Compare Business Types in Minnesota
LLC, corporation, S-Corp, nonprofit or partnership: what each costs to form and keep in Minnesota, side by side. An LLC is $155 to file.
Last verified July 2026 against official Minnesota sources.
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Minnesota Business Structures at a Glance
| Feature | Corporation | LLC | Nonprofit | Partnership | S-Corp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State filing fee | $180 | $155 | $70 | $0 | $155 |
| Expedite fee | $50 | $50 | $20 | — | $50 |
| Processing time | 5-7 business days | 5-7 business days | 5-7 business days | 5-7 business days (for LP/LLP filings by mail) | 5-7 business days |
| Annual/biennial report fee | $0 | $25 | $25 | $0 | $0 |
| Franchise / minimum tax | — | — | — | — | — |
| Recurring state fees / yr (est.) | $0 | $25 | $25 | $0 | $0 |
| Publication required | No | No | No | No | No |
| Registered agent | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Minimum owners | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Recurring estimate = report fee (halved for biennial reports) + franchise/minimum tax. Excludes publication, registered-agent and income taxes. S-Corp is a federal tax election (IRS Form 2553) made by an LLC or corporation.
LLC vs. Other Structures in Minnesota
LLC vs. Corporation
Unlike a Minnesota C-Corporation, an LLC avoids double taxation since profits pass directly to members without being taxed at the entity level first; corporations also require more rigid formalities such as board meetings, bylaws, and stock issuance that LLCs do not.
LLC vs. S-Corp
An S-Corp election can reduce self-employment taxes for active owners by splitting income into salary and distributions, whereas a default LLC taxes all active income as self-employment income; however, S-Corps have stricter ownership restrictions, limiting them to 100 shareholders who must be U.S. citizens or residents.
LLC vs. Partnership
Unlike a general partnership, a Minnesota LLC provides personal liability protection for all members, meaning members are generally not personally responsible for business debts; general partnerships offer no such liability shield and require no formal state filing.
LLC vs. Nonprofit
A Minnesota LLC is a for-profit entity designed to generate income for its owners, while a nonprofit corporation is organized for charitable, educational, or public benefit purposes and may qualify for state and federal tax-exempt status unavailable to LLCs.
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