Are you looking to form a limited liability company (LLC) in Oregon, but you’re not sure how the process works? There are several important steps to create a compliant Oregon LLC that can do business in the state.
To get started, please reference our 6-step guide below or hire an affordable online LLC formation service.
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What is an Oregon LLC?
The Oregon LLC is one of the most popular business structures in the state. It’s a more casual and flexible type of business than a corporation, but includes the personal asset protection that’s lacking from sole proprietorships and general partnerships.
LLCs in Oregon have simple formation and maintenance requirements, several options for how they can be taxed, and flexible management. From one-person businesses to multi-member LLCs with several owners, the LLC is a popular choice for a reason.
Setting up a brand-new Oregon LLC in 6 Steps
For the first part of this guide, we’ll cover the 6 essential steps to setting up an Oregon business that doesn’t have employees yet. These steps also apply to businesses with employees, but we’re keeping things streamlined to start. If you do have employees, make sure you complete these steps and the steps for employers (which we’ll cover later in the guide).
Step One: Choose a business name
Your LLC’s name is often the first impression you get to make on potential customers, and therefore it goes without saying that this is an important step. There are a few different aspects to consider when naming your business.
Legalities
In the state of Oregon, you’re required by law to meet several requirements for your business name. Here’s a quick glimpse at the rules for LLCs:
- Your name must include the phrase “limited liability company” or the abbreviation “LLC” or “L.L.C.”
- Your name cannot include identifiers that belong to other entity types, such as “Co.” or “Inc.”
- Your name must be written in letters from the English language along with standard punctuation, Arabic numbers, or Roman numerals
- Your name must be “distinguishable on the record,” or distinct from the names of other state businesses
For more information on naming rules in Oregon, please consult the Limited Liability Company Name section of the Oregon Limited Liability Company Act.
Explanatory Naming
Another aspect to consider is including language that explains what your business does ― for example, if you’re starting a coffee shop, put the word “coffee” or “brew” in your LLC name. Additionally, if your business has strong values like being environmentally friendly, you can indicate that by including the word “green.” This helps potential customers know exactly what to expect from your business.
Once you’ve picked the perfect name for your business, you don’t want to lose it to another aspiring entrepreneur. Thankfully, Oregon allows you to reserve your business name if you’re not quite ready to register your business. To do that, you’ll need to file a Name Reservation Application online and pay a $100 fee.
Filing this reservation protects your chosen name for your exclusive use for 120 days. You can learn more about name reservations here.
Step Two: Appoint a Registered Agent
Every LLC in Oregon is required to designate a registered agent, which is the individual or registered agent service that receives government correspondence on behalf of your business, then forwards those documents to you.
When you appoint an Oregon registered agent, here are the state requirements to be mindful of:
- Every entity that files with the Secretary of State (both domestic and foreign) must appoint a registered agent
- The agent must be an individual resident of the state OR a business with authority to operate in the state
- An agent must be continuously maintained
You can find a full rundown of the state laws here.
Without a registered agent, you could lose your good standing with the state of Oregon, and the state also has the right to dissolve your LLC if they decide to. In a worst-case scenario, you could miss the alert regarding a lawsuit against your company, which could even lead to a judgment against your business because you didn’t defend yourself.
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Step Three: File Formation Documents
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Once you are ready to form your Oregon limited liability company, you will fill out the Articles of Organization. You can either do this on your own or hire an Oregon LLC service. Some services, like ZenBusiness, even offer discounts on their service.
This is THE document that will register your LLC with the state. You’ll want to ensure all of the following information is correct on the form:
- Your chosen business name
- The duration of of the business (and the dissolution date if not perpetual)
- Principal office address
- The registered agent’s name and address
- Address where the state may mail notices
- Management structure for the business
- The services your business will offer (if rendering professional services that require licenses)
- Optional provisions
- Name and address of each organizer
- Name and address of each owner and each manager
- A person to serve as a point of contact (must have direct knowledge of the LLC’s operation)
- Signature of each person forming the business and their contact information
Oregon requests a lot of information in this form, but honestly, it’s a pretty simple filing. There aren’t any truly complicated extra steps to complete. As long as you fill out all the required information, you should be set to go. You can also file the form online, if you prefer.
- Total cost: $100
- Processing Speed: up to 7 business days
- Expedited processing: $30 for 2-day turnaround
Step Four: Draft an Operating Agreement
After you register an LLC in Oregon, create a detailed outline that explains how you will run and manage your new business. Even though it doesn’t need to be filed with the state, put one together and keep it for your records.
When you open a bank account, you may be asked for this document in order to open an account. You’ll also want to keep in mind that any future business partners or managing members may also be interested in seeing your Operating Agreement before joining your company. After all, this document essentially serves as your overall plan for success.
An attorney can help you outline your Operating Agreement or create one from a free template online. You can read more about Operating Agreements, but some of the basic information you’ll want to have includes:
- Individual members’ ownership percentages
- Rights and responsibilities
- Voting powers and meeting guidelines
- Allocation of profits and losses
- Management rules for the LLC
- Provisions for buying a member owner out, or transferring their shares in the case of illness or death
Step Five: Get Licenses & Permits
Oregon law requires an LLC to obtain all necessary licenses and permits before starting operations. State law also decrees that an LLC can only provide one specific type of service. All owners of the LLC must be licensed or registered to provide the specific service under which the LLC was assembled.
The type and cost of the permits that your business may require varies depending on the nature of the services your LLC offers. In Oregon, there isn’t a statewide general business license that applies to every entity in the state. Instead, cities and counties can require one if they choose. So whether or not you’ll need a general business license largely depends on your location.
In addition to the general business licenses required on the county level, there’s a good chance that you’ll need a professional or occupational license. For example, Oregon requires licenses for hemp growers, pesticide applicators, and more. But you’ll have to do your own research to learn what the requirements are for your industry. The Business Xpress Licensing Directory is a great place to start that search.
Obtain a Business Bank Account
One of the most important aspects of running an LLC is ensuring that your business funds remain separate from your personal finances. And to do that, you’ll need a separate bank account for your business.
Obtaining a business bank account is pretty simple, and you can choose the financial institution you like best. Some banks will ask to review your LLC’s operating agreement, and some also ask to see your EIN (see the Employers section below). Once you have your account, you’ll be able to get checks, make payments using your business card, and so on.
If you failed to get a business bank account, you would technically be blurring the line between your personal accounts and your business accounts. That compromises your personal asset protection.
Next Steps for Newly-Formed LLCs
1. Prepare for tax time
Regardless of how far away April 15th is, it’s never too soon to prepare for tax time and setting up accounting software. As an LLC owner, the exact tax rates you’ll pay depend on the taxation structure you choose for your business. If you choose to be taxed as a corporation, the LLC itself will pay taxes from its own funds. Meanwhile, LLCs taxed as pass-through entities don’t technically pay taxes; its members do. The profits are distributed to the LLCs members, and each member reports that income on Schedule C of their personal taxes.
If you choose to be taxed as a corporation, you’ll pay the following rates:
- Federal: 21%
- State: the corporate activity and the corporate excise tax instead
Meanwhile, LLCs taxed as pass-through entities pay these rates:
- Federal: 10-37%, rising on a fixed-bracket scale
- State: 5-9.9%
In order to compliantly file and pay your taxes, you’ll fill out a complete copy of federal Form 1065 including all federal K-1s, statements, and attachments. If you’re taxed as a pass-through entity, you’ll file and pay the state income tax using Form OR-40. But corporate income taxes are a tad more complicated, as it’s a combination of the corporate activity tax and the corporate excise tax. The corporate activity tax acts a lot like a gross receipts tax for everything over $1 million in gross taxable income; the rate begins at $250 (plus 0.57%). Meanwhile, the corporate excise tax ranges between $100 and $100,000 depending on your income.
Beyond that, it’s important to remember that Oregon has a few industry-specific taxes and fees that may or may not apply to your business. For example, there are taxes for timber, lodging, heavy equipment rentals, and more. To learn more about these and other business taxes, check out the Oregon Department of Revenue.
Because taxes can be incredibly complicated, we highly recommend consulting with a business attorney or accountant to ensure that you cover all requirements on the state and federal level.
2. Be ready to file your annual report
All business owners operating in Oregon must complete an annual report (called an Online Renewal) every year. Not only does this report show that your business is still open, but it also updates the state on important information about your business that may have changed over the course of the year.
Oregon only offers online filing for this report, and it’s due by the anniversary date of your LLC, or the date you formed your business to begin with. Oregon charges a $100 fee for this document.
3. Consider business insurance
The big advantage to the LLC is that it offers you personal asset protection. But that doesn’t mean that mishaps won’t happen along the way. We highly recommend obtaining a general liability policy with the right coverage for your business.
In the event of a mishap or natural disaster, an insurance policy can help you navigate unexpected expenses. Be sure to compare your different options to get the best coverage for your particular type of business.
Extra Steps for Businesses with Employees
When you’re operating as a one- or two-person show, operating a business is relatively streamlined. Things get more complicated when you bring employees into the picture, but employees also help raise your business to new heights. But to reach those heights, you need to comply with employee-related legal requirements.
Step One: Address employee-related taxes
Any business with employees must obtain an EIN, or an Employer Identification Number. This is a free registration with the IRS, and the number acts a lot like a social security number for a business. Obtaining the number also lays the groundwork for other taxes, such as social security and withholding taxes. For example, you’re required to withhold income taxes from employee paychecks, make social security and medicare tax payments, and pay unemployment fund taxes. For more information on employer taxes at the federal level, look here.
There are similar taxes on the state level. For example, Oregon requires withholding taxes, contributions to the unemployment insurance fund, and more. We recommend consulting with the Payroll withholding taxes resource page (on the state website) and the Employment Department to learn what taxes apply to you and your business.
Step Two: Obtain additional insurance
Nearly every Oregon business with employees is strictly required to get workers’ compensation insurance. For more information on this policy requirement, check out the Employer Resources page by the Workers’ Compensation Division.
If you haven’t already obtained a general liability policy, we highly recommend that you do so when you bring employees into the business. The more people you have involved in a business, the higher your risk of needing general liability insurance.
Of course, proper care and discretion will eliminate most problems, but incidents happen—from faulty products to an employee slipping and falling and theft and many places in between. And in some cases, insurance can be the difference between a minor hiccup and a budget-breaker.
Step Three: Enlist Help
For some entrepreneurs, part of the fun of running a business is the opportunity to wear lots of different hats: accountant, manager, marketer, quality control expert—it’s a near-endless list. And if your business is still pretty small, you might be able to handle many of these tasks yourself, especially if you’re prepared with a business administration degree.
But if you aren’t (and it certainly isn’t a prerequisite), some of these tasks may leave you feeling overburdened or out of your depth. For instance, navigating employer-related taxes might steal valuable time that you’d rather spend promoting your business or developing a new product. An accountant or tax attorney, however, knows those tasks like the back of their hand. You may decide it’s worth the added expense to enlist their help.
Ultimately, it’s your decision whether to bring in professionals or DIY. But in our opinion, it’s often worth it to get help from specialized pros.