What Is a Kansas Series LLC?
A Series LLC is a special type of limited liability company that allows a single "master" LLC to contain multiple separate "series" — each with its own assets, liabilities, members, and purpose. Kansas authorizes Series LLCs under Kansas Revised Limited Liability Company Act K.S.A. 17-76,143.
Each series in a Kansas Series LLC has its own liability protection — debts and obligations of one series cannot reach the assets of another series, as long as proper records and accounts are maintained separately.
Important: A Series LLC is more complex than a standard LLC. Each series requires its own operating agreement provisions, separate bookkeeping, and potentially a separate EIN. LLC Attorney recommends consulting with an attorney before forming a Series LLC to confirm it matches your actual use case.
Who Uses a Kansas Series LLC?
Series LLCs are most common among:
- Real estate investors — holding multiple properties in separate series so that a liability from one property cannot reach the others
- Fund managers and investment vehicles — organizing multiple investment pools under one legal umbrella
- Franchise-style businesses — operating multiple locations as separate series under a single master entity
- Business owners with multiple ventures — maintaining separate businesses under one filing structure to reduce annual fees
How to Form a Series LLC in Kansas
Form the Master LLC
File Articles of Organization with the Kansas Secretary of State. The formation documents must explicitly designate the entity as a Series LLC and state that individual series may have separate liability. Formation fee: $165 master LLC fee.
Draft a Comprehensive Operating Agreement
The master operating agreement must establish the framework for creating and governing individual series — including membership allocations, voting rights, and the liability separation mechanics. Each series may also have its own series operating agreement.
Create Individual Series
Each series is designated internally through your operating agreement — you do not typically file separate formation documents with the state for each series. Document the creation, purpose, assets, and members of each series in writing.
Obtain a Separate EIN for Each Series
The IRS treats each series as a separate entity for tax purposes. Each series that has its own assets, members, or income should obtain its own Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS.
Maintain Separate Records and Accounts
To preserve the liability separation between series, each series must maintain separate accounting records and, ideally, separate bank accounts. Commingling funds between series can undermine the liability shield.
Ongoing Requirements for Kansas Series LLCs
- Annual report — the master LLC must file its annual report with the Kansas Secretary of State; individual series are covered under the same filing
- Separate books — each series must maintain its own financial records to preserve liability separation
- Separate bank accounts — best practice is one dedicated account per series
- Separate EINs — each series generally needs its own EIN from the IRS for tax filing purposes
- Registered agent — the master LLC must maintain a registered agent in Kansas with a physical address
Form Your Kansas Series LLC
LLC Attorney handles Series LLC formation in Kansas — including the master LLC filing, operating agreement drafting for each series, and registered agent service.
Kansas Series LLC — FAQs
A Kansas Series LLC is a master LLC that contains multiple legally separate series, each with its own assets, liabilities, and members. Authorized under Kansas Revised Limited Liability Company Act K.S.A. 17-76,143, it allows multiple business ventures or assets to be held under one filing while maintaining liability separation between them.
The IRS has not issued final guidance on how Series LLCs are taxed. In practice, each series that has its own assets and members is generally treated as a separate entity for tax purposes and requires its own EIN. Consult a CPA or tax attorney familiar with Series LLC taxation before forming one.
Yes — the IRS generally treats each series as a separate entity, and each series with its own membership, assets, or income needs its own EIN.
Series LLCs are popular with real estate investors who want to hold multiple properties in separate liability buckets without paying separate state filing fees for each property. Kansas's statute provides liability separation between series, but maintaining it requires strict separation of records and bank accounts per series.
A Series LLC uses a single master LLC filing for multiple asset buckets, which may reduce state filing and annual report fees. Multiple standard LLCs each have their own filing, with clearer legal certainty about liability separation. The Series LLC approach saves on fees but adds complexity; multiple LLCs are simpler but cost more. An attorney can help you evaluate which structure is right for your situation.
Yes. LLC Attorney handles Kansas Series LLC formation — including the master LLC filing with the Kansas Secretary of State, operating agreement drafting for the master LLC and individual series, and registered agent service.