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How to start a business in Mississippi

The fees, filing links and deadlines for forming and registering a business in Mississippi, with the official page for each step.

Last verified October 24, 2026 General information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Each fee shows the date we checked it on the official page. Fees change, so confirm on the official page before you pay.

LLC filing fee

$50

LLC, first year (state fees)

$50

Corporation filing fee

$50

Annual report

$0

DBA filed with

State

General state license

No

Newspaper notice

No

How much does it cost to form an LLC or corporation in Mississippi?

To form an LLC, file Certificate of Formation with the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division for $50 (checked Oct 24, 2026). You can file online. A corporation files Articles of Incorporation for $50 (checked Oct 24, 2026). That filing fee is not the whole bill: see what it costs in the first year.

• Start a filing
• Search business names

What does an LLC really cost in its first year in Mississippi?

Filing fees are only part of the cost. Here is every state fee and minimum tax we found that a new LLC must pay to form and stay in good standing for its first year. Example: Single-member LLC filed online at standard speed, operating from day one with no employees; licenses every business must hold are counted, sales tax permits are listed separately.

First-year total: $50 in state fees. The $50 Certificate of Formation is the only state fee. Mississippi LLC annual reports are free (due by April 15 each year). Excludes the free sales tax permit and any bond, the optional $25 trade name, franchise tax (only for LLCs taxed as corporations), city and county licenses, and registered agent services.

After the first year: File the free annual report between January 1 and April 15 every year, or the LLC can be administratively dissolved. A registered trade name lasts five years. City business licenses, such as Jackson's, renew every year.

Fees that apply only in some cases

Not included: city or county licenses, a registered agent service if you hire one, and optional extras such as expedited filing. Fees can change after the date shown; confirm on the official page before you pay.

Do I need to register a DBA in Mississippi?

If you do business under a name that isn’t your legal name, register it as an assumed name (DBA) with the state for $25 (checked Oct 24, 2026).

• How to file a DBA

Does Mississippi require an annual report?

Yes. The fee is $0 (checked Oct 24, 2026) The Secretary of State does not say when a newly formed LLC files its first report.. Between January 1 and April 15 each year, filed online. The Secretary of State does not say when a new LLC's first report is due; the state's rule sets April 15 of each year, so plan on April 15 of the year after you form (April 15, 2027 for a 2026 LLC). Not filing can lead to administrative dissolution.

Initial report: No. Mississippi has no initial report for new LLCs.

Does Mississippi have a franchise or privilege tax?

Corporations, including S corporations and LLCs taxed as corporations, pay franchise tax on Mississippi capital above $100,000 at $0.50 per $1,000 for tax years beginning in 2026 and $0.25 in 2027, with a $25 minimum. The return is due by the 15th day of the 4th month after the tax year ends. The 2016 law that set this phase-down repeals the franchise tax from January 1, 2028. LLCs taxed as partnerships file as pass-through entities instead.

How do I register for state taxes in Mississippi?

Register with the state revenue agency for sales tax and withholding, and open an unemployment insurance account once you hire your first employee.

• Register for state taxes
• Sales tax permit
• Unemployment insurance account

Does Mississippi require a general business license?

No. Mississippi doesn’t issue one general business license; what you need depends on your activity and where you operate.

Mississippi has no general state business license; the Secretary of State's startup steps list tax, employer and industry-specific registrations and say cities may have their own permits and licenses. The Department of Revenue charges no fee for a sales tax permit, but a bond may be required (for example, if you have no permanent place of business in Mississippi or a history of late sales tax filing), and each location needs its own permit. Apply online through the Taxpayer Access Point (TAP); the permit arrives by mail in about two weeks. No statewide local lookup was found, so check with your city or town hall.

• State licensing page
• Find your local requirements

What local licenses will I need in Mississippi?

Cities and counties set their own licenses, zoning and permits. Call your city or county clerk with your business type and address before you open.

• Jackson (city)
  Anyone doing business in the City of Jackson needs a Business Privilege License unless exempt by state or federal law. Fill out the application, have it notarized and upload it through the city's online system; zoning must approve the location, and some businesses need fire, health, grease (FOG) or police inspections first. Fees depend mostly on employee count or inventory value and are billed after approval; no amounts are listed. Licenses renew every year.

When do I need workers’ comp in Mississippi?

5 or more employees (regularly employed).

The Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission says employers with five or more regularly employed employees must carry coverage from the first day of employment; smaller employers may carry it voluntarily. Domestic and farm labor and employees of nonprofit fraternal, charitable, religious or cultural organizations are excluded unless covered voluntarily. Independent contractors are ordinarily excluded, but employees of subcontractors get special protection. The Commission's fact sheet does not say how owners are treated.

• Workers’ comp agency
• State insurance department

What else should I know about starting a business in Mississippi?

Business documents can only be filed through the Secretary of State's online filing system, and you must first create a filing account. Payment is by credit card, e-check or ACH; the fee schedule lists no added portal fee for business filings. LLC annual reports are free; corporations pay $25, also due April 15. Registering a fictitious (trade) name with the Secretary of State is voluntary, costs $25 and lasts five years; there is no county filing. Sole proprietors and general partnerships do not file anything with the Secretary of State to form.

What to double-check for Mississippi?

A few details below aren't spelled out on the state's own pages. Confirm them on the official page before you file.

• Note The Secretary of State does not say when a newly formed LLC files its first annual report; the state rule sets April 15 of each year, so we show April 15 of the year after formation. The report is free, so this does not change the cost. https://www.sos.ms.gov/business-services/annual-reports
• Note https://www.dor.ms.gov/business/business-tax-frequently-asked-questions
• Note The franchise tax repeal from January 1, 2028 is in the 2016 law (SB 2858); the Department of Revenue's FAQ lists rates only through 2027 and does not mention the repeal. https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2016/pdf/SB/2800-2899/SB2858SG.pdf
• Note The Workers' Compensation Commission's only readable employer guide is a 2013 fact sheet, and it does not say whether sole proprietors, partners, LLC members or corporate officers count toward the five-employee threshold or can opt out. https://www.mwcc.ms.gov/pdf/WCFacts2013.pdf
• Note Confirm this on the official page before you rely on it.
• Note The Taxpayer Access Point (https://tap.dor.ms.gov/) and the City of Jackson's licensing portal were not opened; they are linked from https://www.dor.ms.gov/business/business-tax-frequently-asked-questions and https://jacksonms.gov/?p=5231.

What to do next

• Choose your business structure and follow the full setup order
• See how federal, state and local licenses fit together
• Pick the insurance your business needs first
• Find the right way to fund it

Want help setting up in Mississippi? Contact us

Sources

Official pages checked on October 24, 2026.

1. sos.ms.gov/content/documents/Business/FeeSchedule.
2. sos.ms.gov/content/documents/Business/Services%20&
3. sos.ms.gov/sites/default/files/fees_and_forms/Serv
4. sos.ms.gov/business-services/fees-forms-directory
5. sos.ms.gov/business-services/business-faqs
6. sos.ms.gov/business-services/annual-reports
7. sos.ms.gov/content/documents/pol_res/trade_name_re
8. sos.ms.gov/content/documents/Business/Business%20E
9. sos.ms.gov/content/documents/pol_res/llcs/1revised
10. sos.ms.gov/business-services-external-affairs
11. sos.ms.gov/online-services-directory
12. corp.sos.ms.gov/corp/portal/c/page/corpnewfilings/porta
13. corp.sos.ms.gov/corp/portal/c/page/corpBusinessIdSearch
14. sos.ms.gov/content/documents/Business/Business_Wel
15. ms.gov/sos/onestopshop
16. ms.gov/sos/onestopshop/Steps
17. dor.ms.gov
18. dor.ms.gov/business/sales-use-tax/register-taxes
19. dor.ms.gov/business/sales-use-tax/registration-inf
20. dor.ms.gov/business/business-tax-frequently-asked-
21. dor.ms.gov/business/corporate-income-and-franchise
22. dor.ms.gov/sites/default/files/2022%20CIT%20INSTRU
23. dor.ms.gov/taxareas/withhold/main.html
24. dor.ms.gov/business/withholding-tax
25. billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2016/pdf/SB/2800-2899/SB2858S
26. mdes.ms.gov
27. mdes.ms.gov/employers/register-with-us/
28. mdes.ms.gov/employers/unemployment-tax/reporting-an
29. mid.ms.gov
30. ms.gov/agencies/department-insurance
31. mwcc.ms.gov/pdf/WCFacts2013.pdf
32. census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/202
33. www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2
34. jacksonms.gov
35. jacksonms.gov