, and federal business requirements to remain in good standing.

You can conduct a name search on the Florida Division of Corporations website to check if your business name is available.

Limited liability companies in Florida are taxed at the federal and state level.

At the federal level, you can choose to be taxed as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or an S-corporation. You and any co-owners will pay self-employment tax, state income tax, and federal income tax on your business profits.

At the state level, Florida is an excellent state for business taxes. If you choose to be taxed as a sole proprietorship or an S-corporation, your LLC will be exempt from state income tax. Corporations, in contrast to LLCs, are subject to a 5.5% income tax.

There are seven common types of limited liability companies:

• Single-member LLC: A limited liability company that is owned and operated by one person. It is essentially a sole proprietorship, with the added advantage of liability protection.
• Multi-member LLC: An LLC with multiple owners. Multi-member LLCs are taxed like partnerships by default.
• General partnership: An LLC with multiple members who may share responsibilities for debts, transactions, and business taxes. Typically, at least one member of a general partnership must have unlimited liability.
• Family limited partnership: A general partnership that is owned by members of a family.
• Professional limited liability company: A type of LLC formed to create professional services, such as legal, medical, accounting, and finance services.
• Series LLC: A limited liability company with segregated assets. This means that the company subdivides its assets into separate series in order to protect them from creditors.‍
• Manager-managed LLCs: While member-managed companies are run by the owners of the business, manager-managed LLCs are run by hired professionals, with the owners remaining passive. Florida only allows member-managed LLCs.

As a business structure, LLCs offer a number of advantages over a sole proprietorship. Namely, they provide:

• Limited liability protection: LLCs protect their owners from personal liability for any legal claims made against the company.
• Tax flexibility: LLCs can elect to be taxed as a sole proprietorship, an S corporation, or a C corporation.
• ‍Management flexibility: Corporations have a strict, legally-regulated management structure. LLCs are also subject to management laws, however, many of these laws can be changed via the LLC’s operating agreement.

Only LLCs and corporations. You don't get personal liability protection with sole proprietorships, DBA’s, or non-registered businesses.