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In Utah, you create an LLC by filing a "certificate of organization" with the Department of Commerce's office and paying a filing fee. You'll also need an LLC operating agreement, though it doesn't need to be filed with the Department of Commerce. Your operating agreement explicitly states the rights and responsibilities of the LLC owners (and managers, if applicable). An operating agreement clarifies the business arrangement between the owners and governs how your LLC will be run. If you don't create a written operating agreement, the LLC laws of your state will govern the inner workings of your LLC.
After the certificate of organization filing is accepted by the Department of Commerce and you have an operating agreement, your LLC is official, but you will still need to obtain the licenses and permits that all new businesses must have to operate. These may include a business license (sometimes also referred to as a "tax registration certificate"), a federal employer identification number, a seller's permit, or a zoning permit. Forming an LLC does not exempt you from any of these requirements that apply to all businesses.
For more information, see the Licenses & Permits for Your Business area of Nolo's website.
To begin creating your Utah LLC, visit the Online Utah LLC page at the Nolo website.
All LLCs, unless exempt, must complete a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report by the appropriate deadline. You must file your BOI report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Treasury. File online through FinCEN's BOI E-Filing System.
In your BOI report, you must provide basic information about:
Your filing deadline and the information required for your BOI report depend on when you formed your LLC.
If you formed your LLC in 2024, then you must file your BOI report within 90 days of when either you received actual notice or when your state's filing office provided public notice of your LLC's creation, whichever is earlier. If you formed your LLC in 2025 or later, then your deadline is reduced to 30 days.
If you formed your LLC in 2023 or earlier, you must file a BOI report by January 1, 2025. You don't need to complete the section related to the company applicant in the BOI report. This section only applies to companies formed on or after January 1, 2024.
There's no charge for filing a BOI report. You can learn more about FinCEN's new reporting requirement and how it applies to your LLC in our article on BOI reports.
The price of Nolo's Online Utah LLC formation service varies depending on your needs. To compare the prices of Nolo's three Utah LLC packages, see the package and pricing details page.
Nolo's Basic Service. The lowest priced package is Nolo's Basic Service, which includes preparation of the certificate of organization and regular filing, which will take at least three weeks.
Nolo's Standard Service. Our standard service package gets you all of the benefits of the Basic Service plus preparation of the IRS application for a tax ID (Form SS-4) and the Business Forms Bundle, containing 30 forms and contracts that every small business needs. Includes access to NoloCloud Legal Forms for business anywhere at any time from your account. Processing time is at least three weeks.
Nolo's Express Premiere Service. For these items plus Priority Rush Filing, a personalized LLC records book, membership certificates, an LLC seal, and preparation of the IRS application for a tax ID (Form SS-4), choose Nolo's Express Premiere Service. With Priority Rush Filing, your certificate of organization will be filed with the Department of Commerce within one business day, and you'll receive your final LLC documents three business days later.
You can also add one or more of the following services for a small fee: preparation of a customized operating agreement, registered agent service, accounting help, and/or business license advice.
Note that filing fees charged by the state are not included in our package prices. The Department of Commerce charges $136 for expedited LLC formation and $61 for regular service. The filing fee will be added to your total when you check out.
Please note that coupon codes are not applicable to LLC packages.
If you order the Basic or Standard package, we will file your paperwork with the Utah Department of Commerce within four to five business days and you'll receive your completed LLC documents about two weeks later.
If you order the Express Premiere package, we will file your paperwork with the Utah Department of Commerce within one business day. You will receive your completed LLC documents by email three business days later. Your customized LLC records kit will be sent directly from the manufacturer.
You have 90 days to work on your LLC formation without purchasing it. Every time you work on your LLC formation through Nolo's Online Legal Forms, your answers are automatically saved in the system.
Once you complete and pay for your LLC formation, Nolo's Online Legal Forms will store your personal information for one year.
Federal taxes. The IRS does not impose taxes on the LLC; LLC income is reported on the members' individual tax returns.
State taxes. Visit the Utah State Tax Commission's website at https://tax.utah.gov/business to learn about state LLC taxes in Utah. You may also find it helpful to read Nolo's article on Utah LLC Annual Filing Requirements.
Self-employment taxes. LLC members (owners) who are active in the business will probably have to pay self-employment taxes on their share of LLC profits—just as partners in a partnership do. Fortunately, an LLC member can deduct, as a business expense, half of the self-employment taxes paid. (Members in manager-managed LLCs may not have to pay self-employment taxes if they are not active in the business; if you are in this situation, consult a tax adviser to see if you should pay self-employment taxes.)
You can form an LLC in Utah even if your business will not be located in Utah and/or no LLC members will live there. But you will probably still need to qualify your LLC to do business in your home state—and this means you'll have to file additional paperwork and pay additional fees. For more information on whether you'll need to qualify to do business in certain states, read Nolo's article Qualifying to Do Business Outside Your State on Nolo's website. Note that if you don't register to do business in another state when required, you won't be able to enforce contracts in that state.
Also, be ready for some state tax complications if you form your LLC in a state that's different from the state where all of its members live. For one thing, the LLC members might have to pay personal income taxes in the other state on LLC income. (At best, you might get credit for those taxes in your home state and not have to pay twice. At worst, you might have to pay taxes you wouldn't have had to pay at home.) Other state taxes vary from state to state, and might influence your choice of location for an LLC. An LLC—like any business—has to pay franchise taxes, sales and use taxes, other transaction and excise taxes, and employment, property, and transfer taxes.
In addition, in most states, you need to maintain a registered agent in the state where you form your LLC. To avoid these hassles, most smaller LLCs that will operate in only one state form their LLC in their home state. For more information, read Nolo's article Where to Form Your LLC.
Like a corporation, an LLC is meant to be a permanent legal entity, and it will exist—and incur taxes and fees, whether or not you are actively operating a business—until you take legal steps to dissolve it. If you decide to discontinue business as an LLC, you must file paperwork with the Department of Commerce. For specifics, see the Department of Commerce's website at https://corporations.utah.gov/business-entities/. For general information on closing a business, read the article Closing Your Business: What You Need to Do on Nolo's website.
Note: You will receive a confirmation email that includes the following information.
Your certificate of organization will be generated and filed with the Department of Commerce. Turnaround times vary according to the package you choose.
If you ordered Nolo's Express Premiere Service, your LLC records binder and company seal will be sent to you independently, directly from the manufacturer.
As soon as your filing is complete, we will email you your final LLC package, including your customized operating agreement (if you ordered one) and instructions on a few more steps you need to take, including holding an initial meeting of your members or managers. You'll also receive details related to filing your BOI report, including your filing deadline, instructions on how to file, and your company applicant's FinCEN ID, which you must use to complete your BOI report.
After completing your purchase, you may no longer go back and change your answers because your order is being processed. You may, however, view your answers by signing in to your Nolo account at www.nolo.com/products/customer/account/login, clicking on My Account, and clicking on Utah LLC.
Once we send your documents to the Department of Commerce, we cannot refund your state filing fees and other third-party costs, such as courier and delivery services, should you decide to cancel your order. If you have questions, please let us know here.
You have 90 days to work on your LLC formation documents without purchasing them. Every time you work on your LLC formation through Nolo's Online Legal Forms, your answers are automatically saved in the system.
After completing your purchase, you may no longer go back and change your answers because your order is being processed. You may, however, view your answers by signing in to your Nolo account at www.nolo.com/products/customer/account/login, clicking on My Account, and clicking on Utah LLC.
Nolo's Online Legal Forms will store your personal information for one year after you pay for your LLC formation.
To learn more about limited liability companies, visit the Limited Liability Company area of Nolo's website or read Nolo's Quick LLC: All You Need to Know About Limited Liability Companies, by Anthony Mancuso.