The process of Legally Closing a LLC in New Mexico is called Dissolution.  After a New Mexico LLC has been Dissolved, it ceases to be Legally Active in the New Mexico Secretary of State's records and may no longer Legally conduct business in the state of New Mexico.

A New Mexico LLC is created when the NM Secretary of State approves the Formation Documents - the Articles of Organization.  A record of the New Mexico LLC is added to the list of LLCs which have officially registered with the New Mexico Secretary of State.  Once a LLC is registered with the New Mexico Secretary of State, that LLC immediately has both reporting and tax obligations which incur penalties if the obligations are not met by the required deadlines.

If you've registered a New Mexico LLC with the New Mexico Secretary of State and want to cease business activities you have to let the NM Secretary of State know that you intend to close your company.  Only after the NM Secretary of State has made sure that all of the obligations of the New Mexico LLC have been fulfilled will the Secretary of State approve of the closure of the company.

When the New Mexico Secretary of State approves the closing of a NM LLC, that New Mexico LLC is said to be Dissolved.  The process of Dissolving a New Mexico LLC is called New Mexico LLC Dissolution.

As soon as a New Mexico LLC is registered with the NM Secretary of State, that LLC is responsible for recurring obligations of the New Mexico Secretary of State and the New Mexico Department of Taxation and Revenue.  If a New Mexico LLC does not file its required reports or pay its tax obligations, then that NM Limited Liability Company could be responsible for penalties which compound as time goes by.

Unless you Dissolve (Legally Close) your New Mexico LLC with the New Mexico Secretary of State that NM Limited Liability Company will be responsible for all recurring fees and penalties until the company has been legally closed.

New Mexico LLC Dissolution is one part of a larger process commonly called the "Winding Up" process.

There are things you need to do before you can request approval of LLC Dissolution from the New Mexico Secretary of State; and things that you have to do after the NM Secretary of State has approved Dissolution of the New Mexico LLC.

When a New Mexico LLC is originally created, the Members (owners) may create a document called an Operating Agreement.  The Operating Agreement may include pretty much anything that has to do with running the LLC, including specific requirements which need to be followed before the LLC may be Legally Closed.  Before you do anything else, you should review the Operating Agreement for anything that needs to be done before the Business is Legally Closed.
What you have to do both before and after the New Mexico LLC is Dissolved largely depends what kind of debts and liabilities that the New Mexico LLC has.  If the New Mexico LLC has not commenced business activities then the NM LLC Dissolution process is easier.

1. Hold a Members meeting and record a resolution to Legally Close the New Mexico LLC
   
   New Mexico LLC Dissolution is one part of a larger process commonly called the "Winding Up" process.
   
   A meeting should be held of all Members of the New Mexico LLC and a vote to Legally Close the New Mexico Limited Liability Company taken.  There should be a majority of Members who vote Yes to Legally Close the company. A formal date on which the LLC will be closed should be specified.  Minutes of the meeting should be recorded and retained in the business records.  If the New Mexico LLC does not have any Members then the Organizer(s) have to apply for Dissolution of the New Mexico LLC.
   
   We can transcribe and compile any minutes or approvals into a form that is legally recognized by the New Mexico Secretary of State.
   
   
2. Clear up any business debts
   
   All creditors of a New Mexico LLC should be given notice of the pending LLC Dissolution. Each creditor should be given a mailing address to which they may submit claims as well as a deadline by which claims may be submitted.
   
   
3. Pay all taxes and administrative fees owed by the New Mexico LLC
   
   The New Mexico Secretary of State will definitely not approve the Dissolution of a New Mexico LLC until all outstanding taxes and applicable registration and administrative fees have been paid.

1. Distribute all remaining assets of the New Mexico LLC
   
   If the New Mexico LLC has any remaining assets, these may be divided according to the Members' ownership interests in the NM Limited Liability Company.  Refer to the Articles of Organization for specific requirements, if any, for asset distribution.  All distributions to LLC Members must be reported to the IRS.
   
   
2. Close all business bank accounts of the New Mexico LLC
   
   If there are any business bank accounts that have been opened for the New Mexico LLC then those accounts must be closed.  If any business bank accounts are left open then there may be liability and obligations of the Dissolved New Mexico LLC which could lead to legal problems down the line.
   
   
3. Cancel all local business licenses and permits of the NM LLC
   
   If the New Mexico LLC has obtained any state, regional, county or city business licenses or permits, there may be cancellation requirements associated with those licenses or permits.  Each of those must be cancelled to avoid any reporting or fiscal obligations the New Mexico LLC may have.  This includes business registration licenses as well as reseller permits.
   
   
4. File IRS Form 966
   
   A dissolved New Mexico LLC may be required to file IRS Form 966 with the US Internal Revenue Service.  If a New Mexico LLC is required to file IRS Form 966, that filing is required within 30 days after the final Dissolution plan is approved.  Filing IRS Form 966 lets the Federal Government know that the New Mexico LLC has been legally Dissolved so that it may take the appropriate actions.
   
   We can prepare IRS Form 966 for you to file.
   
   
5. Cancel the IRS account associated with the NM LLC's Federal Tax ID (EIN)
   
   A Federal Tax ID, or Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN), is like a Social Security Number for the New Mexico LLC.  Once the IRS links an EIN to a New Mexico LLC, that EIN stays with the New Mexico LLC even after the Company has been Legally Closed by the New Mexico Secretary of State.
   
   When the IRS processes the final tax return for the New Mexico LLC, they automatically make the EIN inactive.  However, the account associated with the EIN is not automatically closed.  Closing the account associated with the EIN lessens the likelihood of any problems with the EIN account, or with the IRS, in the future.
   
   If you should decide to revive the New Mexico LLC down the line then the IRS will reactivate the old EIN for your new Business.
   
   Before a New Mexico LLC can close an EIN account, it must be in Good Standing with the IRS.  The New Mexico LLC must have filed all required tax returns and paid any applicable fees and penalties due to the IRS.  The New Mexico LLC cannot close its EIN account until the IRS has received payment for any tax amounts the Company may owe.
   
   We can prepare the formal documents which you can sign and submit to the IRS in order to close the account associated with your EIN.
   
   
6. Keep Records of all Pertinent Business Documents
   
   In order to avoid problems down the line, you should keep copies of all tax filings, contracts and employment records on file as well as Certified Copies of all company documents filed with the Secretary of State.  This includes your Formation Documents - your original Articles of Organization and any Amendments - and all Dissolution douments.

You notify the IRS that your New Mexico LLC has been Closed on the final tax return that is filed for your Business. 

If you have employees and file taxes quarterly with IRS Form 941, Employers Quarterly Tax Return, check the appropriate box on that form to let the IRS know that your LLC has Closed.  If you file yearly taxes do the same on IRS Form 944, Employers Yearly Tax Return. You should also attach a statement to the return showing the name of the person keeping the payroll records and the address where those records will be retained.

When you opened your New Mexico LLC you most likely were assigned a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN).  Once the IRS links an EIN to a LLC, that EIN stays with the LLC even after the Company has been Dissolved.  If you don't plan to reopen your New Mexico LLC after it has been Closed, you should cancel the EIN account that has been assigned to your Company.

The time it takes to Dissolve a New Mexico LLC varies depending on how long it takes to complete the actions that are required in each specific case - holding meetings, closing accounts, distributing assets, etc.

Once the initial actions are completed, the New Mexico Secretary of State usually takes around 10-15 business days to process the Articles of Dissolution.

Processing times for New Mexico LLC Dissolution filings vary depending on the work load of the Secretary of State's staff.  We've found that normal processing of New Mexico Dissolution filings takes the state around 10-15 business days.

We are dependent on, and have no control over, the staff and systems of the New Mexico Secretary of State .  In our experience 10-15 business days is the time it usually takes the New Mexico Secretary of State to process a New Mexico Dissolution filing.  We get your New Mexico LLC Dissolution filing to the NM Secretary of State as soon as possible after we receive your order.  Once it is at the state we have no control over the New Mexico Dissolution approval process.

The total cost to Legally Close a New Mexico LLC varies depending on exactly what is required for each specific NM Dissolution.  We charge $249 plus any state fees for our New Mexico LLC Dissolution services. This includes:

• Same day processing
• Transcribe minutes of Members meeting which approves Closing the Company
• Prepare and file the Articles of Dissolution with the New Mexico Secretary of State
• Prepare US IRS Form 966 for you to sign and file
• Prepare documents to cancel Federal EIN account
• Certified copy of Dissolution filing from NM Secretary of State
• Priority Mail Delivery of all documents
• Unlimited Customer Support

We also offer these New Mexico LLC Dissolution services separately as explained below.

If there are Foreign Limited Liability Companies in states other than New Mexico that are tied to the Domestic New Mexico LLC then each of those Foreign LLCs must be Dissolved before the New Mexico LLC can be legally Dissolved.

A New Mexico LLC company name becomes available for anyone to use when the New Mexico Limited Liability Company is Dissolved by the NM Secretary of State. There are no LLC company name protections in New Mexico once a New Mexico LLC has been Dissolved by the New Mexico Secretary of State.

There are no state of New Mexico requirements for the publication of a Notice of Dissolution of a New Mexico LLC.

While the New Mexico Secretary of State does not legally require the publication of a Notice of Dissolution of a New Mexico LLC, publication is a good way to notify anyone who might have a claim against the New Mexico LLC.  Evidence of publication might prove useful down the line if someone makes a claim against the NM Limited Liability Company after the New Mexico LLC has been dissolved.