A registered agent (also called a resident agent or statutory agent), is a person who has the legal right to act as an agent for an LLC in Massachusetts, typically backed by a proven street address within the state.
Day-to-day, a registered agent receives official communications from the state government and passes them onto the decision-makers for a business. That can include notifications about new regulations, forms that haven’t been filled out properly, state tax alerts, compliance issues and even lawsuits.
However, the benefits of a registered agent go beyond simply receiving mail: In most cases, you won’t be able to do business at all in Massachusetts without a registered agent in the state. And having an agent to handle these matters for you also creates more flexibility in your business dealings. Let’s take a look at the details!
Not just anyone can be a registered agent for an LLC in Massachusetts. Important requirements include:
Please note that, like most states, a registered agent is required if your LLC is officially doing business in the state. That usually means regularly making sales or offering direct services in the state, but other activities may not need an agent.
If you have already filed your LLC papers in Massachusetts, you probably already have a registered agent – it’s part of the certificate of organization that Massachusetts has business owners fill out, and you can’t registered your business without naming an agent. If you didn’t notice picking an agent, you most likely put your own information or the information of another owner as the agent.
If you have not yet registered your business in Massachusetts, you will need to choose a registered agent when you fill out the paperwork. Tailor Brands can help with this process.
Massachusetts does allow you to change who your LLC’s registered agent is, as long as you follow the right process. Fortunately, in this case it’s very easy: You simply need to fill out a statement of change for MA and mail it to the proper authorities in Massachusetts. Once the form is correctly filled out and signed, you can mail it to the listed address or a related address:
William Francis Galvin
Secretary of the Commonwealth
One Ashburton Place, Room 1717
Boston, Massachusetts 02108-1512
This process typically requires a $25 payment. Once again, Tailor Brands can help you make any necessary changes to your LLC.
Yes, you can be your own registered agent, and as we mentioned if you have already filed your paperwork in Massachusetts, you have probably assigned the role to yourself or another owner of the LLC. However, choosing your be your own agent has both pros and cons, which are worth looking at as you plan for your business’ future.
So, is it worthwhile to work with a company like Tailor Brands to have a registered agent service in Massachusetts? That can depend on the type of business you have, how frequently your travels take you to Massachusetts, and many other important factors. Let’s take a look at the most important advantages and how they can affect how you run your business.
A registered agent should be regularly available during business hours, and many types of legal documents need swift responses. That means, if you’re trying to expand into Massachusetts, your business may not have the time or availability to meet those LLC requirements. A registered agent can take care of these vital steps for you, so you or another member of the LLC don’t have to spend all their time in the state.
Speaking of spending all your time somewhere else, a registered agent brings peace of mind and the ability to focus on the other details — like what you do best. Get the important paperwork and alerts when you need them so you have more time to deal with day-to-day operations.
Speaking of spending all your time somewhere else, a registered agent brings peace of mind and the ability to focus on the other details — like what you do best. Get the important paperwork and alerts when you need them so you have more time to deal with day-to-day opera
Depending on your industry, it could be disastrous to have a court representative show up in front of your clients and serve a summons for a lawsuit or similar matter. Likewise, you may not want to trust business partners or acquaintances with the private legal matters of your business. Hiring a trusted registered agent removes this risks and lets you deal with tricky legal situations in private.
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A registered agent ensures you receive and respond to important communication from the state in the proper amount of time. Missing deadlines involved could lead to fines or even harsher punishments.
A registered agent can make sure that you receive all necessary documents to start business operations or make specific changes to your business that require authorization from the state. That’s important for your timetable. Also, in the rush of daily business it can be easier to lose track of these documents while it’s the specialty of a registered agent to keep track of them.
With a registered agent managing your mail in another state, you’re free to arrange your schedule how you see fit. You can take a vacation or plan extended business travel without having to worry about missing important documents or deadlines. If something unexpected happens, you’re free to make new plans or adjust your time off without sweating the details.
A registered agent means less paperwork and mail for your business to plow through. That’s especially important if you’re juggling operations in multiple states at the same time.
If it’s your first time doing business in the state or if you’re expanding from another region, a registered agent can be a big timesaver — and prevent more than one type of headache.
Set up a registered agent service today to have a professional point of contact for all legal documents and notifications. When you work with Tailor Brands, you can get the valuable information you need on how Massachusetts regulations work and how you can manage your LLC properly. When you’re ready to grow your LLC, it’s time to consider one of our registered agents.
Yes, with the right paperwork an LLC can have more than one registered agent. In some cases, the owners of the LLC may want multiple addresses to receive legal communication for redundancy. In other circumstances, multiple registered agents are useful – even necessary – if the company conducts important business in multiple states. In these cases, the LLC typically wants an agent in every state.
No. A registered agent doesn’t have to have any ownership in an LLC, nor any rights regarding the LLC’s structure or the decisions that the LLC makes. While creating a registered agent is part of the paperwork involved in filing for an LLC, it’s best to think of it as a separate entity. That’s also what allows owners to hire a registered agent in another state without worrying about how their company will be affected.
Yes, just make sure to file the right documents and make sure you aren’t removing yourself as a registered agent. In most cases, it’s a good idea to stay as the registered agent in the state where you live and do the most business.
In most cases, as long as the relative meets the requirements to be a registered agent, you can assign them as the agent for your company. However, there are risks in appointing a family member to this role. A relative may not be as prompt and professional with important legal documents as a dedicated agent would be. Also, there may be legal documents or information about your LLC that you want to keep quiet from family members until you’re ready to personally disclose it.
This portion of our website is for informational or educational purposes only. Tailor Brands is not a law firm, and the information on this website does not constitute legal advice. All statements, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions are solely the expression of the author and provided on an as-is basis. Accordingly, Tailor Brands is not responsible for the information and/or its accuracy or completeness. It also does not indicate any affiliation between Tailor Brands and any other brands, services or logos on this page.
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