Which business structures each therapy license may use, where to file and what it costs, the taxes to expect, and the order to do it in. Every fee shows the date we checked it.
For all four licenses, we confirmed: LLC and PLLC and Professional corporation. A sole proprietorship works in every state and needs no company filing.
From state law and board rules as we last read them, not advice for your situation. “Yes” means we confirmed it. When we could not, the card says to confirm with your board.
Before you file: None required by the SCC to file. At least one member of a PLLC must hold the Virginia license. The professional must be licensed by the Board of Counseling before treating clients through the entity.
Licensing board: Virginia Board of Counseling (Dept. of Health Professions)
Join the waitlist for your counseling practiceBefore you file: None required by the SCC to file. At least one PLLC member must be licensed in Virginia. Licensed by the Board of Counseling (Title 54.1 Chapter 35).
Licensing board: Virginia Board of Counseling (Dept. of Health Professions)
Join the waitlist for your marriage and family therapy practiceBefore you file: None required by the SCC to file. At least one PLLC member must be licensed in Virginia. Clinical social workers are licensed by the Board of Social Work (Title 54.1 Chapter 37).
Licensing board: Virginia Board of Social Work (Dept. of Health Professions)
Join the waitlist for your social work practiceBefore you file: None required by the SCC to file. At least one PLLC member must be licensed in Virginia. Licensed by the Board of Psychology (Title 54.1 Chapter 36).
Licensing board: Virginia Board of Psychology (Dept. of Health Professions)
Join the waitlist for your psychology practiceCounselors: Va. Code 13.1-1101.1 expressly allows professional services (defined in 13.1-1102, which covers behavioral science professions licensed under Title 54.1 Chapters 35, 36 and 37) to be rendered by an ordinary LLC under Chapter 12, by a PLLC under Chapter 13, or by a foreign LLC with authority. The professional corporation act (13.1-543) also covers the same behavioral science professions, with shareholders limited to licensed individuals or professional business entities. A PLLC is optional, not required.
Marriage and family therapists: Same statutory path as counselors. Marriage and family therapists are licensed under Title 54.1 Chapter 35 (Board of Counseling), which is within the behavioral science professions cited in 13.1-1102 and 13.1-543. Code 54.1-3500 defines the practice of marriage and family therapy within Chapter 35, which 13.1-1102 and 13.1-543 name.
Social workers: Chapter 37 of Title 54.1 is named in the behavioral science definition in both 13.1-1102 and 13.1-543, so the same three entity options apply.
Psychologists: Chapter 36 of Title 54.1 is named in the behavioral science definition in both 13.1-1102 and 13.1-543, so the same three entity options apply.
$100 filing fee listed on the SCC LLC forms page. Optional: $10 name reservation for 120 days (SCC631). Third-party filing services add their own fees.
$100 filing fee listed on the SCC LLC forms page, only for businesses providing qualified professional services. Whether CIS online filing offers the PLLC type directly was not confirmed (CIS requires a login); LLC1103 can also be filed as a paper form. Optional $10 name reservation.
Per the SCC charter fee schedule (rev 02/26): $75 total for 25,000 or fewer authorized shares ($50 charter fee plus $25 filing fee), plus $50 per extra 25,000 shares. The fee amount for the professional form specifically was not stated on the forms page (it says 'See Charter Fees'). Online availability of the professional form in CIS not confirmed. SCC forms page confirms form SCC544 exists for professional stock corporations; its fee is listed only as See Charter Fees.
This is an estimate, added up from the fees on this page: the state filing fee, the first annual report or yearly state fee, and any flat minimum tax our data names. It leaves out board application fees, a registered agent company, expedited filing, newspaper notices, name reservations, local licenses and income tax. The state sets the real amounts.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $100 |
| First annual report or yearly state fee | $50 |
| Estimated state costs in year one | $150 |
Does not include state taxes unless a flat minimum is listed above.
Some details of these fees are unconfirmed. Read the fee notes in the filing section.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $100 |
| First annual report or yearly state fee | $50 |
| Estimated state costs in year one | $150 |
Does not include state taxes unless a flat minimum is listed above.
Some details of these fees are unconfirmed. Read the fee notes in the filing section.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $75 |
| First annual report or yearly state fee | $50 |
| Estimated state costs in year one | $125 |
Does not include state taxes unless a flat minimum is listed above.
Some details of these fees are unconfirmed. Read the fee notes in the filing section.
Check with the state tax agency which state taxes apply to your business type before you file. Its official pages are linked below.
State tax information More tax information More tax information (2)
City and county: Yes, most Virginia cities and counties require a local business license (BPOL) filed with the Commissioner of the Revenue or local finance office, even with no tax due under the receipts threshold; home-based practices may also need a zoning or home occupation approval. Rules, filing and fees differ by locality. Statute: Va. Code 58.1-3700 et seq. Ask your city or county whether a local business license or home occupation permit applies to a practice like yours.
Ask an accountant before you choose how the company is taxed. This page does not tell you which tax treatment to pick.
The order below follows the rules we found for Virginia. A board approval or a newspaper notice changes where a task falls, so a different state may order these differently.
Your Virginia licensing board can add its own rules to the state's business law. Read them for your license before you file anything.
Boards ask for different things, so follow the one for your license.
Check that no one in the state already has the name, and follow the state's name rules for professional practices.
The state requires a registered agent with a street address in the state. That can be you, if you have a street address in the state, or a registered agent company.
Use the form and fee for the structure you chose, listed above.
It is free. Apply only on irs.gov, after the state approves your filing.
You may already have one. Get a second, organization number only if your practice is a company that bills under its own name.
Bring your state filing, EIN letter and ID. Keeping practice money in its own account keeps your records clean.
Ask your city or county whether a local business license or home occupation permit applies to a practice like yours.
Put your yearly report and any state taxes on your calendar so your company stays in good standing.
SyncedUp builds your fees, paperwork, booking and website from a few answers, then runs the practice with you. We fill in Virginia for you. Everything on this page stays free to read.
Join the waitlistRegistration is paused. Joining the waitlist does not create an account or reserve a plan.
Last checked: Oct 15, 2026. We change this date only when someone re-checks the facts, never when the page is rebuilt.
We checked these facts against the official sources listed below, including the state filing office and the licensing boards.
See a mistake? Email us a correction. Please do not include any client or personal information.
