Forming a business in Phoenix is cheaper and simpler than in most states — Arizona doesn't make LLCs file annual reports, and Phoenix-area companies skip the old newspaper-publication step entirely. The firms below set up Arizona LLCs and corporations and, more importantly, get the operating agreement and ownership terms right the first time.
Arizona business entities are filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), not the Secretary of State. Two things make Arizona unusually founder-friendly: the state requires no annual report and no annual fee for LLCs, and the old requirement to publish a notice of formation in a newspaper doesn't apply in Maricopa or Pima counties — so Phoenix LLCs skip it because the ACC posts the notice online. That's real money and hassle saved compared with many states.
The filing is the easy part. What actually protects you is the operating agreement (for an LLC) or the bylaws and shareholder agreement (for a corporation): who owns what, how decisions get made, what happens when an owner wants out or dies, and how profits are split. Arizona's revised LLC Act changed several default rules, so a generic online template can leave you with terms you didn't intend.
Don't forget Arizona's Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) — the state's version of a sales tax, owed by the business rather than collected from the customer in the usual sense — plus any city TPT for Phoenix. A formation lawyer or business-tax attorney can get your TPT licensing and entity tax election (S-corp vs. default) set up correctly from day one.
Phoenix business and tax firm with a strong client-review record. Handles entity formation, transactional work, and the tax planning that goes with it — a good fit for owners who want business and tax advice from one team.
A long-established downtown Phoenix firm handling business contracts, entity formation, real estate, employment, tax, and public law for Arizona companies and public agencies. A practical mid-size alternative to the national firms when you want senior attention without AmLaw rates.
Phoenix firm that helps founders and small businesses with entity formation, contracts, and the disputes that follow, alongside a broader civil practice. Approachable for first-time business owners forming an LLC or corporation.
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A straightforward Arizona LLC formation with a basic operating agreement is commonly a flat fee of $800-$2,000, plus the ACC filing fee. A multi-member LLC or corporation with a real ownership agreement runs $2,000-$5,000.
More complex setups — multiple owners, outside investment, S-corp elections, or a shareholder agreement — are billed hourly at $250-$550/hour at mid-size Phoenix firms, higher at the national firms.
Because Arizona has no LLC annual report or fee, ongoing maintenance cost is low — mostly your registered-agent service and TPT compliance. The upfront agreement is where the money is well spent.
The ACC filing itself processes in days to a couple of weeks, with expedited options. A single-member LLC with a basic agreement can be done in about a week end to end.
A multi-owner entity with a negotiated operating or shareholder agreement takes 2-4 weeks, mostly driven by how quickly the owners agree on terms.
Set aside extra time if outside investors, an S-corp election, or TPT licensing are involved — those add steps but are far cheaper to handle at formation than to fix later.
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