How to Start an LLC in Wisconsin

Starting an LLC in Wisconsin is Easy

To form a Wisconsin LLC you'll need to file the Articles of Organization with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, which costs $130 online. You can apply online or by mail. The Articles of Organization is the legal document that officially creates your Wisconsin Limited Liability Company.

Follow our step-by-step How to Start an LLC in Wisconsin guide to get started today. You can learn more about LLCs and their benefits in our What is an LLC guide. To learn how to form an LLC in Spanish, read our Cómo crear una LLC en Wisconsin guide.

STEP 1: Name your Wisconsin LLC

Choosing a company name is the first and most important step in starting your Wisconsin LLC. Be sure to choose a name that complies with Wisconsin naming requirements and is easily searchable by potential clients.

1. Follow the naming guidelines:

• Your name must include the phrase “limited liability company” or one of its abbreviations (LLC or L.L.C.).
• Your name cannot include words that could confuse your LLC with a government agency (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.).
• Restricted words (e.g. Bank, Attorney, University) may require additional paperwork and a licensed individual, such as a doctor or lawyer, to be part of your LLC.
• Your name must be distinguishable from any Wisconsin limited liability company (LLC), corporation, limited liability partnership (LLP), or limited partnership (LP).

2. Is the name available in Wisconsin? Make sure the name you want isn't already taken by doing a name search with the State of Wisconsin's Business Entity Search.

To learn more about searching for a Wisconsin LLC name, read our full guide.

3. Is the URL available? We recommend that you check online to see if your business name is available as a web domain. Even if you don't plan to make a business website today, you may want to buy the URL in order to prevent others from acquiring it.

Now that you have verified your name and secured the URL you may select a professional service to complete the LLC formation process for you. We recommend using one of these professional services:

Northwest ($29 + State Fees)

LegalZoom ($79 + State Fees)

FAQ: Naming a Wisconsin LLC

STEP 2: Choose a Registered Agent in Wisconsin

You are required to nominate a Wisconsin registered agent for your LLC.

What is a Registered Agent? A registered agent is an individual or business entity responsible for receiving important legal documents on behalf of your business. Think of your registered agent as your business's point of contact with the state.

Who can be a Registered Agent? a Registered Agent must be a resident of Wisconsin or a corporation, such as a registered agent service, authorized to transact business in Wisconsin. You may elect an individual within the company including yourself.

To learn more about Wisconsin Registered Agents, read our full guide.

Recommended: Northwest provides the first year of registered agent service free with LLC formation ($29 + State Fees)

FAQ: Nominating a Wisconsin LLC Registered Agent

STEP 3: File the Wisconsin LLC Articles of Organization

To register your Wisconsin LLC, you'll need to file the Articles of Organization with the Department of Financial Institutions. You can apply online or by mail.

Now is a good time to determine whether your LLC will be member-managed vs. manager-managed.

For help with completing the form, visit our Wisconsin Articles of Organization guide.

If you’re expanding your existing LLC to the state of Wisconsin, you will need to form a Foreign LLC.

FAQ: Filing Wisconsin LLC Documents

STEP 4: Create a Wisconsin LLC Operating Agreement

An operating agreement is not required for a Wisconsin LLC, but it's a good practice to have one.

What is an operating agreement? An operating agreement is a legal document outlining the ownership and operating procedures of an LLC.

Why are operating agreements important? A comprehensive operating agreement ensures that all business owners are on the same page and reduces the risk of future conflict.

For more information on operating agreements, read our Wisconsin LLC operating agreement guide.

FAQ: Creating a Wisconsin LLC Operating Agreement

STEP 5: Get a Wisconsin LLC EIN

What is an EIN? EIN stands for Employer Identification Number. EINs are a nine-digit number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to help identify businesses for tax purposes. It is essentially a Social Security number for a business.

An EIN is sometimes referred to as a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or Federal Tax Identification Number (FTIN).

Why do I need an EIN? An EIN is required to:

• Open a business bank account
• File and manage Federal and State Taxes
• Hire employees

What if I already have an EIN for my sole proprietorship? The IRS requires that sole proprietorships get a new EIN when converting to an LLC.

Where do I get an EIN? You can get an EIN for free from the IRS. Getting an EIN is an easy process that can be done online or by mail.

FOR INTERNATIONAL EIN APPLICANTS: You do not need a SSN to get an EIN. For more information, read our How to Get an EIN as a Foreign Person guide.

FAQ: Getting a Wisconsin LLC EIN

Important Steps After Formation

Separate Your Personal and Business Assets

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your Wisconsin LLC is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing the corporate veil.

You can start protecting your LLC in Wisconsin with these steps:

1. Opening a business checking account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Need help finding your EIN for your bank application? Visit our EIN Lookup guide for help.

2. Getting a business credit card:

• Helps categorize and separate all business expenses for end-of-year tax purposes.
• Helps build your business credit score — an essential step toward getting a line of credit or business loan in the future. 
• Allows you to keep track of department expenses by issuing multiple cards (with multiple budgets) to your employees.

For a closer look at business credit cards and their benefits, check out our review of the best small business credit cards.

For other important steps to protect your corporate veil, like properly signing legal documents and documenting company business, please read our corporate veil article.

3. Hiring a business accountant:

• Prevents your business from overpaying on taxes while helping you avoid penalties, fines, and other costly tax errors
• Makes bookkeeping and payroll easier, leaving you with more time to focus on your growing business 
• Manages your business funding more effectively, discovering areas of unforeseen loss or extra profit

For more business accounting tools, read our guide to the best business accounting software.

Get Business Insurance For Your Wisconsin LLC

Business insurance helps you manage risks and focus on growing your business. The most common types of business insurance are:

• General Liability Insurance: A broad insurance policy that protects your business from lawsuits. Most small businesses get general liability insurance.
• Professional Liability Insurance: A business insurance for professional service providers (consultants, accountants, etc.) that covers claims of malpractice and other business errors.
• Workers' Compensation Insurance: A type of insurance that provides coverage for employees’ job-related illnesses, injuries, or deaths. In Wisconsin, businesses with three or more employees, excluding business owners, are required by law to have workers compensation insurance.

Read our review of the best small business insurance companies.

Create Your Business Website

Creating a website is a big step in legitimizing your business. Every business needs a website. Even if you think that your business is too small or in an offline industry, if you don’t have a website, you are missing out on a large percentage of potential customers and revenue.

Some may fear that creating a business website is out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

• All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
• Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own and control.
• Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Using our website building guides, the process will be simple and painless and shouldn’t take you any longer than 2-3 hours to complete.

Send Out a Press Release

Press releases are among the easiest and best ways to promote your business. They are also one of the most cost-effective strategies as they:

• Provides publicity
• Establish your brand presence on the web
• Improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO), driving more customers to your website
• Are a one-time cost in terms of effort and money
• Have long-lasting benefits

Keep Your Company Compliant

Wisconsin Business Permits & Licenses

Do I need business licenses and permits?

To operate your LLC you must comply with federal, state, and local government regulations. For example, restaurants likely need health permits, building permits, signage permits, etc.

The details of business licenses and permits vary from state to state. Make sure you read carefully. Don't be surprised if there are short classes required as well.

Fees for business licenses and permits will vary depending on what sort of license you are seeking to obtain.

Find out how to obtain necessary licenses and permits for your business or have a professional service do it for you:

• Business License Guide: Use our detailed Wisconsin Business License guide.
• Federal: Use the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) guide.
• State: Learn more about licenses, permits, and registration from Wisconsin's Department of Safety and Professional Services.
• Local: Contact your local county clerk and ask about local licenses and permits.

Wisconsin LLC Taxes

Depending on the nature of your business, you may be required to register for one or more forms of state tax.

Wisconsin Sales Tax

If you are selling a physical product, you’ll typically need to register for a seller's permit through the Wisconsin Department of Revenue website.

This certificate allows a business to collect sales tax on taxable sales.

Sales tax, also called "Sales and Use Tax," is a tax levied by states, counties, and municipalities on business transactions involving the exchange of certain taxable goods or services.

Read our Wisconsin sales tax guide to find out more.

Wisconsin Employer Taxes

If you have employees in Wisconsin, you will need to register for Unemployment Insurance Tax through the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. You will also need to sign up for Employee Withholding Tax through the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

Federal LLC Tax Filing Requirements

Most LLCs will need to report their income to the IRS each year using:

• Form 1065 Partnership Return (most multi-member LLCs use this form)
• Form 1040 Schedule C (most single-member LLCs use this form)

How you pay yourself as an owner will also affect your federal taxes. Visit our guide to learn more about how to pay yourself from your LLC.

File Your LLC Annual Report

Wisconsin requires LLCs to file an annual report with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

Avoid Automatic Dissolution

LLCs may face fines and even automatic dissolution when they miss one or more state filings. When this happens, LLC owners risk loss of limited liability protection. A quality registered agent service can help prevent this outcome by notifying you of upcoming filing deadlines and by submitting reports on your behalf.

Hiring Employees

If you plan to hire employees, stay compliant with the law by following these steps:

• Verify that new employees are able to work in the US
• Report employees as "new hires" to the State
• Provide workers' compensation insurance for employees
• Withhold employee taxes
• Print workplace compliance posters and place them in visible areas of your workspace

Find more information at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development website under "Employer Online Services."

FAQ: Hiring Employees

Small Business Resources

Get Help Starting a Business in Wisconsin

We understand that creating an LLC and getting your business up and running comes with many challenges. To help you succeed, we compiled the best local resources in every major metro area in Wisconsin. You can get free assistance in the following areas:

Eau Claire | Green Bay | La Crosse | Madison | Milwaukee

Small Business Trends

Learn about the current US business trends so you can make the most informed business decisions.

Women in Business Tools and Resources

If you have a woman-owned business, many resources are available to help you concentrate on your business’s growth:

• Funding - (ie. grants, investors, loans)
• Events - (ie. conferences, meetups)
• Guides - (ie. business formation, personal growth)
• Support - (ie. advice, communities, business strategies)

Our information and tools will provide educational sources, allow you to connect with other women entrepreneurs, and help you manage your business with ease.

Free LLC Legal Forms

TRUiC offers a number of free LLC legal forms to help with creating documents like:

• Operating agreements
• LLC resolutions
• Hiring documents, including:
  
  • Employment contracts
  • Independent contractor service agreements (ICSA)
  • Non-disclosure agreements (NDA)

All you’ll need to do to download the forms is sign up for the TRUiC Business Center, which is also free, forever.

How to Build Business Credit

Learning how to build business credit can help you get credit cards and other business funding options in your business's name (instead of yours), with better interest rates, higher lines of credit, and more.

TRUiC’s Small Business Tools

TRUiC believes business tools should be free and useful. Our tools help solve business challenges, from finding an idea for your business, to creating a business plan, writing an operating agreement for your LLC, and more.

Check out TRUiC’s small business tools:

• Business Name Generator
• Business Idea Generator
• Free Logo Maker
• Operating Agreement Tool
• Business Plan Generator
• Entrepreneur Quiz

More Wisconsin LLC Information

Wisconsin Foreign LLCs

Forming a foreign LLC allows your company to operate as one entity in multiple states. If you have an existing LLC and want to do business in Wisconsin, you will need to register as a foreign LLC. This can be done online

How to Obtain a Certificate of Good Standing in Wisconsin

A Certificate of Good Standing, known in Wisconsin as a Certificate of Status, verifies that your LLC was legally formed and has been properly maintained. Several instances where you might need to get one include:

• Seeking funding from banks or other lenders
• Forming your business as a foreign LLC in another state
• Obtaining or renewing specific business licenses or permits

You can file a Wisconsin LLC Certificate of Status online or by mail through the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institution.

How to Dissolve an LLC in Wisconsin

If at any point in the future you no longer wish to conduct business with your Wisconsin LLC, it is important to officially dissolve it. Failure to do so in a timely fashion can result in tax liabilities and penalties, or even legal trouble. To dissolve your Wisconsin LLC, there are two broad steps:

• Close your business tax accounts
• File the Wisconsin LLC Articles of Dissolution

When you are ready to dissolve your LLC, follow the steps in our Wisconsin LLC Dissolution Guide.