Websites for new Texas businesses
Filed your Certificate of Formation with the Texas Secretary of State? The paperwork side of a Texas business is light at the start, with one report that surprises almost everyone the following spring. Here is the order most new Texas businesses work through — and what the website should show once they are open. We build that site as a working draft within 48 hours.
Where Texas businesses register
A Texas LLC is formed by filing Form 205, Certificate of Formation, with the Secretary of State, online through SOSPortal (the system the SOS used to call SOSDirect). The filing fee for an LLC is $300 (Form 205 · SOS fee schedule).
What Texas businesses do next
- EIN from the IRS — free, online (IRS).
- Assumed name, if you trade under another name. Since 1 September 2019 an LLC files its assumed name certificate (Form 503) with the Secretary of State only — no county filing any more. The fee is $25 (SOS name filings FAQ).
- Sales and use tax permit, if you sell taxable items: apply online through the Comptroller's eSystems. The Comptroller says to allow two to three weeks to receive the permit, so apply before you plan to start selling (Texas Comptroller — sales tax permit).
- State licence, for licensed trades. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration contractors, barbers and cosmetologists, among others. Non-exempt electrical work, for example, has to be done by a licensed electrician through a licensed electrical contractor (TDLR — electricians).
- Domain, website, Google Business Profile. What customers see — below, and in our Google profile guide.
The Texas report that surprises new owners: franchise tax
Texas LLCs are subject to the franchise tax, reported to the Comptroller. The first annual report is due on May 15 of the year after your business became subject to the tax (Comptroller FAQ). For reports due in 2026 and 2027, a business with revenue at or below $2,650,000 owes no franchise tax (Texas franchise tax) — but it still files. Every LLC also files a Public Information Report on the same date, even when no tax is due (PIR requirement). "No tax due" is not "nothing to file".
A Texas first year, month by month
- Day 0: Form 205 filed with the Secretary of State ($300). Order your EIN the same day — it takes minutes online and costs nothing.
- Weeks 1–3: if you sell taxable items, the sales and use tax permit is on its way; the Comptroller allows two to three weeks, so this is the step to start first, not last.
- Before your first customer: assumed name on Form 503 if you need one, TDLR licence if your trade requires it, and your website and Google profile live, so the people who hear your name can find you.
- May 15 of the following year: first franchise tax report and Public Information Report, even if you owe nothing.
What a Texas business website should show
- Your TDLR licence number if your trade is licensed — electricians and HVAC contractors especially. It answers the first question a careful customer asks.
- The cities and counties you serve. Texas metros sprawl: "Houston" can mean an hour's drive. Name the areas you really cover — Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland — so the right calls come in.
- The name on your Form 205 or your assumed name, used the same way on the site, your invoices and your Google profile.
- Spanish, if your customers speak it. Many Texas businesses serve both languages; a site can carry a Spanish version of its key pages.
- A quote form that takes photos for trades, or a booking link for appointments.
Prices
Two ways to pay, the same anywhere in Texas, all by email:
| Full professional website | |
|---|---|
| Price | $390 one-time, paid after you have seen your draft |
| Pages | All pages |
| Domain and email | Your own domain + one business email for the first year |
| Google Business Profile | Setup included |
| Hosting | Included for the first 3 months |
| Changes | Before you pay: the draft plus one round of changes (further rounds after payment). At launch: one round of fixes within 14 days. |
| Care | $149/year for a full site, $99/year for a one-page site — hosting, security, backups and 4 small text/photo updates a year. Extra updates $20 each. |
Full details: pricing.
FAQ
- Does my new Texas LLC have to file a franchise tax report if it owes nothing?
Yes. Below the no-tax-due threshold ($2,650,000 for 2026 and 2027 reports) no tax is owed, but the LLC still files its report and a Public Information Report by May 15.
- Where do I file a DBA for my Texas LLC?
With the Secretary of State only, on Form 503, for $25. County filing for LLCs ended on 1 September 2019.
- Can my site be in English and Spanish?
Yes. Tell us which pages your customers need in Spanish and we build them into the draft.
- How fast can my Texas business be online?
A working draft within 48 hours of your idea; it goes live when you are happy with it — $390 one-time.
Sources
A plain-English summary, not legal or tax advice. Fees and deadlines are as published on the official pages linked below on 19 October 2026 — check them before you file.
- Texas SOS — Form 205, Certificate of Formation
- Texas SOS — fee schedule
- Texas SOS — name filings FAQ (assumed names)
- Texas Comptroller — sales and use tax permit
- Texas Comptroller — franchise tax
- Texas Comptroller — Public Information Report
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- IRS — Get an Employer Identification Number
See your draft first — pay only if you want it live
Tell us what your business does. Within 48 hours you get a working draft of your website; you pay only when you want it live — $390 one-time. We reply the same day.