How to Start an LLC in Nebraska

There are two ways to go about starting a Nebraska limited liability company: Do it yourself, or use a professional service.

If you do the work on your own, you’ll need to follow the steps below. Expect to spend some time researching requirements and completing all the necessary tasks and paperwork.

If you use a professional LLC formation service, you will have help for each step along the way. The service will make it easier to complete the process online, and simplifies the language used and steps required, making it easier for everyone to navigate the process.

If you choose to use a service, expect to pay around $50-$200+ for the service, depending on the package you choose. The cost is reasonable, considering that these services can save you many hours of time – and can also help to ensure that no mistakes are made.

The top recommended LLC formation services in Nebraska are ZenBusiness and Northwest Registered Agent. Both are very well-rated companies with competitive pricing and excellent service.

Recommended services

Visit ZenBusiness

The focus of ZenBusiness is on forming new companies. They help simplify the process of starting a business, using powerful online tools. ZenBusiness plans are ongoing and help customers grow their businesses. They provide many services and resources, and can also help connect entrepreneurs to other relevant services.

See the full ZenBusiness review here

Visit Northwest

Northwest Registered Agent will scan all documents you receive for your business so that you can easily see them in your online account. There, you’ll have unlimited cloud storage as well as strong business data protection, and help from their friendly customer service staff when you need it. A yearly subscription for their registered agent services costs $125.

See the full Northwest review here

Visit Bizee

Bizee specializes in new company formation. With Bizee, you can form a new LLC, corporation, or other business entity in your state. So far, they have helped form more than 500,000 new businesses. Bizee works directly with each US state to help start new businesses. Essentially, they are a middleman between you and your state’s business department.

See the full Bizee review here

Selecting a name for your company is the first real step in the process. You will need to decide on a name before you move on to filing any paperwork.

Obviously, you will want to find an appropriate name that is relevant to your business type, and that is memorable for customers. But on top of this, you will also need to follow certain guidelines:

Once you have found a good name that is available and meets the requirements, you can move on to step #3 below.

Registered Agents are individuals – or businesses – that are appointed by LLCs to handle important correspondence and communications. Tax forms, notice of lawsuits, etc. will all go to the Registered Agent that is on file for a given LLC. Nebraska requires that all LLCs appoint a registered agent, and you will need the agent’s information before moving on to the next step.

Any Nebraska resident can be a registered agent – including yourself or an employee. Companies licensed in the state can also be registered agents – however, your LLC cannot serve as its own registered agent.

So, you can either appoint yourself (using your home address), or an employee. Or, you can hire a professional registered agent service.

Using a service will be worth the modest cost, in many cases. A service will run you around $100-$150 per year but will provide significant peace of mind and security – while also protecting your privacy.

For registered agent services, we recommend either ZenBusiness or Northwest Registered Agent.

Note: This step is optional, but recommended.

Operating agreements are important internal documents that most LLCs should have on file. That said, they are not required by Nebraska, so this step is optional.

An operating agreement is a document that is drafted and agreed upon by all members/owners of the LLC. It establishes the basic operating procedures for the company, as well as the ownership details. It’s this last part that is key. For any business with multiple owners, operating agreements can help prevent conflict by clearly establishing ownership rights.

You can draft an operating agreement using a template provided by ZenBusiness. You can also hire a local attorney, although this could be costly.

The Nebraska LLC Certificate of Organization must be filed with the Secretary of State in order to form an LLC in the state. This process must be completed online. There is a $100 filing fee (plus $5 per page).

To file this document, you must draft your own certificate, following the guidelines laid out in the Nebraska Revised Statute 21-117. Read these requirements carefully, and then draft a custom Certificate of Organization with the details of your business. Once you have completed it, the document can be uploaded online here.

Because Nebraska makes this step a bit more complicated by requiring a custom-drafted Certificate of Organization, many entrepreneurs in the state choose to use professional help with this step. Again, ZenBusiness and Northwest Registered Agent are great options for this.

Once the document has been submitted, you will need to wait for Nebraska to process the application. This could take up to 2-3 weeks. You will be notified when it is completed – or if there are any issues to be addressed.

Nebraska has a requirement that new LLCs must publish a Notice of Organization in a local newspaper for three consecutive weeks. This is essentially just a notice letting the community and business leaders know that your business has launched.

It must be published in a general circulation newspaper in the county in which the business’ principal office is located. The publication must run for three consecutive weeks. Nebraska newspapers are familiar with the requirement and make it easy to publish the notice.

Once your notice has run for three weeks, the newspaper will issue an Affidavit of Publication. You can then file this with the State of Nebraska online.

There is no fee for the filing itself, but you will need to pay the newspaper’s fees to actually publish the notice.

Employer identification numbers, or EINs, are important tax ID numbers issued by the Internal Revenue Service. They are used for tax filings, communications with the IRS, and hiring employees. In fact, an EIN is required to hire employees.

It is easy to apply for an EIN online with the IRS. There is no cost to complete the application. You will be notified when your EIN has been issued.

Many Nebraska businesses will also need various other permits, business licenses, etc. in order to legally operate. The requirements vary substantially depending on the type of business, however, as well as the location(s) where the business plans to operate. More information on business licensing in Nebraska can be found here.

Depending on the business, there may be requirements on the state, federal and local levels.

It’s a good idea to thoroughly research your requirements now so that you can be fully prepared for the launch date of your new company.

Ongoing compliance tasks are equally important to the initial business formation process. Each year (and quarterly, in some cases), you will need to complete various tax filings, renewals, reports, and other compliance tasks.

The specifics do vary depending on the business you are running, where it is located, and what industry it is in. That said, here is a list of some of the most common ongoing requirements:

This list is not exhaustive, so there may be other requirements. Much depends on the type of business you are running, and how regulated it is. It’s wise to spend the time now to fully research all your requirements so that you don’t miss anything. Calendar reminders for various due dates can also be quite useful for new business owners.

Once you have your formation documents and EIN, you can open a business bank account at almost any financial institution. This is an important step, which should be handled as soon as possible. You want to use your new business account exclusively for all business-related transactions, and use your existing personal accounts solely for personal transactions.

This clear separation makes business bookkeeping much simpler. It also protects your personal assets from lawsuits relating to the business.

Most financial institutions offer business checking accounts, but their requirements may vary. Call around to see which account suits your needs and business. You may wish to also apply for a business credit card and/or line of credit at this time.