How to Start an LLC in Kentucky (2026 Guide)

Kentucky charges just $40 to form an LLC, the lowest filing fee in the country, and its annual report costs only $15. That makes it look like the cheapest state to run an LLC. The cost many guides leave out is the limited liability entity tax (LLET), which most LLCs pay every year with a $175 minimum. Add local occupational taxes in many cities, and Kentucky is affordable, just not quite as cheap as it first appears.

What a Kentucky LLC costs

Item	Cost	When
Articles of Organization	$40	At formation
Annual report	$15	January 1 to June 30, from the year after formation
Limited liability entity tax	$175 minimum for most LLCs	Yearly, with your state tax filing
Assumed name certificate (if using a DBA)	Small state fee, renewed periodically	When registering
Local occupational license tax	Varies by city and county	As required

A realistic minimum for most small LLCs is about $215 in the first year of state charges (the $40 filing plus the $175 LLET), then about $190 a year after that.

Step 1: Choose your LLC name

The name must include "limited liability company", "limited company", "LLC", "L.L.C.", "LC" or "L.C." and be distinguishable from other names on file. Search the Secretary of State’s business records, then check federal trademarks, domains and social handles with our business name checklist.

To trade under another name, file a certificate of assumed name with the Secretary of State.

Step 2: Appoint a registered agent

Every Kentucky LLC needs a registered agent with a physical Kentucky address, available during business hours. You can serve yourself, name another adult or use a commercial agent.

Step 3: File Articles of Organization

File Articles of Organization with the Kentucky Secretary of State, online through its fast-track filing system or by mail, and pay $40. You’ll include the LLC’s name, registered agent and office, principal office address, whether it’s managed by members or managers, and the organizer’s signature. Online filings are typically processed quickly.

Step 4: Create an operating agreement

Kentucky doesn’t require you to file an operating agreement, but every LLC should have one, covering ownership, management, profit sharing and what happens when members join or leave.

Step 5: Get an EIN and open a bank account

Apply for a free EIN from the IRS online, then open a business bank account using your filed Articles and EIN. See choosing a business bank account.

Step 6: Register for state taxes, including the LLET

The limited liability entity tax (LLET). Kentucky applies this tax to most limited liability entities, including single-member LLCs. Smaller LLCs pay the $175 minimum; larger ones pay a tax based on gross receipts or gross profits. LLCs file it with their Kentucky return. Ask an accountant how it applies to you and whether any exemptions fit.
Sales and use tax, if you sell taxable goods or services. Kentucky’s rate is 6%.
Employer withholding, if you hire.

Employers also register for unemployment insurance with the state’s unemployment insurance office.

Step 7: Check local occupational license taxes

Many Kentucky cities and counties levy occupational license taxes, typically on payroll and on net business profits, including Louisville Metro and Lexington-Fayette. Depending on where you operate, your LLC may need to register and file locally, and employers withhold the tax from employees’ pay. Check with each city and county where you do business.

Louisville, Lexington or elsewhere: local taxes in practice

Local occupational taxes are the biggest variable in a Kentucky business budget. In practice:

They often apply twice: once to wages, withheld from employees’ pay, and once to the business’s net profits.
Rates and rules differ between cities and counties, and some areas have both city and county taxes.
Working in several places can mean registering in several jurisdictions, depending on where the work is performed.
Registration usually comes first: many local tax offices expect you to register when you start operating, not when you first owe tax.

Before you choose a location, ask the local revenue office for its rates and filing schedule, and include them in your break-even calculation.

Step 8: File your annual report by June 30

Every Kentucky LLC files an annual report with the Secretary of State between January 1 and June 30 each year, starting the year after formation. The fee is $15. LLCs that don’t file can be administratively dissolved, so set a reminder each spring.

How a Kentucky LLC is taxed

By default, LLC profits pass through to the owners, who pay federal income tax, self-employment tax and Kentucky’s flat personal income tax, which the state has been lowering in steps. The LLC itself pays the LLET, which owners can generally credit against their Kentucky income tax on the LLC’s income, subject to limits. LLCs electing C corporation status pay Kentucky corporate income tax. Ask a tax professional about your situation.

Hiring your first employee in Kentucky

Beyond the federal steps in our first employee guide, Kentucky employers generally:

Register for withholding with the Department of Revenue and for unemployment insurance.
Carry workers’ compensation insurance, required in Kentucky once you have employees.
Withhold local occupational taxes where they apply.
Report new hires to the state.

Your Kentucky LLC compliance calendar

Deadline	Filing	Paid to
January 1 to June 30 each year	Annual report ($15)	Secretary of State
With your state return	Limited liability entity tax ($175 minimum)	Department of Revenue
Monthly, quarterly or yearly	Sales tax returns	Department of Revenue
As required	Local occupational license tax returns	City and county
Quarterly	Unemployment insurance reports, if you have employees	State unemployment office

Example: state costs for your first two years

For a single-member LLC paying the LLET minimum:

	Year 1	Year 2
Articles of Organization	$40	—
Annual report	—	$15
Limited liability entity tax (minimum)	$175	$175
State total	$215	$190

Add local occupational taxes, sales tax and any professional or trade license. Use our startup cost calculator to plan.

Kentucky rules for common types of business

Contractors. Kentucky doesn’t license general contractors statewide, but HVAC, plumbing and electrical work require state licenses, and some cities license contractors locally. See our home services industry profile.

Food businesses. Restaurants and food trucks are permitted by local health departments under the state’s public health agency. Kentucky’s home-based processor and microprocessor programs let some home cooks sell certain foods. See our cottage food business guide.

Childcare. Child care centers and family child care homes are licensed or certified by the state’s health and family services cabinet. See our home daycare guide.

Kentucky compared with nearby states

State	Filing fee	Recurring state costs
Kentucky	$40	$15 report plus LLET ($175 minimum)
Ohio	$99	None
Indiana	$95 online	$31 every two years
Tennessee	$300 minimum	$300 minimum report, plus franchise and excise tax

See our Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee guides if you work across state lines, especially around Cincinnati and Louisville.

Mistakes to avoid

Budgeting only the $40 filing fee and forgetting the $175 LLET minimum.
Missing the June 30 annual report.
Overlooking local occupational license taxes in Louisville, Lexington and many other places.
Selling taxable goods without a sales tax permit.
Letting an assumed name lapse.
Forgetting that the LLET applies even in a loss year, since the minimum is owed regardless of profit.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kentucky really the cheapest state to form an LLC? It has the lowest filing fee, but the LLET minimum means yearly costs are higher than in states like Ohio or Missouri.

Does a single-member LLC pay the LLET? Generally yes. Ask an accountant whether any exemption applies.

When is my first annual report due? Between January 1 and June 30 of the year after your LLC is formed. Filing online takes only a few minutes.

Can I be my own registered agent? Yes, with a physical Kentucky address where you’re available during business hours.

Is my LLC’s information public? Your LLC’s name, registered agent and office appear in the Secretary of State’s public records.

Next steps

Read the Start a Business A–Z guide, see taxes and bookkeeping for 2026, and plan with the break-even calculator.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Fees and rules change; check the Kentucky Secretary of State and Department of Revenue before you file.

Sources

Last reviewed October 18, 2026. Startup costs are estimates; check local prices, licensing and tax rules before you commit money.