How to register a business in US Virgin Islands
You file with the USVI Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Division of Corporations and Trademarks. Everything below is what it costs and what you can do yourself.
Form an LLC
Not published
One-off, paid to the state
Annual Report
Not published
Due annual
State income tax
Graduated
Sales tax
No
Gross Receipts Tax applies.
Not yet checked against the official source. We have low confidence in any figures here and have left most of them blank rather than guess. Confirm at the USVI Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Division of Corporations and Trademarks before filing or budgeting.
What you can do yourself, free
The state fee is unavoidable. Most of the rest is not.
- 1
Check your business name is available
FREEEvery state runs a free searchable database of registered entity names. Search it before you commit to anything, and check the domain and a basic USPTO trademark search at the same time.
Commonly sold as: Bundled as a paid 'name availability check', typically $10–$30.
Official source ↗ - 2
File your formation documents with the state
State fee only — see your state's pageArticles of Organization for an LLC. You file directly with your Secretary of State or equivalent, online in most states, and it usually takes under half an hour.
Commonly sold as: Services charge a preparation fee on top of the state fee. The state fee is identical either way; you are paying for the form-filling.
- 3
Get your EIN from the IRS
FREEApply directly at irs.gov. The online application takes about ten minutes and issues your number immediately. You need an EIN to open a business bank account or hire anyone.
Commonly sold as: Routinely sold for $50–$300. This is the single clearest example of a free government service resold at a markup.
Official source ↗ - 4
Act as your own registered agent
FREEIn your home state you can generally serve as your own registered agent, provided you have a physical street address there (not a PO box) and are available during business hours.
Commonly sold as: $100–$300 per year, often auto-renewing. Genuinely worth paying for if you want your home address off the public record, you are frequently away, or you operate in multiple states — but it is a choice, not a requirement.
- 5
Write an operating agreement
FREE for single-memberMost states do not require one to be filed, but you should have one. Single-member templates are widely available at no cost.
Commonly sold as: $50–$200 for a template. If you have partners, skip the template and pay an actual attorney — this is the document that decides what happens when partners disagree, and a form is poor value at any price.
- 6
Open a business bank account
FREE at most banksDo this immediately and never pay a personal expense from it. Commingling funds is the most common reason a court disregards LLC liability protection.
- 7
Register for state tax accounts
Usually FREESales tax permit, employer withholding, unemployment insurance. These are separate from formation and go through your state's revenue department, not the Secretary of State.
Commonly sold as: Sold inside 'business licence packages' that mostly repackage free registrations.
- 8
Find out which licences and permits you need
Varies — the permits themselves cost moneyState professional licensing, local business licence, health permits, zoning. This is where industry matters most, and it is genuinely the hardest step to research.
Commonly sold as: 'Business licence research' packages, $100–$200. The research has real value; the permits still cost the same.
Official source ↗ - 9
File your annual or biennial report on time
State fee only — see your state's pageNearly every state requires an ongoing filing to keep your entity in good standing. Miss it and you risk administrative dissolution, which is far more expensive to undo than to avoid.
Commonly sold as: 'Compliance' or 'worry-free' packages, $100–$300/year. The state already emails you a reminder. Put the date in your calendar instead.
Next steps
General information, not legal or tax advice. Fees and tax rules change, and US Virgin Islands may have requirements specific to your industry or locality that are not shown here.