Alaska · Start a business
How to start a business in Alaska
Alaska has no state sales and use tax, though some local jurisdictions impose their own sales taxes.
See the checklistShort answer
To start a business in Alaska, pick a structure and file with the Division of Corporations: $250 for an LLC, $250 for a corporation's articles. Then name a registered agent, get an EIN and register for state taxes. Alaska also requires a state-level business license or registration.
Last checked .What do you file before you open in Alaska?
Pick a structure
Most owners choose an LLC or a corporation; the S corp or C corp tax choice comes later. See Alaska LLC guide, Alaska corporation guide, S corp or C corp in Alaska. By trade: cleaning business, handyman.
Check and register the name
Search the Division of Corporations records before you pick a name: state name search. Alaska registers an unincorporated or DBA business name with the Corporations Section of the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, for a $25 filing fee, and a matching Alaska business license must be obtained first. 1 See Alaska name search guide.
File with the state
Alaska charges the state filing fee once: an LLC costs $250 2 and a corporation's articles of incorporation cost $250 3. See LLC cost.
Name a registered agent
An Alaska corporation must continuously maintain a registered agent and a registered office in Alaska, and the agent's business office must be the registered office. 4 Our registered agent service runs through our partner Registered Agents Inc (RAI), the registered agent of record. See Alaska registered agent rules.
Which accounts do you open after you file in Alaska?
Get an EIN
An EIN is the business's federal tax ID. The IRS issues it online, for free, and warns about websites that charge for one. 5
Open your state tax accounts
The Alaska Department of Revenue's Tax Division says the state has no sales and use tax, though some local jurisdictions impose local sales taxes. 6 See Sales tax permit.
Register as an employer
The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development's Employment Security Tax section requires registration from any organization that has employed one or more persons for some portion of a day, and the form asks for the date of the first payroll in Alaska. 7 Alaska employers report each hire, rehire or return to work to the Department of Revenue's Child Support Services Division within 20 days of the date of hire, online through myAlaska. 8 Alaska's Division of Workers' Compensation requires each employer with one or more employees in the state to carry workers' compensation insurance, and sole proprietors, partners and LLC members with at least 10% ownership are exempt from insuring themselves. 9
What keeps your Alaska business in good standing?
Check licenses and permits
Alaska law requires a person engaging in business in the state to obtain a business license from the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, at $50 a year. 10
Calendar the yearly filings
Alaska biennial report: $100, due every two years, by January 2. 11 See Alaska annual report.
Use free local help
Small business advising in Alaska runs through the Alaska SBDC. 12 The State of Alaska's business page at alaska.gov lists links for starting a business, business licenses, corporations, occupations requiring licenses and the Small Business Assistance Center. 13
What it costs to start a business in Alaska
Do you need a business license in Alaska?
Yes. Alaska requires a state-level license or registration from businesses in general; the rule is in step 8. 10 Where to look up licenses: State of Alaska business page.
How to register a business name in Alaska
| Question | Alaska |
|---|---|
| Where it is filed | With the state 1 |
| Office | Corporations Section |
| What it is called | unincorporated or DBA business name registration |
| Fee | $25 |
Check that the name is free first: state name search.
Also in Alaska
- Tobacco and nicotine endorsement. Alaska adds a $100 per location endorsement to the business license for a business that sells tobacco products, electronic smoking products or products containing nicotine. 15
- Corporate officers and unemployment insurance. Alaska's Employment Security Tax section excludes corporate officers from unemployment insurance coverage unless a Voluntary Election of Coverage for Excluded Employment is filed and approved by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. 16
More for Alaska
Start your Alaska business
We file it, and the state fee shows before you pay.
Start my LLCCommon questions
What are the steps to start a business in Alaska?
Pick a structure, file with the Division of Corporations, name a registered agent, get an EIN, register for state taxes with the Alaska Department of Revenue, then handle hiring, licenses, yearly filings and local help.
What does it cost to register a business in Alaska?
In Alaska, an LLC filing is $250 and a corporation's articles of incorporation are $250. The biennial report is $100 every two years.
Can I start a business in Alaska with no money?
Alaska charges $250 to file an LLC, and the biennial report is $100 every two years. An EIN is the business's federal tax ID. The IRS issues it online, for free, and warns about websites that charge for one. The Alaska Small Business Development Center, hosted by the University of Alaska Anchorage through its Business Enterprise Institute, offers no-cost one-on-one business advising from 7 offices.
Are there small business grants in Alaska?
The Division of Investments in the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development runs a Small Business Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund that finances the start-up and expansion of businesses creating long-term employment.
What is the Alaska SBDC?
The Alaska Small Business Development Center, hosted by the University of Alaska Anchorage through its Business Enterprise Institute, offers no-cost one-on-one business advising from 7 offices.
Sources 17 links, checked Nov 12, 2026
- DBA or trade name registration commerce.alaska.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- Official state fee schedule for LLC filings commerce.alaska.gov, checked Oct 17, 2026
- Corporation filing commerce.alaska.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Registered agent rule akleg.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- IRS: employer identification number irs.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- State tax registration tax.alaska.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- Unemployment insurance registration labor.alaska.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- New hire reporting childsupport.alaska.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- Workers' compensation coverage labor.alaska.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- General business license commerce.alaska.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- Alaska biennial report commerce.alaska.gov, checked Oct 4, 2026
- Small Business Development Center aksbdc.org, checked Nov 12, 2026
- State business portal alaska.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- US Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (monthly file, 2025 added up) census.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- Tobacco and nicotine endorsement commerce.alaska.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- Corporate officers and unemployment insurance labor.alaska.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- State small business funding commerce.alaska.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
Last verified Nov 12, 2026.
This page explains the rules; it is not legal or tax advice.