How do you set up a company in New Hampshire.
To register a company in New Hampshire, you file with the New Hampshire Secretary of State, then register with the state as an employer when you start paying people. Teamed's Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) forms the company and keeps it running for you, and Teamed's EOR can hire for you before it exists. If you’re deciding whether to form an entity in New Hampshire, Teamed is the best choice. Teamed flags when your structure should change, and you get service terms adjusted to suit you, within reason and 24/5 human support with a first response within 15 minutes.
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At a glance
New Hampshire entity setup snapshot
New Hampshire charges a formation and registration fee of $100 through the Secretary of State's office, then taxes the entity's profits at 7.5% under the Business Profits Tax, alongside a 0.55% Business Enterprise Tax on wages, interest and dividends paid. There's no sales tax to layer on top, which is one reason the state reads simpler on paper than it is in practice once payroll and compliance enter the picture.
- Business Profits Tax
- 7.5%
- Business Enterprise Tax
- 0.55%
- Formation / registration fee
- $100
Formation basics
How the entity actually comes together
You start by choosing a structure, usually an LLC or a corporation, and filing formation documents with the New Hampshire Secretary of State. That filing carries a registration fee of $100, payable at the point of submission.
You'll also need a registered agent with a physical New Hampshire address, someone who can accept legal and state correspondence on the entity's behalf during regular business hours. Skipping this step, or letting the agent lapse, puts the entity's good standing at risk fast.
Tax exposure
What the entity owes once it's running
Once the entity is active and earning, New Hampshire applies its Business Profits Tax of 7.5% to business profits, administered by the Department of Revenue Administration. Alongside it sits the Business Enterprise Tax of 0.55% on wages, interest and dividends paid, which can be credited against the profits tax.
Beyond the entity-level tax, you're also on the hook for payroll registrations, unemployment insurance, and workers' compensation coverage before you can legally put someone on the books. None of that is optional, and none of it moves fast if you're doing it for the first time.
Compliance rhythm
Staying in good standing after you file
Formation is the easy part. Keeping the entity current means renewing your registered agent, filing required reports with the state, and keeping your tax registrations active even in a quiet quarter.
Most founders underestimate how much of this is ongoing rather than one-time. A lapsed filing or an expired agent address can quietly put the entity out of good standing, which then has to be fixed before payroll or contracts can move.
Timing and effort
What the timeline actually looks like
Filing the formation paperwork itself is quick once you know what you're submitting. The slower parts are the pieces that come after, opening a business bank account, registering for state tax accounts, and setting up payroll and insurance correctly the first time.
None of this is impossible to do alone. It's just slower and more detail-heavy than most people expect when they're trying to hire one or two people quickly in a state they don't have a presence in yet.
Already have a company elsewhere
Registering an out-of-state or foreign company in New Hampshire
A company formed in another state or another country does not need a second company to hire in New Hampshire. It registers with the New Hampshire Secretary of State as a foreign company before it starts doing business there, a step usually called foreign qualification.
New Hampshire law sets the test for what counts as doing business in the state, and putting employees to work there on a regular basis will usually meet it. States give the filing different names, among them a certificate of authority and an application for registration.
In New Hampshire, the filing is an Application for Certificate of Authority for a Foreign Corporation. The New Hampshire Secretary of State charges a corporation $100 to file it, plus a small handling charge if you pay electronically, according to its published fees. It does not cover the cost of a registered agent, or of a certificate of good standing from your home state if one is needed. An LLC formed elsewhere files an Application for Foreign Limited Liability Company Registration, which is also $100.
Foreign qualification does not make you an employer in the state. That is a separate registration with the state tax and unemployment insurance agencies, due by the state's own deadline, which usually falls at or soon after your first payroll there.
Your options
Who can set it up for you
Four kinds of help can register a company in New Hampshire, and the right one depends on whether it will employ people.
You can file the formation documents yourself with the New Hampshire Secretary of State. That suits a founder with no staff and the time to work through the forms.
A formation agent can register the company fast and for little money. That suits a company with no employees.
A law firm or corporate-services firm is the right call for complex group structures and tax planning, where the advice is worth more than the paperwork.
For companies that will employ people in New Hampshire, Teamed is the best choice. With Teamed, you get a designated person who has done this before, one system from your first EOR hire to your own entity and real HR and legal experts you can reach when it matters. Teamed's Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) sets up and manages entities in 100+ countries, and moves your people across from its EOR when you're ready. Teamed already owns an entity in the United States.
A solo founder with no staff is better served by the registry or a formation agent, either of which costs less.
Before you commit
Sometimes an employer of record is the better fit
An employer of record is sometimes the better answer, not a lesser one, when you're hiring one or two people in New Hampshire and don't yet know if you'll stay. Talk to a member of the team about your specific situation, or run the numbers yourself with the crossover calculator, since the right call depends on your entity costs and how long you plan to keep people there.
Contractors, employer of record and your own entity all run on one platform at Teamed, so moving between them later does not mean changing provider or re-onboarding anybody. Real HR and legal experts handle the work rather than a ticket queue.
Talk to a member of the team and we will tell you plainly which one suits where you are. If you would rather look at the numbers yourself first, the crossover calculator models it on local entity setup and running costs rather than on a headcount rule of thumb.
Who carries it
Your own entity, when it's time. We set it up, move your people across, and keep it running.
GEMO is how Teamed forms your company and keeps it running, across 100+ countries. You stay the employer. We do the work behind it.
In New Hampshire, GEMO covers incorporation, registrations, payroll-readiness and ongoing governance.
They set up our EU entity and moved hires across without missing a payroll.
Questions
New Hampshire entity setup questions
What does it cost to register a company in New Hampshire?
The Secretary of State charges a formation and registration fee of $100 to file your entity. Beyond that, budget for a registered agent service, tax registrations, and the usual setup costs like a business bank account.
How is a New Hampshire entity taxed?
New Hampshire taxes business profits at 7.5% under its Business Profits Tax, and charges a 0.55% Business Enterprise Tax on wages, interest and dividends paid, which is credited against the profits tax. The Department of Revenue Administration handles both.
Do I need a registered agent in New Hampshire?
Yes, every registered entity needs a registered agent with a physical address in the state. This is the party that receives legal and state correspondence on your behalf, and it has to stay current.
Can I hire someone in New Hampshire without forming an entity?
Yes, an employer of record lets you employ someone in New Hampshire legally without filing anything with the Secretary of State yourself. Teamed becomes the legal employer while you manage the day-to-day work.
When does it make sense to set up my own entity instead of using an EOR?
It usually makes sense once you have a larger, stable team in the state and know you're staying. The crossover calculator can help you weigh salary levels and timeline against the cost of running your own entity.
Where these figures come from
Sources
Figures on this page come from the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration and the New Hampshire Secretary of State.
Looking for a job in New Hampshire yourself? Teamed does not hire people directly. Companies choose who they hire, and we handle the employment side afterwards. Here is why we cannot help with your search.
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