New Hampshire · Start a business

How to start a business in New Hampshire

New Hampshire taxes business profits and enterprise value, with business profits returns required above $92,000 of gross income.

As of 4 min readVermilion Vitez Team

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STATE FILING FEE$102FILEDSECRETARY OF STATEEINAPROPENNEW HAMPSHIRE · 10 STEPSFrom structure to open door

Short answer

To start a business in New Hampshire, pick a structure and file with the Secretary of State: $102 for an LLC, $100 for a corporation's articles. Then name a registered agent, get an EIN and register for state taxes.

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What do you file before you open in New Hampshire?

  1. Pick a structure

    Most owners choose an LLC or a corporation; the S corp or C corp tax choice comes later. See New Hampshire LLC guide, New Hampshire corporation guide, S corp or C corp in New Hampshire. 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. The New Hampshire Secretary of State takes trade name registrations and charges a $50 fee for filing, plus a $50 fee for renewing a registration. 1 See New Hampshire name search guide.

  3. File with the state

    New Hampshire charges the state filing fee once: an LLC costs $102 2 and a corporation's articles of incorporation cost $100 3. See LLC cost.

  4. Name a registered agent

    Every New Hampshire corporation must continuously maintain a registered office and a registered agent in New Hampshire. 4 Our registered agent service runs through our partner Registered Agents Inc (RAI), the registered agent of record. See New Hampshire registered agent rules.

Which accounts do you open after you file in New Hampshire?

  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. 5

  2. Open your state tax accounts

    New Hampshire's meals and rooms tax law requires each operator to register each place of business where it operates a hotel, sells taxable meals or rents motor vehicles, and no one may do so without first obtaining the license required. 6 See Sales tax permit.

  3. Register as an employer

    Under New Hampshire's unemployment compensation law, an employer is an employing unit that had workers in 20 different calendar weeks, or paid wages of $1,500 or more in a calendar quarter, in the current or preceding year. 7 New Hampshire employing units report a hire, rehire or contract for services to the Department of Employment Security within 20 days of the action. 8 New Hampshire's workers' compensation law defines a private employer as any person, partnership, association or corporation that employs one or more persons. Corporate officers and LLC members and managers beyond 3 count as employees. 9

What keeps your New Hampshire business in good standing?

  1. Check licenses and permits

    Ask New Hampshire and your city or county which licenses your trade needs.

  2. Calendar the yearly filings

    New Hampshire annual report: $100, due April 1 every year. 10 See New Hampshire annual report.

  3. Use free local help

    Small business advising in New Hampshire runs through the NH Small Business Development Center. 11 The New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs describes NH Business Gateway as a portal that brings together state agencies and partners in one process for creating, maintaining and growing a business, with more than 100 business-related resources. 12

What it costs to start a business in New Hampshire

$102to file an LLC 2
$100to file a corporation's articles 3
$50for a trade name 1
$100each year, annual report 10
17,136business applications filed in New Hampshire in 2025 13

How to register a business name in New Hampshire

QuestionNew Hampshire
Where it is filedWith the state 1
OfficeSecretary of State
What it is calledtrade name
Fee$50

Check that the name is free first: state name search.

Also in New Hampshire

  • Business profits tax return. New Hampshire's business profits tax requires a return from every business organization with gross business income above $92,000 in the taxable period, and the threshold is adjusted biennially. 14
  • Business enterprise tax. New Hampshire imposes a business enterprise tax of 0.55 percent on the taxable enterprise value tax base of every business enterprise, for taxable periods ending on or after December 31, 2022. 15

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Common questions

What are the steps to start a business in New Hampshire?

Pick a structure, file with the Secretary of State, name a registered agent, get an EIN, register for state taxes, then handle hiring, licenses, yearly filings and local help.

What does it cost to register a business in New Hampshire?

In New Hampshire, an LLC filing is $102 and a corporation's articles of incorporation are $100. The annual report is $100 each year.

Can I start a business in New Hampshire with no money?

New Hampshire charges $102 to file an LLC, and the annual report is $100 each year. 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 New Hampshire Small Business Development Center gives confidential advising at no charge to businesses across the state, and 3,000 small businesses in approximately 200 communities use its programs each year.

Are there small business grants in New Hampshire?

The New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs administers state and federal grants, including the State Trade Expansion Program, which funds small businesses entering or expanding global markets.

What is the New Hampshire SBDC?

The New Hampshire Small Business Development Center gives confidential advising at no charge to businesses across the state, and 3,000 small businesses in approximately 200 communities use its programs each year.

Sources 16 links, checked Nov 13, 2026
  1. DBA or trade name registration gc.nh.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  2. Official state fee schedule for LLC filings sos.nh.gov, checked Oct 17, 2026
  3. Corporation filing gc.nh.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
  4. Registered agent rule gc.nh.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
  5. IRS: employer identification number irs.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
  6. State tax registration gc.nh.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  7. Unemployment insurance registration gc.nh.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  8. New hire reporting gc.nh.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  9. Workers' compensation coverage gc.nh.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  10. New Hampshire annual report quickstart.sos.nh.gov, checked Sep 1, 2026
  11. Small Business Development Center nhsbdc.org, checked Nov 13, 2026
  12. State business portal nheconomy.com, checked Nov 13, 2026
  13. US Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (monthly file, 2025 added up) census.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
  14. Business profits tax return gc.nh.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  15. Business enterprise tax gc.nh.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
  16. State small business funding nheconomy.com, checked Nov 13, 2026

Last verified Nov 13, 2026.

This page explains the rules; it is not legal or tax advice.

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