Forming a Corporation should not be a trivial decision. You should know exactly why you want to form a Corporation and in which state you want to register it.
You should also understand the tax implications for both you and your new Corporation as well as the periodic reporting requirements.
Choose your state from the list to get specific information on forming a Corporation in that state.
LLC is short for Limited Liability Company. "Limited Liability" can shield the owners from
responsibility should the company run into any problems. LLCs may choose to be taxed in a few different ways. You should understand the tax implications to you and anyone who is a
member of the LLC. Requirements vary from state to state. Choose your state from the list to get specific information for that state
A Nonprofit Corporation is created for the purpose of providing some kind of public service. Nonprofits may choose, but are not required, to be exempt from income taxes. All revenue must be reinvested in the
Nonprofit and no assets may be distributed from a Nonprofit except to another Nonprofit. Each state has different requirements for creating a Nonprofit Corporation. Choose your state from
the list to see the details.
A Professional Corporation is just what the name implies - a Corporation made up of only Professionals. The definition of Professional varies from state to state
but Professionals are generally people who require some kind of license for what they do. Choose your state from
the list to get more information.
A Good Standing Certificate is proof positive that your company exists. Also called a Certificate of Existence or Certificate of Status, if your company is up to date with all
its administrative responsibilities then the Good Standing Certificate will include a statement from the Secretary of State to that effect. We can get a Good Standing Certificate for
any state - within 2-3 hours in most states. Choose your state from the list to place an order.
A Copy of a Business Document which is Certified by the Secretary of State is proof positive that the document is legal and authentic.
It is important to retain on file
Certified Copies of your Formation Documents - your Articles of Incorporation for Corporations or your Articles
of Organization for LLCs; as well as all Amendments to your original Articles.
We can get a Certified Copy of any Business Document in any state - on the same day you place your order in some states.
Choose your state from the list for details.
DBA means "Doing Business As". If you are an individual Sole Proprietor and want to do business under
a name which is different from your legal name then you have to Register a DBA Name in the location in which you
want to use the name for business. In most states you Register a DBA Name with the Secretary of State.
In other states you Register a DBA Name at the county or even the town level. Choose your state from the list for details.
Apostille is a French word that means certification. When legal or official documents from one country are to be
used in a foreign country, it may sometimes be necessary to authenticate the validity of the signatures on those
documents. An Apostille from a Secretary of State is legal proof that the signatures on a document are valid.
Choose your state to find out how to get an Apostille from that state.
In almost all states you are not required to reserve a Company Name before you Incorporate or form a new LLC.
However, it could make the approval process go quicker when you register your new business with the
Secretary of State. Reserving a Company Name gives you exclusive rights to that name. No one else can use
your Reserved Company Name which your name reservation is valid. Choose your state from the list for details.
Most states require that Corporation or LLC information is updated each year by a specific date.
Some states require an update every two years and a few states don't require any updates at all. Report information includes
items like who runs the company and where it is physically located. Choose your state from the list to see the
requirements for that state.
In the US, 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 or LLC is registered, most likely you will have to register with the state in which you
want to do business as a "Foreign" entity before you can legally conduct business there. Requirements vary from state to state.
Click on any state in the list to see Foreign Registration requirements for that state.
If you have registered a business with the Secretary of State and want to legally shut the business down there are
a few administrative tasks that you need to complete. The process of legally closing a business is called Company
Dissolution. If you do not Dissolve your Corporation or LLC legally you leave yourself open for legal problems
and may put your personal assets at risk. Requirements vary state to state. Choose your state from the list
to see specifics for that state.
If a Corporation or LLC fails to file required reports or pay its taxes on time; or if a Business does not have a
Registered Agent, that Company's right to do business could be suspended or its charter may be revoked by the Secretary
of State. A suspended Corporation or LLC cannot legally conduct Business and may not sue or
defend a law suit. Also, contracts made by a suspended Business can be voided at the option of the other party. Most importantly, it may be a criminal
act to attempt to exercise any of these functions. If your company has had its charter revoked we can help. Click on the link to get specific information.
Every Corporation or LLC in every state needs to specify a name and physical address
- not a PO Box - to which the Secretary of State may send official and legal notices and to which Service of Process
may be delivered. The person to which correspondence and Service of Process is sent is
known a Registered Agent or Agent for Service of Process. If you don't have a Registered Agent, the Secretary of State can revoke your charter.
If you don't have a physical address within the state in which
your company is registered, we can provide one. Click on the link to get more informtaion.
If you need to verify that all outstanding tax liabilities for a Corporation or LLC have been paid,
then you need a California Tax Status Compliance Certificate. We can get a Tax Compliance Certificate for your
business from most states. Click on any state in the list to check availability.
If you are an Attorney or if you need to find out if an Attorney is in Good Standing with the highest court in the
state, then you will need a Good Standing Certificate from the Supreme Court.
If you are an Attorney who plans to practice in the US District Court system then you may need a Good Standing
Certificate from a U.S. District Court. We may be able to get both Certificates for you. Click on any state or district in the list to check availability.
All Business Documents, Inc. is not a lawyer or an accountant and provides only document filing and retrieval
services under your supervision.