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

A North Carolina Corporation is created when the NC Secretary of State approves the Formation Documents - Articles of Incorporation.  A record of the North Carolina Corporation is added to the list of Corporations which have officially registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State.  Once a Corporation is registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State, that Corporation 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 North Carolina Corporation with the North Carolina Secretary of State and want to cease business activities you have to let the NC Secretary of State know that you intend to close your company.  Only after the NC Secretary of State has made sure that all of the obligations of the North Carolina Corporation have been fulfilled will the Secretary of State approve of the closure of the company.

When the North Carolina Secretary of State approves the closing of a NC Corporation, that North Carolina Corporation is said to be Dissolved.  The process of Dissolving a North Carolina Corporation is called North Carolina Corporation Dissolution.

A Dissolved North Carolina Corporation continues its Corporate existence in NC but may not carry on any business except that appropriate to wind up and liquidate its business and affairs. A North Carolina Corporation is Dissolved upon the effective date of on which its Articles of Dissolution were approved by the NC Secretary of State.

As soon as a North Carolina Corporation is registered with the NC Secretary of State, that Corporation is responsible for recurring obligations of the North Carolina Secretary of State and the North Carolina Department of Revenue.  If a North Carolina Corporation does not file its required reports or pay its tax obligations, then that NC Corporation could be responsible for penalties which compound as time goes by.

Unless you Dissolve (Legally Close) your North Carolina Corporation with the North Carolina Secretary of State that NC Corporation will be responsible for all recurring fees and penalties until the company has been legally closed.

North Carolina Corporation 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 Corporation Dissolution from the North Carolina Secretary of State; and things that you have to do after the NC Secretary of State has approved Dissolution of the North Carolina Corporation. 

When a North Carolina Corporation is originally created, the Organizers may create Bylaws that define how the Corporation will be run.  The Bylaws may include pretty much anything that has to do with running the Corporation, including specific requirements which need to be followed before the Corporation may be Legally Closed.  Before you do anything else, you should review the Bylaws for anything that needs to be done before the Business is Legally Closed.

What you have to do both before and after the North Carolina Corporation is Dissolved largely depends on how much stock, if any, has been issued and how much and what kind of debts and liabilities that the North Carolina Corporation has.  If the North Carolina Corporation has not commenced business then the NC Corporation Dissolution process is easier.

1. Hold a Board of Directors meeting and record a resolution to Dissolve the North Carolina Corporation
   
   If a Board of Directors has been appointed for the North Carolina Corporation, then the Board is required to adopt a resolution to Dissolve the NC Corporation.  There should be a majority of Board Members who vote Yes to Legally Close the company.  A formal date on which the Corporation will be closed should be specified.  Minutes of the meeting should be recorded and retained in the business records.  If the Board of Directors has not been appointed then the Incorporator(s) have to apply for Dissolution of the North Carolina Corporation.
   
   We can transcribe and compile any minutes or approvals into a form that is legally recognized by the North Carolina Secretary of State.
   
   
2. Hold a Shareholder meeting to approve Dissolution of the North Carolina Corporation
   
   If a North Carolina Corporation has issued shares of stock then a meeting of the Shareholders (owners) must be held and recorded. A majority of Corporate Shareholders must approve the Dissolution plan.  The approval actions should be documented and kept in the business records.
   
   If no shares have been issued then the North Carolina Corporation Dissolution process is easier.
   
   
3. File all required Annual Reports with the North Carolina Secretary of State
   
   The North Carolina Secretary of State will not approve the Dissolution of a NC Corporation until all required administrative reports have been filed.
   
   We can file any required Annual Reports with the NC Secretary of State.
   
   
4. Clear up any business debts
   
   All creditors of a North Carolina Corporation should be given notice of the pending Corporation 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.
   
   While the North Carolina Secretary of State does not legally require the publication of a Notice of Dissolution of a North Carolina Corporation, publication is a good way to notify anyone who might have a claim against the North Carolina Corporation.  Evidence of publication might prove useful down the line if someone makes a claim against the NC Corporation after the North Carolina Corporation has been dissolved.
   
   
5. Pay all taxes and administrative fees owed by the North Carolina Corporation
   
   The North Carolina Secretary of State will definitely not approve the Dissolution of a North Carolina Corporation until all outstanding taxes and applicable registration and administrative fees have been paid.

1. Distribute all remaining assets of the North Carolina Corporation
   
   If the North Carolina Corporation has any remaining assets, these may be divided according to the Shareholders' ownership interests in the NC Corporation. All distributions to Corporate Shareholders must be reported to the IRS.  Refer to the Corporation Bylaws for specific requirements, if any, for asset distribution.
   
   
2. Close all business bank accounts of the North Carolina Corporation
   
   If there are any business accounts that have been opened for the North Carolina Corporation then those accounts must be closed.  If any Corporate business accounts are left open there may be liability and obligations of the Dissolved North Carolina Corporation which could lead to legal problems.
   
   
3. Cancel all local business licenses and permits of the NC Corporation
   
   If the North Carolina Corporation 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 North Carolina Corporation may have.  This includes business registration licenses as well as reseller permits.
   
   
4. File IRS Form 966
   
   A Dissolved North Carolina Corporations may be required to file IRS Form 966 with the US Internal Revenue Service.  This filing is required within 30 days after the final Dissolution plan is approved.  Filing IRS Form 966 lets the Federal Government know that the North Carolina Corporation 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 NC Corporation's Federal Tax ID (EIN)
   
   A Federal Tax ID, or Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN), is like a Social Security Number for the North Carolina Corporation.  Once the IRS links an EIN to a North Carolina Corporation, that EIN stays with the North Carolina Corporation even after the Company has been Dissolved by the North Carolina Secretary of State.
   
   When the IRS processes the final tax return for the North Carolina Corporation, 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 North Carolina Corporation down the line the IRS will reactivate the old EIN for your new Business.
   
   Before a North Carolina Corporation can close an EIN account, it must be in Good Standing with the IRS.  The North Carolina Corporation must have filed all required tax returns and paid any applicable fees and penalties due to the IRS.  The North Carolina Corporation 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 Incorporation and any Amendments - and all Dissolution douments.

You notify the IRS that your North Carolina Corporation 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 Corporation 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 North Carolina Corporation you most likely were assigned a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN).  Once the IRS links an EIN to a Corporation, that EIN stays with the Corporation even after the Company has been Dissolved.  If you don't plan to reopen your North Carolina Corporation 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 North Carolina Corporation 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 North Carolina Secretary of State usually takes around 5-10 business days to process the Articles of Dissolution.

Processing times for North Carolina Corporation Dissolution filings vary depending on the work load of the Secretary of State's staff.  We've found that normal processing of North Carolina Dissolution filings takes the state around 5-10 business days.
We are dependent on, and have no control over, the staff and systems of the North Carolina Secretary of State . In our experience 5-10 business days is the time it usually takes the North Carolina Secretary of State to process a North Carolina Dissolution filing. We get your North Carolina Corporation Dissolution filing to the NC Secretary of State as soon as possible after we receive your order. Once it is at the state we have no control over the North Carolina Dissolution approval process.

The total cost to Dissolve a North Carolina Corporation varies depending on exactly what is required for each specific NC Dissolution.  We charge $249 plus any state fees for our North Carolina Corporation Dissolution services.

We also offer these North Carolina Corporation Dissolution services separately.

If there are Foreign Corporations in states other than North Carolina that are tied to the Domestic North Carolina Corporation then each of those Foreign Corporations must be Dissolved before the North Carolina Corporation can be legally Dissolved.

A North Carolina Corporation may revoke their Articles of Dissolution by filing Articles of Revocation of Dissolution. with the NC Secretary of State. The Articles of Revocation of Dissolution must be filed by the NC Corporation within 120 days of the date on which the North Carolina Secretary of State approved the Articles of Dissolution.

The company name of a Dissolved NC Corporation may not be used by another North Carolina Corporation or LLC within 120 days of the date on which the North Carolina Secretary of State approved the Dissolution of the NC Corporation. After 120 days the company name becomes available to any North Carolina Corporation or LLC. There are no protections on the use of a North Carolina company name after 120 days from the date of Dissolution.