Pricing $89.00 per year, special for pre-pay $40 per year

Don’t get fooled by companies claiming the lowest price and increasing it later. Our pricing is very simple. We charge $89 per year. We also have few specials. Whenever you decide to pre-pay additional years you get them for $40/year.

Why you need a Registered Agent?

Maine State laws require business entities to maintain a Resident Agent in the state that you form your business. The agent’s name and office address are included in the Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Organization to give public notice of where to send important documents to your business entity.

If you need Registered agent in other State than Maine click here.
We offer Registered Agent service in all 50 States.

State Fee for changing Maine Registered Agent

Registered Agent Change/Change of Office: $35.00

Registered Agent Requirements

Each domestic corporation shall maintain in this State a clerk, who is a natural person resident in this State. The clerk may be, but is not required to be, one of the directors or officers of the corporation, or the clerk may be a person holding no other position with the corporation. The clerk must be appointed by the corporation’s board of directors unless the articles of incorporation reserve appointment of the clerk to the shareholders. The clerk of a corporation is not an officer but performs the functions provided in this Act. The duties of the clerk are ministerial only, and the clerk is not liable in that capacity for any liabilities of the corporation, including, but not limited to, debts, claims, taxes, fines or penalties. Unless otherwise provided by the bylaws, the clerk shall keep on file a list of all shareholders of the corporation and keep, in a book kept for that purpose, the records of all shareholders’ meetings, including all records of all votes and minutes of the meetings. These records may be kept by the clerk at the registered office or another office of the corporation to which the clerk has ready access.

Annual reports are due by June 1st and the cost is $85 for corporations and LLCs.

If you need help, we can file the annual report for you. Our fe is only $15. To order our service, please click on the following link:

Order Maine Annual Report Service

Didn’t find answer to your question? Email as at [email protected]

Business Information & Rankings

• Maine ranked 19th on the Cost-of-Doing-Business Index. (Milken Foundation, 2005
• Maine has the 5th Fairest State Tax System in the nation. (Corporation for Enterprise Development.)
• Maine was one of 10 states to receive an ?A? in the Corporation for Enterprise Development’s 2005 Assets and Opportunity Scorecard.

Cost of Living Index

There is no government data available on the cost of living in Maine.

Crime Rate

Maine has the 5th lowest crime ranking in the U.S. (F.B.I., 2004)

Fees & Taxes

Business Inventory Tax
Business inventory is exempt.

Corporate Income Tax

Alternative minimum tax imposed equal to the amount by which the state minimum tax (27% of adjusted federal tentative minimum tax) exceeds Maine income tax liability, other than withholding tax liability.

Personal Income Tax
Maine’s personal income tax system consists of four brackets with top rate of 8.5% starting at an income level of $16,699.

Personal Property Tax
All real and tangible personal property located in the state of Maine is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. Maine does not levy an intangible personal property tax.

Property taxes vary and are assessed locally, but a statewide program enables businesses to recoup taxes paid on new personal property. Qualified property placed in service after April 1, 1995, is eligible for a full State reimbursement for a maximum of 12 years. Eligible property includes any machinery and equipment used exclusively for business purposes, except office furniture and lighting fixtures.

State Sales and Use Tax
Base Rate: 5.0%
Machinery Rate: None

An exemption on the sales of machinery and equipment used by the purchaser directly in producing tangible personal property to be sold or leased for final use.

Unemployment Insurance
Maine’s new employers’ rate is 1.73% for 1 year.

Maine, a business friendly state has witnessed an increase in its GDP from $46.62 billion in 2000 to $52 billion in 2006 and in 2017; it increased to $52.8 billion. Some of the industries that have shown steady growth in this billion dollar economy include manufacturing, management of companies and enterprises, arts, entertainment & recreation, healthcare and social assistance, and accommodation and food services. The growing business economy is responsible for the rise in the number of startup companies in Maine.

Advantages of setting up an LLC or Corporation

There are several advantages or benefits that business can enjoy when they register a new company in Maine. One of the primary benefits is that the labor costs are 6% less than the national per capita rate, which transforms into savings. If you were to set up an LLC or a corporation in Maine, then the specific advantages of these two types of entities are:

Advantage#1: Salient benefits of Corporation or LLC formation

Corporation

• Independent Life: If you register a new business in Maine as an S Corporation then it will enjoy an independent life. The business entity will continue operations undisturbed even if it faces the death of one of its stockholders.
• Raise additional Funds: If you register a new company in Maine as a C Corporation then the business entity will be able to raise additional funds through the sale of stock.
• Change in Ownership: If you have formed an S Corporation in Maine then sale, and purchase of stock will be able to facilitate changes in ownership.

LLC

• Limited Liability: The owner of an LLC startup company in Maine will be able to enjoy limited liability protection, which means creditors can sue the LLC but not the owner or investors.
• No Privilege Tax: One of the benefits for LLC’s in the state of Maine is that there is no franchise or privilege tax applicable to businesses. As a result, the business entity will not be subject to any state tax on the net worth or income.
• No Minutes of meetings: Unlike a corporation, an LLC startup company in Maine will not be required to maintain any minutes of the meetings or resolutions.

Advantage#2: Business Incentives

Apart from the specific advantages of corporation and LLC, if you register a new business in Maine, there are several benefits that your business can leverage from. These benefits are considered as business incentives and are provided by state and federal agencies. Some of the most popular incentive programs include:

• Pine Tree Development Zones (PTZ): This is one of the most popular business incentive programs. In order to enjoy the benefits, you have to register a new company in Maine especially in the development zones and in eligible sectors, which are:
  – Financial Services
  – Aquaculture and Marine Technology
  – Biotechnology
  – Composite Materials Technology
  – Advanced Technologies for Forestry and Agriculture
  – Environmental Technology
  – Information Technology
  – Manufacturing and Precision Manufacturing
  As a part of this program, the business entity will be able to enjoy corporate tax credits as well as sales and use tax exemptions on real and personal property.
• Finance Authority Of Maine: This is a quasi-governmental agency that provides a wide variety of financing options to startup companies in Maine. The financing options include:
  – Maine Rural Development Authority: This provides financial assistance to business entities with maximum funding of $500,000.
  – New Markets Capital Investment Credit: As a part of this option, an investor including a business entity that makes a qualified equity investment especially in a business that is considered to be a part of a low-income community, can get investment credit that is equal to almost 39% of the investment.

If you register a new business in Maine, there are several other incentive programs that you can benefit from including Technology Tax Credits, Community Development Block Grant Program, Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), Employment Tax Increment Financing (ETIF), Business Equipment Tax Exemption (BETE), and Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement (BETR) among others.

Are there any Disadvantages of Incorporating in Maine?

Are you wondering if there are any disadvantages if you register a new company in Maine? The disadvantages are very few and almost inconsequential. For example, the time taken for registration of a corporation is longer as compared to a partnership or the fee for foreign LLC’s and corporations is higher than that of domestic business entities. The truth is that the advantages of doing business in this state are much more and will enable your business achieve its intended growth.

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