How to Form a North Carolina Foreign Corporation
What is a North Carolina Foreign Corporation?
In the United States, just because you are registered to do business in one state does not mean that you can legally do business in another state.
If you want to transact any serious business in a state other than the state in which your Corporation is registered, most likely you will
have to register with the state in which you want to do business before you can legally conduct business there.
For example, a Corporation that is registered in California wants to do business in North Carolina.
The California Corporation is a "Domestic" Corporation in California and will be a "Foreign" Corporation in North Carolina.
The California Foreign Corporation needs to register with the North Carolina Secretary of State as a North Carolina Foreign Corporation.
The use of the term Foreign in this case refers specifically to individual US states.
The US government, including the IRS, considers a Foreign Corporation to be a Corporation that is registered outside
of the United States.
What is a North Carolina Foreign Corporation Qualification?
You want to do business in the state of North Carolina but are registered as a "Domestic Corporation" in another state.
In order to legally conduct business in the state of North Carolina you must register with the North Carolina Secretary of State as
a
Foreign Corporation.
The process of registering as a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina is called
North Carolina Corporation Foreign Qualification.
The process of North Carolina Corporation Foreign Qualification is similar to the process of forming a Domestic Corporation in North Carolina.
Your original Domestic Corporation formation documents (usually called Articles of Incorporation) and By Laws apply to your North Carolina Foreign Corporation.
The Officers and Directors of your Domestic Corporation have the same roles in the North Carolina Foreign Corporation.
Specific requirements to qualify as a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina are explained below.
Once you have made the decision to Qualify as a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina,
a North Carolina lawyer can file your documents and act as a middle man for a few hundred dollars an hour;
or you can use an online service provider like All Business Documents to perform these services.
Put the money you save with All Business Documents right where it belongs: into your new North Carolina Foreign Corporation.
Do I need a lawyer to Form a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina?
The short answer is no.
The state of North Carolina does not legally require a lawyer to form a
North Carolina Foreign Corporation.
Our detailed
Foreign Corporation Information page may help you understand some
of the implications of forming a
North Carolina Foreign Corporation.
However, if there is
anything about forming a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina
that you're not sure about you should seek the advice of a competent North Carolina lawyer, a North Carolina accountant,
or both
before you form a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina.
Once you have made the decision to form a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina, a North Carolina lawyer
can file your documents and act as a middle man for a few hundred dollars an hour; or you can use an online service provider like All Business Documents
to perform these services and
save money that you can use in your new North Carolina Foreign Corporation.
Do I have to Reserve a Company Name before I Form a Foreign Corporation in NC?
You are not legally required to reserve a Company Name for a new North Carolina Foreign Corporation before you submit your application to Form a Foreign Corporation
in North Carolina.
The Foreign Corporation name that you have registered in your home state may or may not be available in North Carolina.
In that case you need a different name your North Carolina Foreign Corporation.
Whether or not you need to reserve a company name for your new North Carolina Foreign Corporation depends entirely on your business situation.
The North Carolina Secretary of State uses names on a first come first served basis.
So if you think that someone may snatch the Company Name that you have in mind, you may want to reserve that North Carolina Foreign Corporation Name.
What if the North Carolina Foreign Corporation Name I want is already taken?
If the Name you have chosen for your new North Carolina Foreign Corporation is already in use by a currently active
North Carolina Foreign Corporation or LLC then you will have to register a DBA Name with the North Carolina Secretary of State. "DBA" is an abbreviation for "
Doing
Business
As."
We verify that the Name you have chose for your new North Carolina Foreign Corporation is available
before we submit
your Foreign Corporation filing to the North Carolina Secretary of State.
If necessary we can register a DBA Name in North Carolina for you so that you can open your new North Carolina business as quickly as possible.
What do I have to do BEFORE Form a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina?
- Prove that you are registered in a state other than North Carolina as a Domestic Corporation
In order to register as a Foreign Corporation in the state of North Carolina, you must first prove that you are registered in another state as a
Domestic Corporation.
You prove this with a Certificate of Good Standing, sometimes referred to as a Certificate of Existence or a Certificate of Fact, from the
state in which you are registered as a Domestic Corporation.
Cost of a Good Standing Certificate for your Domestic Corporation varies from state to state.
If you already have a Good Standing Certificate from your home state, note that it must be dated no older than 6 months from the date of your application for
North Carolina Corporation Foreign Qualification.
If the date on your Good Standing Certificate is older than 6 months then you need to get an updated certificate.
If you get your own Good Standing Certificate you must scan and email or send a copy to us before we submit your application for a
North Carolina Foreign Corporation.
We can get your Good Standing Certificate from any state - in most states within 2-3 hours.
- Choose a name for your North Carolina Foreign Corporation
You can use the same name in North Carolina that you use in your home state, however, if the name of your Domestic Corporation is not available you need to choose another name.
Your North Carolina Foreign Corporation name can identify the type of products and services your business will provide;
or it may be the name of the founder; or it can be a combination of the two or something else.
In any case, the North Carolina Foreign Corporation name that you choose must be distinguishable from the name of any other registered North Carolina Corporation or other
business entity and the name must also be different from any reserved names on record with the state of North Carolina.
Your North Carolina Foreign Corporation name must not imply that it was formed for a purpose other than that stated in the
Your North Carolina Foreign Corporation name must not be a name that is likely to mislead the public.
The name of a North Carolina Foreign Corporation must include the word "Foreign Corporation" or
"Incorporated" or an abbreviation of one of these words.
It's important to choose a good name for your North Carolina Foreign Corporation because if you want to change it after you qualify you
will have to file amended documents with the North Carolina Secretary of State (and pay a fee).
We will check to make sure that your requested North Carolina Foreign Corporation name is available and conforms to all state of North Carolina
Foreign Corporation naming regulations.
- Select an official address and a Registered Agent for your North Carolina Foreign Corporation
Every North Carolina Foreign Corporation must have an address that is physically located in the state of North Carolina.
This address is "registered" with the North Carolina Secretary of State.
The Registered Address cannot be a PO Box and is where official and legal correspondence can be delivered.
The individual or company that is registered with the state of North Carolina to receive all correspondence on behalf of the North Carolina
Foreign Corporation is called a "Registered Agent".
You may act as your own Registered Agent, however, many North Carolina Foreign Corporations hire a Registered Agent because they don't have a physical
address within the state of North Carolina or to provide a distinct level of privacy.
We provide Registered Agent services in North Carolina as well as in all other states.
- File Registration Documents with the North Carolina Secretary of State
In order to Qualify as a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina you must file Registration Documents with the North Carolina Secretary of State.
In North Carolina the registration documents are named "Application for Certificate of Authority".
The registration documents must include certain specific information about your North Carolina business.
If the Registration Documents do not conform exactly to state of North Carolina requirements they will be rejected.
If you need to change any of the information on your registration documents after your North Carolina Foreign Corporation has been approved,
you may amend the registration documents for your North Carolina Foreign Corporation but you will have to pay a fee to
the state of North Carolina in order to make the changes official.
- Determine how you want your North Carolina Foreign Corporation to be taxed
You may choose that your North Carolina Foreign Corporation to be taxed as a C Corporation or S Corporation.
A C Corporation is what you may think of as a traditional Corporation like General Electric or Ford.
C Corporations pay a Corporate income tax to the state if that state taxes Foreign Corporations.
You may choose to have your North Carolina Foreign Corporation taxed as a S Corporation.
S Corporations "pass through" all corporate profits to the shareholders (owners) who then pay tax at their applicable personal rate.
S Corporations do not pay any North Carolina Corporate Income Tax.
In addition to the North Carolina Corporate Income Tax, a Franchise Tax is levied on both North Carolina C Corporations and North Carolina S Corporation. The North Carolina Corporate Franchise tax is $1.50 per $1,000 of the largest of three alternate bases:
- The amount of the capital stock, surplus and undivided profits apportionable to the state of North Carolina
- 55% of the appraised value of property in the state of North Carolina subject to local taxation
- The book value of real and tangible personal property in the state of North Carolina less any outstanding debt that was created to acquire or improve real property in the state
Only North Carolina Corporations that do business in one or more states in addition to North Carolina are permitted to apportion capital. The minimum North Carolina Corporate Franchise Tax is $35.
We can prepare the S Corporation election form for your North Carolina Foreign Corporation and include it with
your final Foreign Corporation documents package.
What do I have to do AFTER I Form a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina?
- Obtain Business Licenses from the cities and counties in which you plan to do business
Note that forming a North Carolina Foreign Corporation does not take the place of obtaining a local business license, tax
registration certificate, or other required business permits.
A North Carolina Foreign Corporation merely creates an ownership structure that limits the owners' personal liability.
You may still need to take care of getting set up to do business with your local government.
Depending on the nature of the business and the location of your North Carolina Foreign Corporation within North Carolina you may need to get one or more local
business licenses or permits.
The business licenses or permits that are required for your North Carolina Foreign Corporation vary depending on your business activities
and the specific locations within the state of North Carolina in which you want to conduct business.
If your North Carolina Foreign Corporation will be selling products in North Carolina you may be required to obtain a Reseller's Permit from the appropriate
North Carolina state agency.
If your North Carolina Foreign Corporation will be selling products in North Carolina you will also be responsible for all applicable local and state of North Carolina
sales taxes if there are any.
We have the expertise to find out exactly which state and local permits that you need for your specific business.
- File the required reports for your North Carolina Foreign Corporation
The North Carolina Corporation Annual Report includes basic information about your North Carolina Foreign Corporation including information on your Officers and Directors.
Failure to submit a properly completed North Carolina to the North Carolina Secretary of State on or before the
due date may subject the North Carolina Foreign Corporation to being administratively dissolved in the state of North Carolina or having its authority to
transact business in the state of North Carolina revoked by the North Carolina Secretary of State.
Penalties may accrue if you fail to file any North Carolina Foreign Corporation to the North Carolina Secretary of State by the due date.
- Keep proper records of your North Carolina Foreign Corporation on file
Keep the following records on file and available at the principal business office of your North Carolina Foreign Corporation:
- Names and addresses of all Directors and Officers of the North Carolina Foreign Corporation
- Foreign Corporation formation documents and any Amendments to them
- Corporate Bylaws and any Amendments to them
- List of current shareholders of the Foreign North Carolina Foreign Corporation.
If shareholders change, keep a record of old shareholders and how stock was transferred.
- Minutes of all Meetings of Shareholders and Directors
- Copies of any Corporate Resolutions which have been adopted by the North Carolina Foreign Corporation
- Copies of all tax returns and Annual Reports for the North Carolina Foreign Corporation for the last 3 years
- Pay your taxes to the state of North Carolina
Foreign Corporations that either do business in the state of North Carolina or that derive income from sources within the state of North Carolina are subject
to North Carolina and federal tax laws.
If you are engaged in intrastate business and derive income from other states besides North Carolina, you must allocate the amount of income derived
from the state of North Carolina in order to determine your North Carolina state taxes.
What information do I need in order to Form a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina?
In order to Form a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina you'll need the following information about your new Company:
- The name of your new North Carolina Foreign Corporation along with your second choice of a name in case the name that you want is not available
- Physical address of the Foreign Corporation office in North Carolina (not a PO Box)
- A good standing certificate for your Domestic Corporation from your home state no older that 6 months
- A description of the nature of the business you are planning to operate with the North Carolina Foreign Corporation
- When the North Carolina Foreign Corporation will start and when it will cease to exist (normally the Foreign Corporation starts on the date the application is filed and will exist perpetually)
- Names and addresses of the initial Directors of the North Carolina Foreign Corporation
- Names and addresses of each Officer of the North Carolina Foreign Corporation
Remember -
ALL the information that you provide when you Form a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina becomes part of the public record.
Our data entry forms include the
absolute minimum amount of information that is required in order to Form a new Foreign Corporation in North Carolina.
How long does it take to Form a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina?
Processing times for new North Carolina Foreign Corporation applications vary depending on the work load of the
Secretary of State's staff.
We've found that normal processing of new North Carolina Foreign Corporation applications takes the state around 3-5 business days.
Add 2-3 days for the time period for shipping the final documents by mail.
Choosing our Express Mail option can shave a couple of days off the total processing time for your new North Carolina Foreign Corporation.
PLEASE NOTE: WE CANNOT GUARANTEE NORTH CAROLINA SECRETARY OF STATE PROCESSING TIMES.
The North Carolina Secretary of State reserves the right to extend expedite periods in time of extreme volume, staff shortage or
equipment malfunction.
We are dependent on, and have no control over, the staff and systems of the North Carolina Secretary of State.
In our experience 3-5 business days is the time it
usually takes the North Carolina Secretary of State to process
a new North Carolina Foreign Corporation application.
We get your North Carolina Foreign Corporation application to the NC Secretary of State ASAP.
Once it is at the state we have no control over the new North Carolina Foreign Corporation application process.
How much does it cost to Form a Foreign Corporation in North Carolina?
The state of North Carolina charges $252.00 to Form a Foreign Corporation in NC.
That includes the Secretary of State's filing fee and a Certified Copy of your new North Carolina Foreign Corporation filing. Also add the cost of a Good Standing Certificate from your home state.
If you choose us to help you Form your Foreign Corporation in North Carolina our processing fees are $145.00.
This includes:
- Same day processing of your new North Carolina Foreign Corporation order
- NC Name Check and Verification
- Prepare Application for Certificate of Authority
- File Formation Documents with the North Carolina Secretary of State
- Certified Copies of Formation Documents
- North Carolina Foreign Corporation Checklist
- Priority Mail Delivery
- Unlimited Customer Support
If you are ready to Form a North Carolina Foreign Corporation, choose which North Carolina
Foreign Incorporation options that you want below then click the Next Step button.
If you have any questions regarding our North Carolina Foreign Incorporation services you can call us at
855-771-2477 or email us at
CorpServices@AllBizDocs.com.
North Carolina Foreign Corporation Cost Estimator
Our North Carolina
Foreign Corporation Services include:
(These services are included in our processing fees)
Optional North Carolina
Foreign Corporation Services
(Choose options, cost is updated automatically)
-
Expedited Service
explain
Normal processing time for a new North Carolina Foreign Corporation is 3-5 business days.
The North Carolina Secretary of State offers two expedited processing options for new NC Corporation filings. For an additional $100 the Secretary of State will process your application for a new North Carolina Corporation within 24 hours. For $200 the Secretary of State will process your application for a new NC Corporation the same day if the new Corporation application is received before noon.
This is the time by which the North Carolina Secretary of State will either approve or deny the Foreign Corporation application.
North Carolina Foreign Corporation applications must be received by the Secretary of State before noon North Carolina time for the process to start that day.
Another way to expedite your order is to choose the Express Mail option.
The Express Mail option can cut document delivery times in half.
-
- Express Mail - $35
explain
If you really need your original approved Application for Certificate of Authority in your hands quickly, the
Express Mail option can cut the delivery time in half.
The Express Mail option has no effect on the North Carolina Secretary of State's processing time. For the quickest turn-around time also choose the Expedited Service option.
-
S Corporation Election - $50
explain
S Corporations are taxed differently than C Corporations.
With an S Corporation, business profits may be "passed through" directly to the shareholders.
This avoids the double tax on both corporate and shareholder profits.
S Corporations do not pay any North Carolina Corporate Income Tax.
We can prepare the S Corporation Election form for you and include it with your final Foreign Corporation documents pakage.
-
NC Registered Agent - $135
explain
Every North Carolina Foreign Corporation is required to have an address within the state of North Carolina where
official and legal correspondence can be delivered.
The individual or company that is registered with the state of North Carolina to receive all correspondence
on behalf of the Foreign Corporation is called a Registered Agent.
You may act as your own Registered Agent, however, many Foreign Corporations hire a Registered Agent because they don't have a physical address within
North Carolina or to provide a distinct level of privacy.
We can act as your North Carolina Foreign Corporation Registered Agent.
This is an annual service.
We will forward all correspondence to you and will remind you when it is time to renew your NC Registered Agent services.
-
NC Good Standing Certificate - $46
explain
A North Carolina Good Standing Certficate is proof of the existence of your new North Carolina Foreign Corporation.
The Certificate is issued by the North Carolina Secretary of State and is proof that your NC Foreign Corporation is not behind on any
of its North Carolina Secretary of State Corporate obligations.
A North Carolina Good Standing Certificate is often required for loans, to apply for business licenses, or for tax or other business purposes
in the state of North Carolina or in any other state.
We can get your North Carolina Good Standing Certificate immediately after the North Carolina Secretary of State has approved your Foreign Corporation filing.
-
Federal EIN - $65
explain
An FEIN is like a Social Security Number for your North Carolina Foreign Corporation.
We can get your FEIN on the same day that your Application for Certificate of Authority are approved by the North Carolina Secretary of State.
You can get your FEIN before your articles are approved by the North Carolina Secretary of State but it's a good idea to wait until
after approval.
Your filing may be rejected or the Foreign Corporation name that you want may not be approved.
Changing information on an FEIN filing is not a trivial exercise with the IRS.
-
Foreign Corporation Kit and Seal - $99
explain
While you're not required to have a Foreign Corporation Kit and Seal for your new North Carolina Foreign Corporation they do come in handy.
The NC Foreign Corporation Kit consists of a beautiful customized binder, stock certificates, a stock ledger
and your custom Foreign Corporation Seal.
The Foreign Corporation Seal is used to emboss important company documents, such as stock certificates.
The binder also includes dividers so you can use it for all of your North Carolina Foreign Corporation record keeping.
-
Business License Research - $175
explain
Most new North Carolina Foreign Corporations are required to get some kind of state, regional or local permits or business licenses.
The task to figure out exactly what you need can be daunting.
We can determine exactly which forms you need to fill out, fill them out for you and file the forms with the appropriate government agency
where possible.
GOOD STANDING CERTIFICATE
You will need a Good Standing Certificate from your home state that is no older than 6 months.
Choose your home state from the list, the price of the certificate below will be updated automatically.