How to Start a Business in Mississippi (2026): Filings, Fees and Taxes

To start a business in Mississippi, form your entity online with the Mississippi Secretary of State ($50 for an LLC’s Certificate of Formation or a corporation’s Articles of Incorporation), get an EIN, register for sales tax and withholding with the Department of Revenue through TAP, and check city and county licensing. Mississippi is one of the cheapest states to keep an LLC: the LLC annual report is free, though it must be filed by April 15 each year.

All Mississippi business filings can be submitted and paid for online. Fees below come from the Secretary of State’s published fee schedule as of October 2026.

Updated October 2026.

Best Business Formation Services in Mississippi (2026)

Here are our top picks for forming a business in Mississippi, ranked. Mainstay Filing comes first for its flat yearly price; the two Mississippi registered agent services below it are options if you only need an agent.

1. Mainstay Filing

Mainstay Filing is our top pick in Mississippi. It costs $199/year + state fee at cost and covers lLC formation filing, registered agent for the year, EIN application, annual report preparation and filing. The price stays the same every year, with no add-on menu.

2. Mississippi Registered Agent.co

Mississippi Registered Agent.co is a Mississippi registered agent service at $99/year. It provides $99 per year, flat; in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.

3. Registered Agent MS.org

Registered Agent MS.org is a Mississippi registered agent service at $99/year. It provides in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.

How much does it cost to start a business in Mississippi?

Which business structure fits Mississippi?

The Secretary of State notes that business filing fees are set by the Legislature, so they change rarely. The structure decision is mostly about liability and taxes:

• Sole proprietorship: no state formation; register a fictitious business name if you use a brand.
• General partnership: optional Statement of Partnership Authority ($25); partners share personal liability.
• LLC: $50 to form and no annual report fee, with liability protection. This combination makes the LLC the default for most Mississippi small businesses.
• Corporation: $50 to form plus a $25 annual report, and corporations also deal with Mississippi corporate income and franchise tax filings with the Department of Revenue.

Our Mississippi LLC guide walks through the Certificate of Formation in more depth.

What a Mississippi LLC costs in year one

Using the Secretary of State’s fee schedule, a single-owner LLC that files online pays $50 to form and nothing for its annual report, so state filing costs can be as low as $50 for the first year. Add $25 for a name reservation if you need to hold a name, and $25 for a fictitious business name if you trade under a brand. A corporation pays the same $50 to form plus $25 every year for its annual report. City privilege licenses and professional licenses are separate and vary by location and trade.

Can you form a Mississippi business if you live elsewhere?

Yes. Mississippi doesn’t require owners, members or officers to live in the state. You do need a registered agent with a Mississippi physical address. If you’ll run the business from another state, check whether that state requires you to register the company there as well, since a second registration brings its own fees and annual filings.

Naming your Mississippi business

Search the Secretary of State’s business entity search before you commit. LLC names must include “Limited Liability Company,” “LLC” or “L.L.C.,” and corporations need a corporate ending such as “Corporation,” “Inc.” or “Co.”

You can reserve an LLC name for $25 while you finish planning. Our Mississippi business name search guide covers the search in detail.

For ideas, try the Namechk business name generator, and check the domain and social handles on Namechk before you file.

Fictitious business names

Mississippi registers DBAs at the state level. A Fictitious Business Name Registration costs $25 with the Secretary of State, and amendments, withdrawals and assignments are also $25 each. Sole proprietors using a brand name and entities operating under a second name should register.

Appointing a Mississippi registered agent

Mississippi LLCs and corporations need a registered agent with a physical address in Mississippi who can accept legal papers during business hours. The agent is named on the formation filing and confirmed on the annual report.

Owners with a Mississippi address can act as their own agent; the address becomes part of the public record. Mainstay Filing includes a registered agent for the first year with its formation package. A Registered Agent/Office Statement of Change costs $10. Our Mississippi registered agent guide explains the options.

Filing your formation documents online

The Secretary of State says all business filings may be submitted and paid for online, by card, e-check or ACH, and paper registrations take significantly longer.

1. Create an account on the Secretary of State’s business filing portal.
2. Choose the LLC Certificate of Formation ($50) or the Articles of Incorporation ($50).
3. Enter the company name, registered agent, principal office and the organizers or incorporators.
4. Pay online. Some online filings are approved immediately and emailed back stamped; others go to staff review, which the SOS says should happen within 24 hours.

After approval, adopt an operating agreement or bylaws. Mississippi doesn’t collect them, but they govern ownership, voting and what happens if an owner leaves. For a fuller cost breakdown, see Mainstay’s Mississippi LLC cost guide.

Getting an EIN

Apply for an EIN on the IRS website at no cost. The Department of Revenue’s registration and most banks will ask for it.

There’s also no federal BOI report to file: FinCEN’s final rule, effective August 14, 2026, exempts companies created in the United States.

Registering for Mississippi taxes

The Mississippi Department of Revenue runs registrations through TAP (Taxpayer Access Point).

• Sales tax permit: according to the Department of Revenue, all in-state businesses with retail sales in Mississippi must register for a sales tax permit and number. You register online in TAP, and a packet with your permit and filing information is mailed to you.
• Sales tax rate: the general rate is 7% of gross proceeds of retail sales, per the DOR rate page. Some cities levy additional tourism and economic development taxes.
• Withholding: register before your first payroll.
• Corporate income and franchise tax: applies to corporations and LLCs taxed as corporations.

Employers also register with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security for unemployment insurance and report new hires. Mississippi has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum applies.

Business licenses and permits in Mississippi

There is no general statewide business license in Mississippi. Most cities issue a privilege license, and some counties do as well, so check with the city clerk where you’ll operate.

State boards and agencies license regulated work. Contractors above certain project thresholds need a license from the State Board of Contractors, food businesses need a Department of Health permit, and alcohol sellers need a permit from the Department of Revenue’s Alcoholic Beverage Control division.

If you work from home, ask the city about zoning and home-occupation rules before you put up signs or receive customers. Some neighborhoods and subdivisions restrict client visits, inventory storage and parking for business use.

Banking, insurance and online presence

Open a business bank account in your company’s name with the stamped formation document and EIN, and run all business income and expenses through it. That’s the simplest way to protect your LLC’s liability shield.

Add general liability insurance, professional liability if you sell services or advice, and commercial auto if you drive for work. Talk to a licensed agent about workers’ compensation rules before you hire your first employee. Then claim a domain and launch a basic website.

Mississippi annual requirements

• Annual report: profit corporations and LLCs file between January 1 and April 15 every year, starting the calendar year after formation. The LLC report is free and the corporate report is $25. Annual reports are filed online only; the report comes pre-filled, so you just update and submit. Registered agent changes can’t be made on it and go through a separate amendment ($10).
• Corporations that fail to file are administratively dissolved, according to the Secretary of State.
• Sales tax, withholding and income or franchise tax returns go to the Department of Revenue on its schedule.
• Renew city privilege licenses and any professional licenses.

FAQs

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