Florida business guides

Practical, source-linked guides for Florida LLCs and corporations. Each one starts with a direct answer, then gives you a checklist and a tool to work through your own situation.

• Florida annual report deadline: Florida annual reports are due May 1. Check your fee, the $400 late fee and the September dissolution date with our Am I late? calculator.
• Florida LLC cost calculator: Build your first-year Florida LLC cost: $125 state filing, $138.75 annual report, optional certificates and our formation bundles.
• Sunbiz name search guide: How to search Sunbiz for a Florida business name, the required LLC and corporation designators, and a checklist to test your name.
• Florida registered agent rules: Florida registered agent requirements: physical Florida street address, no P.O. box, and an entity cannot be its own agent. Take the eligibility quiz.
• Florida LLC vs corporation: Compare a Florida LLC and corporation side by side: state fees, annual reports, IRS tax treatment and S-corp elections. Interactive decision matrix.
• Florida reinstatement after dissolution: Reinstate an administratively dissolved Florida LLC or corporation: step timeline and a cost estimator for the reinstatement fee plus missed reports.
• Florida fictitious name (DBA): Register a Florida fictitious name (DBA): advertise in a county newspaper first, file with Sunbiz for $50, renew every 5 years. Interactive checklist.
• EIN for a Florida LLC: Step-by-step guide to an EIN for your Florida LLC. The IRS issues EINs for free online; here is exactly what our preparation service does.
• Florida operating agreement: Checklist of what a Florida LLC operating agreement typically covers: members, management, money, voting, transfers and dissolution. Not legal advice.
• S-corp election timing: Calculate your IRS Form 2553 deadline: no more than 2 months and 15 days after the tax year begins. Includes the IRS counting rule and examples.
• Florida compliance calendar: Generate a month-by-month Florida compliance calendar for your LLC, corporation, non-profit or LP, and download it to your calendar app.
• Amend a Florida annual report: What you can and can't change on a Florida annual report, how to file an amended report ($61.25 corp, $50 LLC) and how to change your business name.
• Florida corporation first-year checklist: Plan your Florida corporation: $70 formation, bylaws, directors, stock records and the $150 annual report. Build a budget with separate state fees.
• Florida PLLC licensed professions: Review your profession, licensing authority, ownership and naming requirements before a Florida PLLC filing. License verification is required.