How Much Does a Texas Series LLC Cost?
What does a Texas Series LLC cost?
Quick answer: A Texas Series LLC has a $300 state filing fee (plus an $8.10 convenience fee if paid online or via credit card), exactly the same as a traditional Texas LLC. Once the Series LLC is formed, you can create as many protected series within the Series LLC without paying any additional state filing fees.
Our flat fee to form a Texas Series LLC is $500, plus the state filing fee. We also charge $300 for each protected series we establish within the Series LLC. For an investor holding multiple properties, a Series LLC with a series per property is usually cheaper than forming a separate LLC for each property.
Many of our real estate investor clients assume a Series LLC costs much more than a regular LLC because it can do more. It does not. The State of Texas charges the same $300 filing fee either way. This article breaks down every cost: state fees, our fees, per-series costs, and how the math compares to forming multiple LLCs.
State filing fees for a Texas Series LLC
The Texas Secretary of State charges $300 to file a Certificate of Formation for a Series LLC, plus an $8.10 convenience fee if you file online as we do, for a total of $308.10. This is the same fee as a traditional LLC. There is no separate or higher state fee for the Series LLC designation.
Creating a protected series inside your Series LLC requires no state filing and no state fee, no matter how many series you create. The only series-related state fee is optional: if you choose to make a series a registered series instead of the more common protected series (see the differences), the Secretary of State charges $300 to file a Certificate of Registered Series. Most real estate investors never need a registered series.
|
State fee |
Our flat fee |
| Formation of Series LLC |
$300 + $8.10 online |
$500 |
| Creation of protected series |
$0 |
$300 per series |
| Creation of registered series (rare/optional) |
$300 per series |
$300 per series |
| EIN (optional add-on) |
$0 |
$75 per EIN |
| Company Book (optional add-on) |
$0 |
$250 |
Our $500 flat fee includes the preliminary name search, a 15-minute attorney consultation, preparation and filing of the Certificate of Formation, a customized Company Agreement, the Organizational Meeting, a Membership Transfer Ledger, and a letter about operating your LLC.
Series LLC vs multiple LLCs: the cost comparison
The real cost story is not the Series LLC versus a single LLC. It is the Series LLC versus forming a separate LLC for every property. Suppose you own three rental properties and want each one insulated from the liabilities of the others. You have two options: one Series LLC with three protected series, or three separate traditional LLCs.
|
Series LLC with 3 protected series |
3 separate traditional LLCs |
| State filing fees |
$308.10 (one filing) |
$924.30 (three filings) |
| Registered agents needed |
1 |
3 |
| Bank accounts required |
1 minimum |
3 |
| Annual franchise tax filings |
1 |
3 |
| EINs required |
1 minimum |
3 |
| Liability separation between properties |
Yes (to the extent records are properly kept) |
Yes |
The savings grow with each property. Ten properties in ten separate LLCs means $3,081 in state filing fees alone, plus ten bank accounts, ten annual filings, and ten sets of books. Ten protected series inside one Series LLC means one $308.10 filing fee and one entity to maintain.
Ongoing costs of a Texas Series LLC
Texas does not charge an
annual fee to keep an LLC or Series LLC in good standing. For franchise tax purposes, the
Texas Comptroller treats a series LLC as a single legal entity: it files one franchise tax report and one Public Information Report covering the Series LLC and every protected series inside it, under one Texas taxpayer identification number. This is another advantage over multiple LLCs, where each entity files its own reports. The Comptroller’s guidance does not specifically address registered series, so if you use registered series, confirm the filing approach with your CPA.
When a Series LLC is NOT the cheaper choice
If you own one property or run one business, a traditional LLC is simpler and our formation fee is lower ($400 versus $500). The Series LLC earns its keep when you hold, or plan to hold, multiple assets that deserve separate liability silos. If you are not sure which fits your situation, the differences are covered in our
comparison of the Series LLC and the traditional LLC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Series LLC more expensive than a regular LLC?
Not at the state level. Both cost $300 to file ($308.10 online). Attorney fees are slightly higher for a Series LLC because the Company Agreement is more complex, but the difference is small compared to the cost of forming multiple LLCs later.
The state charges nothing to create a protected series. Our fee to create a protected series is $300, which includes the series addendum, organizational meeting, and transfer ledger for that series.
How much does a registered series cost?
The Secretary of State charges $300 to file a Certificate of Registered Series, and our fee to create a registered series is an additional $300. Most real estate investors use protected series instead, which cost nothing to file with the state.
Are there annual fees for each series?
No. Texas does not charge annual fees per series. Per Texas Comptroller guidance, the Series LLC files one franchise tax report and one Public Information Report as a single entity, covering the Series LLC and all of its protected series.
Is a Series LLC cheaper than forming multiple LLCs?
Almost always, when multiple assets are involved. Three properties held in three separate LLCs cost $924.30 in state filing fees; the same three properties in one Series LLC with three protected series cost $308.10. The gap widens with every additional property, and the Series LLC also avoids duplicate bank accounts, annual filings, and registered agents.
Ready to protect multiple properties without paying for multiple LLCs? We form Texas Series LLCs for a $500 flat fee (plus the state filing fee), no office visit required.
Start your Series LLC today or call us at (214) 206-1999.
