How to form an LLC in Rhode Island

Rhode Island runs two recurring cycles, and the cost schedule keeps them separate. The main charge is the Annual Report, $50 per year. The second cycle is Annual charge (Rhode Island Division of Taxation), $400 per year, $400 every 1 years. Across five years the schedule counts $2,250 in recurring payments: the yearly charge in every year of the window, plus the second filing only when its own cycle calls for it. That is why the five-year recurring column is not simply five times the largest fee on the page.

How to read the recurring fee

Rhode Island calls this charge the annual report. That name is the filing you calendar, pay, and confirm, and it is not interchangeable with an annual report, statement of information, or entity tax in another state. File the annual report each calendar year, excluding the year of incorporation, between February 1 and May 1. The office named in the checked record is Rhode Island Department of State - Business Services Division; confirm the exact form name there before the first deadline, because paying the right amount on the wrong filing does not keep an LLC in good standing. Budget $50 on the yearly cycle shown above, and keep the state confirmation with the formation records.

Formation checklist

The steps below follow the Rhode Island record on this page: formation through Rhode Island Department of State - Business Services Division, the charge named Annual Report, and the due rule checked on 2026-10-04.

1. Choose the legal name. Search the entity records held by Rhode Island Department of State - Business Services Division and check the Rhode Island name rules before printing cards, signing a lease, or opening accounts.
2. Choose the registered agent. The agent needs a qualified Rhode Island address and must be available to receive official papers. Decide whether that will be you, another eligible person, or a paid service.
3. File the formation document. Submit the form through Rhode Island Department of State - Business Services Division and pay articles of organization, $150.
4. Write the operating agreement. Record owners, contributions, authority, money rules, and exit terms. Keep it with company records even if the state does not collect it.
5. Get tax and bank accounts in order. Apply for an EIN when required, open business banking, and separate personal money from company money from day one.
6. Calendar the recurring charge. File the annual report each calendar year, excluding the year of incorporation, between February 1 and May 1. Add a reminder well before the deadline and save the state confirmation after each filing.

What the state total does not include

The five-year figure on this page is a state formation and recurring-fee total. It does not include income tax, franchise tax beyond a charge explicitly named in the source record, sales tax, payroll tax, local business licenses, industry permits, insurance, bookkeeping, or professional fees.

If the business will operate in another state, price foreign registration there as well. A formation in Rhode Island does not remove duties where employees, property, or sales activity create a second registration obligation.

Before you pay for help

A filing service can be worth paying for when your time is tight or the ownership is not simple. Compare the service quote with the state-only baseline in the LLC True Cost Calculator. If a quote bundles a registered agent, ask for the renewal price. Low first-year promotions can become the largest line in year two.

State notes from the checked record

• Form 632 states the filing period is February 1 to May 1 and lists a $50 filing fee.
• Division of Taxation Notice 2025-01 states LLCs pay an annual charge of $400.
• The SOS fee schedule lists an annual-report penalty row at $75, while Form 632 states an additional $25 fee if not filed by May 31.

Next steps

Run the five-year calculator, read the registered agent guide, and keep the recurring report checklist with your formation records.