Establishing an Alaska limited liability company may be an excellent strategy to protect your assets while taking advantage of beneficial tax situations.
If you're thinking about incorporating an LLC in Alaska, you should be aware of the time it takes the Secretary of State to receive, evaluate and approve your Articles of Organization.
Working with our qualified business consultants who have been in the LLC industry for almost a decade, we spent five weeks researching the available Alaska LLC filing options and processing times.
Here's everything you need to know.
Quick Summary
- It takes up to 15 business days for Alaska LLCs to be approved by the Secretary of State.
- In Alaska, LLC owners can register their LLC by submitting their certificate of formation either online or by mail.
- The Alaska Secretary of State does not offer expedited online and mail filing shipping options.
How Long Does It Take To Form an LLC in Alaska?
It takes 10-15 business days to form an LLC in Alaska by mail and one business day if you do the process online.
This is the total time it takes the state of Alaska to examine and approve your hardcopy registration papers and record your LLC file into their system.
If you file online, the Alaska Secretary of State will approve your documents immediately, and you can download them from the page.
Alaska LLC Processing Time
The Secretary of State offers two filing options for registering your LLC in Alaska. You can submit your registration papers either online on the SOS website or by mail [1].
These filing methods have different processing times, as we'll see shortly.
Regardless of the filing method you choose to submit your Articles of Organization, it's important to note that the SOS doesn't offer expedited processing in Alaska.
1. Online Filings
Online filings for the Articles of Organization in Alaska are approved immediately [2]. Because of this, you must gather and review all your details before starting the process because any delays during the registration can result in system timeouts.
You must pay the $250 filing fee using a credit card when filing your documents. Note that there are no refund policies for online payments. See our article for more details on how much it costs to form an LLC in Alaska.
Once the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development approves your registration, you can access and download the forms directly from the website.
2. Mail Filings
LLC registration documents submitted via mail typically take 10-15 business days to be approved.
However, these processing times may vary based on the filing period you submit your certificate of formation and operating agreements.
For all hardcopy filings made between October and February, you should anticipate delays of up to 21 business days or 3+ weeks.
If you register your Alaska LLC between March and September, the standard processing time for this period is 10-15 working days (2-3 weeks).
When your domestic or foreign LLC is established, the Secretary of State will mail your approved and certified documentation to your own registered agent service during regular business hours. The registered agent service will then notify you of the receipt.
8 Steps To Start an LLC in Alaska
Starting and registering an LLC in Alaska gives you legal permission to conduct transactions in the state.
Here are eight steps to follow to create an LLC in Alaska.
- Step 1: First, you need to look up an LLC in Alaska and check the availability. If your desired name is available, you can go ahead and register your Alaska LLC business name.
- Step 2: Hire a professional Alaska registered agent service who'll be the official point of contact with the Secretary of State.
- Step 3: Register for a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code that categorizes your business entity type in Alaska.
- Step 4: Draft and submit your Alaska LLC Articles of Organization that outline all details about your LLC.
- Step 5: Receive a certified copy of the certificate of formation from the Secretary of State.
- Step 6: Apply for the correct Alaska Business Licenses
- Step 7: Draft your LLC operating agreement to indicate whether the entity is a member or manager-managed LLC.
- Step 8: Register for an employer identification number (EIN) for personal tax returns and open a business bank account.
FAQs
How Long Does It Take To Get an Alaska Business License?
It takes 10-15 business days to get an Alaska business license. Business licenses in Alaska are a must-have for all enterprises to conduct business there legally.
Is Alaska a Good State To Form an LLC?
Yes, Alaska is an excellent state to form an LLC. For starters, Alaska has low LLC filing fees and many tax credits, and business loans. Plus, Alaska LLCs are not mandated to pay state income and sales taxes.
Should You Hire an LLC Service in Alaska?
For most Alaska entrepreneurs, the quickest and easiest way to get started is to create an Alaska limited liability company, a business structure ideal for startups and small- to medium-sized enterprises.
It offers the same advantages and protections as larger Alaska firms but with fewer rules and limitations.
If you're considering starting your LLC registration process, here are the top Alaska LLC formation services that can help you with formation paperwork and compliance.
These LLC service providers offer low-cost LLC formation services with one of the industry's fastest response times.
Because of their speedy application procedure and excellent customer service team, you'll have the resources to launch your company and be operational in no time.
References:
- https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/Corporations/CorpFormsFees/FormsbyEntity.aspx
- https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/Corporations/OnlineFilingInstructionsNameReg.aspx
