Is It Cheaper to File a Georgia LLC Yourself or Hire a Service?

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Georgia LLC on Your Own?

Starting a Georgia LLC on your own costs at least $110 in state fees, made up of a $100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge, whether the Articles are filed online or by mail. After formation, the LLC owes $60 a year for its annual registration (a $50 fee plus the same $10 service charge).

Up-front costs of the DIY path

The state charges are the same for everyone, and several optional items can raise the total:

• ▸Articles of Organization: $110, nonrefundable, paid by card online or by check or money order by mail.
• ▸Name reservation (optional): $35 holds a name for 30 days.
• ▸Expedited review (optional): $120 for two business days, $275 for same-day review if received before noon, and $1,200 for one-hour review.
• ▸EIN: $0 when obtained directly from the IRS.
• ▸Registered agent: $0 if the owner serves personally, or an annual fee if a commercial agent is hired.
• ▸Operating agreement: $0 if the owner drafts it, or an attorney's fee if a lawyer prepares it.

Ongoing costs of the DIY path

The recurring obligation is the annual registration. It is filed between January 1 and April 1 each year, starting with the calendar year after the LLC is formed. Georgia does not charge LLCs a separate franchise tax, so for a typical pass-through LLC the $60 registration is the main recurring fee paid to the Secretary of State.

An LLC that elects to be taxed as a corporation is a different case. It becomes subject to Georgia's corporate income tax and net worth tax, which the Georgia Department of Revenue administers. Local requirements, such as a city or county business license or occupation tax certificate, vary by location and carry their own fees.

The costs that never appear at checkout

The eCorp payment screen shows state fees only. These costs tend to surface later:

• ▸Time spent on research and data entry. Learning Georgia's name-distinguishability rules, setting up an eCorp account, and confirming registered agent details takes hours that a first-time owner rarely budgets for.
• ▸Registered agent obligations. Serving as your own agent means being reachable in person at a Georgia street address during business hours, and that address becomes part of the public record.
• ▸Nonrefundable fees on rejected filings. Georgia does not refund filing fees, so a submission the state rejects can cost the fee plus the wait.
• ▸Calendar tracking. No one sends a reminder on a fixed schedule unless the owner sets one up, and the annual registration repeats every year.
• ▸Correction filings. Articles of Amendment and amended annual registrations each cost $30.
• ▸Paid "EIN filing" websites. Some sites charge for an EIN that the IRS issues free, which turns a $0 step into an unnecessary expense.

Time deserves a number of its own. Suppose an owner values an hour at $50 and spends four hours on research, filing, and follow-up. That owner has effectively spent another $200, which is more than a year of many basic service fees. The figure is an illustration, not a measured average, and each owner can plug in their own rate.

How Do the Costs Compare Side by Side?

The table below sets the DIY path against a formation service, using ZenBusiness pricing as the service example. State figures come from the Georgia Secretary of State's fee schedule effective September 6, 2025, and remain subject to change.

Take an LLC formed in 2026 that files four annual registrations (2027 through 2030). Over those five years, the state fees alone total $350 on any path ($110 plus four registrations at $60). From there, the totals separate:

• ▸DIY, owner as registered agent, never late: $350 total.
• ▸Service Starter tier, compliance plan dropped after the free year: $350 total, the same as DIY, with an accuracy review and alerts added.
• ▸Service Pro tier kept for five years: $350 in state fees plus $995 in service fees, or $1,345 total, with the EIN, operating agreement template, and annual registration filings handled.
• ▸DIY with a missed registration that leads to dissolution: $350 plus the $25 late penalty and the $260 reinstatement fee, before counting the time spent sorting it out or any business disruption.

What Else Goes Wrong When Owners File Themselves?

Most DIY problems come from a handful of predictable mistakes. Each one is cheap to prevent and more expensive to repair:

• ▸Registered agent errors. Georgia requires an agent with a physical street address in the state where an individual can be found in person during business hours, and a post office box does not qualify. An owner who lists a home address and then travels, moves, or misses a delivery can miss service of process. A lawsuit can then move forward without the owner knowing.
• ▸EIN timing and details. The IRS issues EINs free online. Common errors include applying before Georgia has approved the LLC and listing the wrong person as the responsible party. Another is picking a tax classification without realizing that changing it later requires new IRS paperwork, such as Form 8832 for an entity classification election or Form 2553 for S corporation status.
• ▸The BOI misconception. Many owners still believe every new LLC must file a Beneficial Ownership Information report with FinCEN. Under a FinCEN final rule effective August 14, 2026, entities created in the United States are exempt. The requirement now applies to certain foreign-formed entities registered to do business in the US. The mistake today is paying someone to file a report that current guidance does not require for a domestic LLC. FinCEN's BOI guidance is the place to confirm the current rule.
• ▸Skipping the operating agreement. Georgia does not require one, so many owners skip it. Without it, the state's default LLC rules settle questions about profit splits, decision-making, and departures. Even for a single-member LLC, a signed agreement helps show the separation between owner and business that courts look for when someone tries to reach personal assets.
• ▸Errors on the annual registration itself. Corrections can only be made by filing another annual registration or a $30 amended annual registration, and the Secretary of State cannot rescind filings or refund fees once submitted.

Which Option Is the Better Value for a First-Time Georgia Owner?

For most first-time owners, a formation service is the better value. The state fees are identical on both paths, and a basic service tier adds an accuracy review and deadline alerts for little or no extra money. Whether a paid tier is worth it depends on how much ongoing work the owner wants handed off.

DIY is a reasonable choice for an owner who already:

• ▸Understands Georgia's naming rules.
• ▸Has a Georgia street address where someone is reliably present during business hours.
• ▸Is comfortable with the IRS EIN application.
• ▸Keeps a disciplined calendar.

For that owner, $350 over five years is the floor, and it is achievable.

For an owner forming a first LLC, the math tilts the other way. A $0 starter tier, such as ZenBusiness Starter, matches the DIY cost while adding a review before the filing reaches the state and reminders before the annual registration comes due. A paid tier like Pro costs $199 a year. It makes sense when the owner wants the EIN, an operating agreement template, and the yearly registration filing handled together. A paid registered agent adds $199 a year and keeps a home address out of the agent field. The principal office address Georgia collects is a separate, public entry.

No service removes the owner's legal duties, and no tier makes every penalty impossible. What it does is replace an owner's memory with a system, which is usually where DIY breaks down.

Sources and Date

Figures were checked against the following sources in October 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm current amounts before filing.

• ▸Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division: Filing Fees schedule (effective September 6, 2025); How to Guide: Register a Domestic Entity; How to Guide: File Annual Registration; Filing Fees and Expedited Processing of Document Filings.
• ▸Internal Revenue Service: Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Online; About Form 8832, Entity Classification Election; About Form 2553, Election by a Small Business Corporation.
• ▸Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN): Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting guidance.
• ▸U.S. Department of the Treasury: press release announcing the FinCEN final rule effective August 14, 2026.
• ▸Georgia Department of Revenue: corporate income and net worth tax guidance.
• ▸ZenBusiness: Formation Plans pricing page and Georgia LLC formation guide.

This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. LLC requirements, fees, and deadlines vary by state and change over time. Confirm current rules with the Georgia Secretary of State, the IRS, FinCEN, or a licensed professional before filing.