LibGuides: Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) in Ohio: Setting up an LLC

Steps to Take

1. Register LLC with the Ohio Secretary of State using the Forms in the next box.

2. Contact the Internal Revenue Service to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) at this website.

3. Open a bank account with your EIN.

4. Contact the Ohio Department of Taxation to determine your state and local tax obligations. Also refer to the tax part of this guide.

5. Report newly hired and re-hired employees to the Ohio New Hire Reporting Center.

6. If your business or organization has an employee or employees contact the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.

7. Employers may be required to establish an Unemployment Compensation Tax Account with Ohio Department of Job & Family Services. Visit this website to register.

8. The Ohio Business Gateway, "Licenses & Permits" page provides a list of professional licenses and business permits necessary to do business in Ohio. Contact your county and city government to determine if any special requirements exist for your type of business.

Forms

Articles of Organization for a Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form 533a)
The only form required for setting up an LLC in Ohio.

Form may be filed online here

Special forms for registering names:

Consent for use of a Similar Name (Form 590)
Submit this with Articles of Organization if LLC's name is similar to a prior registrant's.
Name Registration (Form 534A)
Submit to register a trade or fictitious name.
Name Reservation (Form 534B)
Form used to reserve a name if you are not ready to file the Articles of Organization. Grants exclusive rights to use the name for 180 days.

Forms for making changes to the LLC:

Statutory Agent Update (Form 521)
Use this form to update the required Original Appointment of Statutory Agent, which is included in the Articles of Organization.
Certificate of Amendment or Restatement (Form 534A)
Submit to make changes in Articles of Organization.
Certificate of Merger (Form 551)
Used when an LLC combines with one or more business entities to become one surviving entitiy.
Certificate of Consolidation (Form 550)
Used when two or more entities combine to form a an entirely new entity.
Certificate of Conversion: for Entities Converting Within or off the Records of the Secretary of State (Form 700)
A conversion takes place when an Ohio or foreign (other state) entity converts to a different type of entity, such as when an LLC becoming a Corporation. Form 700 is used when an Ohio LLC becomes another kind of entity, either within Ohio or in another state.
Certificate of Conversion: for Entitites Converting into the Records of the Secretary of State (Form 800)
For foreign (other state) LLCs seeking to be LLC or other business entity in Ohio.

More Laws

Refer to the Home page of this guide for the laws on LLCs in Ohio.

Oh. Rev. Code § 3121.891
requires all employers to report newly hired employees to the New Hire Reporting Center within 20 days of their hire date. Contractors should be reported no later than 20 days after the date on which the employer engages or re-engages the contractor or the contractor resumes providing serves under the contract.
42 USC Sec. 653A
The Federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act required states to set up a directory of newly hired workers.
31 U.S. Code § 5336
Beneficial ownership information reporting requirements to FinCen. (Corporate Transparency Act of 2024).
National Small Business United v. Yellen (5:22-cv-01448) (2024)
US Dist Court of Alabama said Corporate Transparency Act is unconstitutional. The US Government has appealed.

Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) in Ohio: Setting up an LLC

Setting up an LLC

Steps to Take

Forms

Links

More Laws