Your Guide to the Florida Double LLC
Maintaining your privacy as a Florida business owner can be tough. Transparency laws designed to keep mega corporations accountable mean that small business owners risk exposing their personal information, like their names and addresses, on publicly-available state documents.
Our Double LLC formation service can change that. Our filing experts create two Florida LLCs that manage each other, which enables you to keep your private information off the public record. Here are just a few of the other benefits you’ll get:
- Free use of our permanent Florida business address
- Includes one year Registered Agent service per LLC
- Phone service 90-day trial
- Attorney-drafted operating agreement
- Includes three business mail scans per LLC per year
- Enrollment in Annual Report Renewal Service
If you want maintain your anonymity without the inconvenience and cost of going to another state, the Double LLC is for you!
Start Your Business,
Protect Your Privacy
“Great experience so far. Very responsive and professional.”
Advantages of a Forming Florida Double LLC
You may be wondering, why Florida and not another state? Or, why a Double LLC instead of just a single LLC? We’ve got the answers.
Florida is a great place for businesses.
Florida is one best states to start an LLC.
The Sunshine State has business-friendly laws, low property taxes, no state income tax, no capital gains or estate taxes (also called “death taxes”), and a diverse workforce, making it one of the top choices for entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to start an LLC.
Plus, forming and maintaining an LLC is fairly simple and affordable in Florida compared to some other states.
But maintaining your privacy in Florida can be difficult.
In Florida, you are required to provide the name of your LLC organizer (the individual who files your LLC formation paperwork with the state), the principal address of your business (plus mailing address and/or PO Box, if applicable), and the name and address of at least one authorized member or manager of your LLC. All of this information goes on the public record after you file your Articles of Organization and is then available to the public through the Florida Division of Corporation Business Records Search.
There are many reasons why you might not want this information public. For example, maybe you work from a home office and don’t want to advertise your home address. Maybe you need to prevent certain individuals from accessing information about you or your business. Or maybe you just value privacy and want to keep your personal information from getting into the hands of bad actors.
Whatever the reason, forming a Double LLC is a smart solution for those who want—or need—to protect their personal information.
How the Double LLC Maintains Your Privacy
Forming a single LLC means that you’ll need to list some of your information on your Articles of Organization and Annual Reports, both of which are public record. That information includes the organizer’s name, your company’s principal business address—even if that’s your home address!—and name and address of at least one authorized member or manager.
A Double LLC reduces the amount of personal information exposed to the public by creating two limited liability companies assigned to manage each other. Here’s how it works:
1. Filing Articles of Organization for Two LLCs
Our filing experts create two Florida LLCs by filing two separate Articles of Organization—Apples LLC and Bananas LLC.
We list ourselves as your organizer, so our information (not yours!) shows up on your Articles, and use our Florida business address as your principal business address for both LLCs.
Your LLCs are listed as “manager-managed.” A manager can be an individual or another business entity, so we list each LLC as the manager of the other. Apples LLC manages Bananas LLC, and vice versa.
2. Filing Each LLC’s Annual Report
All Florida LLCs are required file an Annual Report by May 1st each year. You’ll need to provide some potentially sensitive information on this document, including your business address, the names and addresses of your LLC’s managers, and the name, address, and signature of the report’s signor.
When you retain us as your registered agent, you’ll get free use of our business address on your Annual Report. Additionally, forming a Double LLC means you’ll list Apples LLC as the manager of Bananas LLC and vice versa—not your personal info.
Plus, with our annual report renewal service, we’ll file complete and submit each LLC’s annual report for just $100 plus the state’s filing fees for each LLC. Listing ourselves as an authorized person lets you avoid putting your contact information on the public record.
3. Maintaining Your LLCs
As long as you retain us as your registered agent for each company, we’ll continue to provide you with free use of our business address and accept legal & state documents on behalf of your LLCs. Other benefits include:
Secure Online Account
Use your account to view and manage your business documents, state mail, and services. From there, you can take advantage of our free trials of web & phone services and more.
Free Operating Agreement
Our attorney-drafted operating agreement template for manager-managed LLCs verifies your ownership in the absence of your name appearing on any public-facing documents.
Florida Business Address
We have a permanent business address right here in St. Petersburg, so our address will never change. No third-party vendors means no pesky change of address forms. With us, you get security for the long haul.
Local Filing Experts
Our staff are Florida filing experts who’ll file your Double LLC accurately and professionally. And whenever you have questions, we’re available by phone or email during normal business hours.
“I felt like the price was fair and the service they provided was easy and efficient. Once I got setup and paid I was off to the races.”
Pricing for the Double LLC
The total cost to set up a Double LLC is $548 total. That covers two LLC formation filings and one year of registered agent service for two Florida LLCs, plus the state formation filing fees.
Everything else—operating agreements and other business documents, use of our business address, limited mail scanning, one-on-one customer support, and more—is complimentary.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Our Formation Service Fee for both LLCs | $149 x 2 |
| State Filing Fee for both LLCs | $125 x 2 |
| Total Costs | $548 |
What You Get with Our Double LLC Service
- Two Florida LLCs formed by our filing specialists
- One year of Registered Agent service included for each LLC
- Free use of our Florida business address for each LLC
- A secure online account with access to our free library of business documents, including a free operating agreement
- Mail scanning for 3 non-state mail items, with options to upgrade to our premium mail scanning packages
- Enrollment in Annual Report Renewal Service
- 90-day free trial of our phone service
- Add DBA (Trade Name) filing, EIN and tax ID application, and more!
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to some of our most commonly-asked questions about forming a Double LLC.
Is the Double LLC structure legal?
It’s very common and not illegal for one company to own or manage another. For example, there are many holding companies throughout the US.
Does it take longer to form a Double LLC?
No. We file the paperwork for both LLCs at the same time, the same business day we receive your order. Filing times are generally pretty short, especially for online filings (the method we use). LLC formation paperwork can be processed in as quickly as 1 or 2 business days.
Does my second LLC have to conduct any business?
LLCs in the state of Florida aren’t legally required to do business.
How does my Double LLC pay taxes?
Like all LLCs, the two LLCs you form are “pass-through” entities, which means that the companies themselves do not pay taxes. Instead, the profits are passed on to the owners of your LLCs, who then pay personal income tax on their earnings.
Lucky for you, there’s no state income tax in Florida, but you’ll still need to pay federal income taxes. Your LLC may have to collect and pay state and local sales tax. Depending on your line of work, you may also need to pay industry-specific taxes (for example, if you run a convenience store that sells cigarettes, you’ll have to collect and pay the tobacco tax).
Can you file my Annual Report for me?
Absolutely! When you hire us to form your Double LLC, we’ll include enrollment in our Renewal Service. For just $100 + state fee for each filing, we’ll submit your annual reports on your behalf and ensure that your LLCs remain in good standing with the state.
How do I open bank accounts for my LLCs?
This can be tricky because the names of your LLC’s owners do not appear on your formation paperwork. You need to have a strong operating agreement that clarifies who owns and who manages your LLC, which is why we include free lawyer-drafted operating agreements in our package. Then you can use your operating agreement to verify your ownership in situations like opening a business bank account or applying for a loans.
However, you may still run into banks that are hesitant about opening a bank account for a Double LLC, so our local experts maintain a list of banks in Florida that have previously opened accounts with our Double LLC clients.
Why can’t I form a Double LLC on my own?
To form a Double LLC on your own and completely keep your personal information off of your formation documents, you’d need:
- a registered agent
- someone to act as your organizer (this can be your registered agent)
- and a physical street address that you can use as your principal business address.
With us, you get all of that (and more), all in one place, plus the security of our permanent business address whose use is included with your formation package.
Can I form a Double LLC if I’m not a U.S. resident?
Yes. Doing business in Florida as a non-US resident is possible—LLC owners are not required to be U.S. residents.
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