How to start a business in Mississippi

What do you file before you open in Mississippi?

1. Pick a structure

   Most owners choose an LLC or a corporation; the S corp or C corp tax choice comes later. See Mississippi LLC guide, Mississippi corporation guide, S corp or C corp in Mississippi. By trade: cleaning business, handyman.

2. Check and register the name

   Search the Secretary of State records before you pick a name: state name search. See Mississippi name search guide.

3. File with the state

   Mississippi charges the state filing fee once: an LLC costs $53 ¹ and a corporation's articles of incorporation cost $50 ². See LLC cost.

4. Name a registered agent

   Mississippi uses "registered agent" under the Mississippi Registered Agents Act (Miss. Code §79-35-1 and following), in effect since January 1, 2013. The Act created two kinds of agent, commercial and noncommercial. An LLC's certificate of formation must name its agent (§79-29-201(1)(b), which points to §79-35-5(a)). The same 2012 act repealed the old LLC-specific agent section, §79-29-113. ³ Our registered agent service runs through our partner Registered Agents Inc (RAI), the registered agent of record. See Mississippi registered agent rules.

Which accounts do you open after you file in Mississippi?

1. 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. ⁴

2. Open your state tax accounts

   The Mississippi Department of Revenue says any entity operating in Mississippi may be liable for taxes and should register, and most taxes can be registered for online through TAP. ⁵ See Sales tax permit.

3. Register as an employer

   The Mississippi Department of Employment Security registers new employers for unemployment tax once liability starts, which for most commercial businesses means $1,500.00 in wages in a calendar quarter or a worker in 20 different calendar weeks. ⁶ The Mississippi Department of Human Services says all employers must report basic information about newly hired personnel within 15 days, and points them to the State Directory of New Hires website. ⁷ The Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission says the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Act requires coverage if an employer has five or more workers in service regularly in the same business or establishment. ⁸

What keeps your Mississippi business in good standing?

1. Check licenses and permits

   The Mississippi Secretary of State's Office says companies in certain types of business may need to file additional registrations, pass examinations or provide certifications to other state agencies or boards. ⁹

2. Calendar the yearly filings

   Mississippi annual report, due April 15 every year. ¹⁰ See Mississippi annual report.

3. Use free local help

   Small business advising in Mississippi runs through the Mississippi SBDC Network. ¹¹

What it costs to start a business in Mississippi

Do you need a business license in Mississippi?

It depends on the trade and the place. The U.S. Small Business Administration says most small businesses need a combination of licenses and permits from federal and state agencies, and that requirements and fees depend on the business activity and the issuing agency. ¹³ Mississippi's own rule is in step 8. ⁹ Where to look up licenses: Mississippi SOS.

Also in Mississippi

• Electronic W-2 filing. The Mississippi Department of Revenue requires employers that issue 10 or more W-2s to submit them to the department electronically. ¹⁴
• MDES e-mail correspondence. The Mississippi Department of Employment Security says employers are required to register for e-mail correspondence. ¹⁵

More for Mississippi

• LLC guide
• Corporation guide
• Mississippi LLC cost
• Name search
• Registered agent
• Mississippi sales tax permit
• Annual report
• S corp or C corp

Common questions