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LLC Cost In West Virginia - How Much To Pay In Fees & Taxes in WV

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Last updated February 17, 2023

Written by Dmytro Kondratiev

Editor, lawyer

Disclosure: We earn a commission from some partner links. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

Planning is the key to success when launching a new venture from scratch. So, when you are aware of all the steps it takes to start an LLC in West Virginia, the next thing to plan is costs.

Our detailed overview of West Virginia LLC cost will help you create an accurate estimate without missing a tiny nuance and adding any unnecessary expenses to it. Take a look and optimize your startup plan to the max.

How Much Is an LLC in West Virginia?

Statistically, small businesses prevail in all states. And a limited liability company becomes more and more popular as a legal structure due to the multiple benefits it offers both to the company and to its owners.

With a lot of good about it, an LLC is not free of charge. It requires state registration and entangles certain statutory payments that differ by state. That’s why the LLC cost in some states is lower while other states come up with higher pricing.

Some of the LLC fees in West Virginia are compulsory and will pop up on your list one way or another. Yet, some fees are optional and depend on the type of LLC you are going to form and other factors specific to your individual situation.

By and large, the payments you’ll have to make can be split into two main categories:

LLC registration costs that cover expenses related to official entity formation;
Post-registration costs to maintain your company and keep it compliant after formation.

To make your calculations easier and give you an idea of what points will appear on your estimate, we’ll categorize the LLC fees in West Virginia into:

Basic costs tied to LLC formation and common for all filers;
Auxiliary costs that are situational and come as add-ons.

Service	Cost
State filing fee	$100
Foreign LLC filing fee	$150
Annual report	$25
Registered agent change fee	$15
Name reservation	$25
DBA name	$25
Certificate of Good Standing	$10
Certified document copies	$15 per document + $5 per any amended version
Articles of Amendment	$25
LLC dissolution rate	$25

Basic West Virginia LLC Costs

This group of expenses embraces mostly obligatory state costs and a number of fees that will become a part of your future company’s budget on a regular basis. Those fees are normally charged at flat rates, so planning won’t be a problem.

West Virginia LLC Filing Fee: $100

It’s the first fee to consider since it’s directly linked to the WV LLC formation. Formally, launching an LLC is about getting your Articles of Organization approved by the Secretary of State.

The state filing fee in West Virginia is $100 for both online and paper filings. Notably, military veterans seeking to establish an LLC in this state are exempt from this statutory payment.

The time it takes for the state to review and bring back your LLC statute is around 5 to 10 business days. And West Virginia is one of the jurisdictions that have expedited document processing. Hence, you can speed up the whole procedure by paying some extra:

24-hour filing at $25;
Two-hour filing at $250;
One-hour filing at $500.

With that, setting up an LLC in West Virginia in a matter of hours is not an empty promise. It might be of great help when you need to get a legal structure asap.

Agent of Process in West Virginia: $0-$150

With no bureaucracy to it, an LLC still has some law requirements to follow. Thus, a registered agent is one of the LLC must-have elements across the states. It’s called an agent of process (AP) in West Virginia.

The AP's key functions are:

To be consistently present under the registered address to receive legal mail on behalf of your company;
To process your business correspondence and timely inform you about any crucial notifications;
To serve as an official point of contact between your WV LLC and government structures including courts, tax agencies, and other regulatory authorities.

The agent of process cost directly depends on who you’ll appoint for this role since state laws are not limiting and you have a number of alternatives:

You are entitled to be your own agent of process which is a great choice for those working from home or the office;
Many beginner entrepreneurs appoint some of their friends, relatives, colleagues, or even neighbors;
Someone with specialized expertise or professional background is also an option. This might be your attorney, accountant, tax consultant, etc.;
There are professional AP services dedicated to providing expert assistance.

While serving your own agent or designating some of your personal acquaintances will cost you nothing, engaging a professional will come at a cost.

If you want professional help at an affordable price, we recommend that you consider one of the best registered agent services in West Virginia that will offer much more than just handling your mail.

The AP service price varies from about $35-$50 for domestic agent services operating only within the WV jurisdiction to about $125-$150 for national service providers operating across the US.

Annual Report Fee in West Virginia: $25

Only a few US states have no state reporting requirements and WV is not one of them. The state law calls for LLCs to submit an annual report to the Secretary of State along with a $25 reporting fee.

You can file online via the WV Business portal and should report before July 1 each year. If you miss the deadline, you’ll be exposed to a $50 penalty. And failure to file might lead to more serious problems such as administrative dissolution.

Foreign LLC Fee in West Virginia: $150

LLCs registered in other states should foreign qualify to become eligible and lawfully operate in West Virginia.

To get a foreign qualification for the existing company, you should file an Application for a Certificate of Authority with the Secretary of State and pay a $150 filing fee.

The process is very similar to filing the Articles of Organization. And online filing is simple and fast.

Business License Cost in West Virginia: Location-Specific Rates

To legally conduct entrepreneurial activity in West Virginia under the umbrella of the LLC structure, it’s not enough to register your company with the state. You’ll be also required to get a permanent business registration license.

This license costs $30 and is issued by the WV Tax Department. You will have to fill in an application form, print and sign it, and send it by mail to the following address:

West Virginia State Tax Department

Tax Account Administration Division

Registration & Account Correction Unit

P.O. Box 2666

Charleston, WV 25330-2666

In addition, there could be other licenses and permits you might need to get for your entity depending on the type of activity you run. To compile a complete list of permissive documents relevant to your LLC, visit the WV Business Portal.

As far as the pricing is concerned, fees vary for different types of licenses from about $20 at a lower end to over $20.000 at a higher end. You should check with your clerk’s office for the appropriate license cost.

West Virginia LLC Taxes

In West Virginia, your newly formed LLC will be open to the following taxes:

Incomes of standard LLCs are taxed under the personal tax returns of their owners under their individual tax rates that vary from 3% to 6.5% in West Virginia;
LLCs taxed as C-Corps will be open to a corporate income tax levied at a flat rate of 6.5%;
Self-employed LLC owners will have to pay a self-employment tax of 15.3%;
The state sales tax rate in WV is 6%. The final levy, though, will also include the local sales tax that varies from 0% to 1% across the state;
If your LLC in WV will have hired employees, you’ll incur payroll taxes that range from 3% to 6.5% and vary depending on the amount of the employee’s salary.

Auxiliary West Virginia LLC Costs

These charges normally cover one-time fees payable for some additional services you might need when forming your LLC in WV or keeping it compliant. You will hardly need all of those services at once and most of them depend on the nature and type of your business.

LLC Name Reservation in WV: $25

Unlike non-registered entities, LLCs are required to have a distinguishable name not used by any other business entity in the formation state. Hence, in West Virginia, you can reserve the desired name for a period of 120 days if it appears available for use.

You should complete Form NR-1 on the Secretary of State’s website and pay a $15 reservation fee. This service is of use to those filers who need a bit more time to finish any other tasks before filing an LLC.

DBA Registration in WV: $25

A DBA (doing business as) or fictitious name is a moniker different from the one registered in your company’s statute.

The law allows LLCs to have multiple DBAs that, in turn, entitle companies to launch several services or product lines under the same LLC structure, thus, growing their businesses without going into added formalities.

Each DBA requires a separate registration. You should file Form NR-3 on the state department’s website and pay a $25 fee for each name you plan to use.

Certificate of Existence in WV: $10

Issued by the Secretary of State’s office, this document is called a certificate of good standing. It verifies the LLC’s compliance with the state rules and requirements and is often required by financial and licensing agencies and institutions to prove your LLC’s legitimacy.

You can order the document via the WV Secretary of State’s website by filing an online form and paying a moderate $10 fee.

WV Certified Document Copies: $15

There are many situations when you might need certified copies of your LLC documents in the course of running entrepreneurial activity.

A copy of your Articles of Organization, DBA registration, Certificate of Good Standing, and any amendments thereof might be required by vendors or suppliers you sign contracts with or by any regulatory authorities to verify their authenticity.

It’s the Secretary of State that issues certified document copies in West Virginia. The price is $15 per document plus $5 for an amendment or any extra filing.

WV Articles of Amendment: $25

If you need to change your company’s name, structure, or purpose, you’ll need to file amendments to your registered Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State.

You can find the appropriate form on the SOS website and submit it along with a state fee of $25.

WV Articles of Termination: $25

To officially quit, withdraw, or terminate your LLC as a legal entity, you should file the Articles of Termination with the Secretary of State.

You can do it either online via the WV Business Portal or send the printed form by mail to the following address:

Business Division

West Virginia Secretary of State

1900 Kanawha Blvd E.

Bldg 1, Suite 157-K

Charleston, WV 25305

Whatever the filing method, you should pay a processing fee of $25. If you need a certified copy of the document in return, you’ll be charged $15 more.

FAQ

Is registering an LLC in West Virginia worth the hassle?

Not only is a limited liability company quick and easy to form but also it comes up with a number of indisputable advantages. For owners, it brings personal liability protection keeping their own assets securely protected against business commitments.

For business, it offers independence, flexible taxation, simple management, and better growth opportunities.

How soon will I get my West Virginia LLC approved by the state?

Normal processing time is around 5 to 10 work days depending on the state department workload. Yet, the state has a few expedited options in place allowing you to form your legal entity in a matter of hours. Just get ready to pay more for that.

Does my West Virginia LLC require annual renewal?

The state has annual reporting requirements for LLCs. To stay in good standing with the state, you’ll have to file an annual report before July 1 each year and pay a $25 fee to the state.

What is the cheapest way to start an LLC in West Virginia?

If you seek to register a cheap LLC in West Virginia, you can save quite a bit on handling the whole process on your own, without engaging any assistants. This way, you’ll have only state fees to cover.

Is my West Virginia LLC eligible for tax refunds?

By default, an LLC structure is not entitled to tax refunds. Yet, should you choose a C-Corp tax status for your company under Form 8832, you’ll be able to recoup levies.

Can I receive a salary from my West Virginia LLC?

Limited liability companies can pay normal salaries to their owners only when they are taxed as corporations and hire their members as regular employees. Otherwise, you’ll simply get a part of your company’s income as a profit.

Can I refer my cell phone costs to regular LLC expenses in West Virginia?

Those costs can be written off as company expenses if you use your phone for business over 50% of total use.

Am I allowed to deduct my Internet expenses from my West Virginia LLC if I work from home?

Yes, you have the right to include those costs in your company’s operational costs if you use your home web for work most of the time, which is above 50% of the total use.

Are my car costs deductible from my West Virginia LLC?

It’s common practice for private entrepreneurs to write off car expenses as company regular costs when using their personal vehicles for work. And the law doesn’t ban that.

Can my monthly fuel costs be a part of my West Virginia LLC expenses?

You can include fuel cheques to monthly car costs within LLC expenses. Or you can calculate them separately based on mileage driven, which is a more complicated and laborious method.