Affordable. Flat fee Attorney Assisted. 

Small Business Formation 

prepared by Arden Law Firm’s experienced & licensed real estate attorney(s).  Our lawyers are licensed in Maryland only. 

MagothyRiver%20photo%20cropped
m_action_3751351

 Small Businesses - Start Here! 

Our law firm helps Maryland businesses register and form limited liability companies (or LLCs)

Curious if a limited liability company is right for your business? We love helping start-ups at Arden Law - contact us to see if our lawyer can help answer your questions.

  What is a Limited Liability Company (LLC)?

As the name implies, a Limited Liability Company limits the liablity of the business owners for business operations.  A Limited Liability Company doesn’t mean you can never be sued, but it does help protect personal assets (home, etc.) from business claims. Very generally speaking, a properly set up LLC should insulate the owner’s other assets from attack.  

 How do I form an LLC in Maryland?

There are a few important formation steps for a new LLC.  Among the most basic:

  • Filing ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION (Articles tend to be VERY limited in information, they usually give little more than the business name and address and the name of a Resident Agent. Articles don’t say anything about who owns or controls your company! 

  • Creating an OPERATING AGREEMENT (at a minimum an Operating Agreement will say who OWNS and who CONTROLS the Company) 

  • Setting up TAX Accounts. (usually this involves both FEDERAL and STATE filings)


 How do I set up a S-Corporation in Maryland?

“At the outset, note that "S Corp” is a type of tax structure and not the type of entity.  
S-Corp status is elected AFTER you form an entity by filing with the IRS a form 2553 indicating that your business wishes to be taxed as such. The general order follows:

  • Form entity by filing Articles 

  • Create Bylaws or Operating Agreement

  • Hold Organizational Meeting

    File IRS Form 2553 (within 2 months and 15 days after the start of the new company’s tax year)


Note that a S-Corp can not have any foreign non-resident owners and is limited to a maximum of 100 shareholders.
Before choosing a tax structure you may want to familiarize yourself with the different ways your entity can be structured for tax purposes.  

 How do I form a Corporation in Maryland?

A Corporation is formed by filing Articles with the State. This is just one piece of the normal start-up process.  Generally, to start a corporation you’ll do the following:

  • File Articles of Organization

  • Create Bylaws

  • Hold Organizational Meeting, elect Directors, Officers (and issue stock as applicable)

    Make Tax Elections and Set up Tax Accounts

Frequently Asked Business Questions 

Attorney Answer:

A: the Resident Agent is some responsible person or business (if a person, they must be over 18) who can get important papers for your Company and receive formal service of process.  The Resident Agent can be anyone located in the State of Maryland.  Some businesses list an Owner, while others prefer the privacy of designating an Agent who is not an owner (e.g., a corporate resident agent or the Company’s attorney).  

A:  No.  At time of this writing, Maryland does not offer series LLCs (a series LLC allows for one “umbrella” LLC and other LLCs under the umbrella without needing to go through the formation process for each) 

A:  Maryland now allows for entity “Conversions” which allows you to switch the home state of an established business to Maryland.  One of the cool features of conversion is that you can change a Corporation to an LLC or vice-versa.  

What does it take to start up a business in MD?

Maryland has made efforts to make it easier for small businesses to get started.   (in MD business registrations are done through the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporations Divions). Keep in mind that filing artilces with the State is only the START - the Articles give the barest of details and don’t even identify any owners!   Most businesses will need at minimum tax set up, an EIN and an Operating Agreement. Generally the following steps: 

  • Sit down and talk with counsel 

  • Register entity with the State of Maryland by filing Articles of Organization (or Articles of Incorporation)

  • Register trade names (if applicable)

  • Create Operating Agreement or Bylaws

  • Get Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN) 

  • Hold Organizational Meeting, issue member certificates (or stock)

  • Set up withholding and other tax accounts. 

LLC Formation Package / MD Business Registration 
(Non regulated fields)

Arden Law provides a comprehensive start-up package for small businesses looking to register in Maryland starting at $750 plus government filing fees.  Our pacakge includes an attorney consultation to discuss your business plans and goals and the following for a flat fee: 

  • Articles of Organization (drafting and filing with SDAT)

  • Operating Agreement

  • Organizational Meeting with Attorney Present

  • Meeting Minutes

  • EIN for business

  • Company Binder with Member Certificate

  • Trade name registration

Request a Consultation

Free Preliminary Consultation
(phone or email exchange)

$0 - Free 

No Cost 5-10 Min Phone Call 
or email exchange with Attorney.

Schedule

In-Depth (Paid) Consultation
with Managing Attorney

$250

Private consultation (1 - 1.5 hours) with experienced Managing Attorney. In Person, Virtual or Over the Phone.

Schedule

Call us weekdays 
Monday - Thursday: 9am - 5pm EST
Friday: 9am - 1pm EST

Click to Call Firm Now

Fill out a brief form to describe your legal question or need.
Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

.sticky-top { position: sticky!important; top: 100px; }