Form a Business in California
Filing fees, deadlines, registered agent rules, and tax structure for California, verified against the California Secretary of State Shirley N on Jun 11, 2026.
California at a glance
LLC Formation
$70
Corp Formation
$100
Nonprofit Formation
$30
Biennial Report: LLC
$20
Biennial Report: Corp
$25
Registered Agent
Street address
What makes California different
- It's called "Statement of Information" (SI), not "Annual Report". Different name, same concept.
- LLC SI is BIENNIAL (every 2 years), not annual. Corp Stock SI is annual. Corp Nonprofit SI is biennial. Different cadence per entity type.
- Due rule: anniversary month. SI is due within 90 days of formation, then every cycle in the entity's formation-anniversary month.
- $800 minimum CA Franchise Tax is FTB, not SOS. Wizards must surface this prominently. Customers think the $70 LLC formation is their total CA cost; in reality, year-one CA cost is $70 SOS + $800 FTB = $870, plus LLC Fee if revenue exceeds $250K.
- Dissolution is FREE at SOS. $0 across all entity types. But FTB-side requires final returns and clearance.
- LLC Gross Receipts Fee on top of $800. LLCs with CA-source revenue above $250K pay an ADDITIONAL fee ($900 to $11,790) on top of the $800 minimum.
California tax structure
See your CPA for personalized tax analysis.
For detailed tax planning, see the California Secretary of State Shirley N and the California Department of Revenue. File.Business is not a tax preparer, consult a CPA for personalized advice.
Ready to file in California?
We handle Articles of Organization, registered agent service, annual report monitoring, and ongoing compliance, backed by our canonical California ruleset (re-verified quarterly against California Secretary of State Shirley N).
Filing portal: https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/
At a glance
- What is it
- Form a business in california is a regulated business process governed by federal or state agencies. File.Business handles the paperwork, filings, and tracking for you.
- Why it matters
- Doing this correctly the first time avoids penalties, late fees, and personal liability exposure for owners.
- Who needs it
- Any US business that has triggered the relevant requirement - usually based on entity type, state, or business activity.
- When it is due
- Deadlines vary by agency and state. We track your specific dates and remind you ahead of any filing window.
- How it works
- Tell us what you need, review the prepared filing, and we submit through the agency's official channel.
- What it costs
- Pricing is shown on this page with state and federal fees disclosed separately from our service fee.
- Risks of skipping
- Penalties, administrative dissolution, loss of liability shield, blocked transactions, or audit triggers depending on the filing.
- Alternatives
- File directly with the agency yourself, hire a law firm, or use a competing service. File.Business is the fastest premium option.