North Carolina Corporations
How To Form A Corporation In North Carolina
We form North Carolina corporations every day. We are a North Carolina corporations filing service. You can hire us to form a corporation in North Carolina for $100 plus state filing fees.
A North Carolina corporation is formed by filing Articles of Incorporation with the North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration Division. This form costs $125 to file, and can be submitted online via the Secretary of State’s website or by mail.
In order to complete your Articles of Incorporation, you will need to fill out the state’s form with the following information:
- The corporation’s name
- Number and classes of authorized shares
- Your NC registered agent
- The address of your NC registered agent’s office
- The address of your corporation’s principal office
- The names, addresses, and signatures of all incorporators
- Company officers (optional)
- Business email address (optional)
- Effective date of Articles of Incorporation
Filing your corporation’s Articles of Incorporation isn’t the only step to make your business official. You will also need to choose a state-approved name for your business and appoint a registered agent.
- Name your North Carolina Corporation. You will need to make sure that the name you want for your business meets the state’s guidelines. You can only choose a name that is available and also includes an appropriate ending like Inc, Corp, Incorporated, or Corporation. You can check to see if the name you want is available by looking it up on the North Carolina Business Registration Search.
- Appoint a North Carolina Registered Agent. According to North Carolina law, corporations are required to appoint and maintain a registered agent. You can choose yourself, another tar heel (as long as they’re a NC resident over the age of 18), or a business that offers North Carolina registered agent services. Keep in mind that whoever you appoint to be your registered agent will need to be available year-round during regular business hours to accept any service of process on your behalf.
Typically, the North Carolina Secretary of State’s office processes new business filings, online or mailed, in about two weeks. Keep in mind that if you file through the mail you will also need to complete and attach a cover sheet with your submission. If you need it sooner, no problem! You can pay an extra $100 to process your Articles of Incorporation within 24 hours or $200 to have it processed the same day. Just make sure to submit it by 12pm.
You can submit your filing online through the NC’s Secretary of State’s website or mail it to:
Business Registration Division
PO Box 29622
Raleigh, NC 27626-0622
Next Steps for Your NC Corporation
After filing your Articles of Incorporation and appointing a North Carolina registered agent, there are a couple more boxes you’ll need to check to make sure your business not only stays compliant but is equipped to succeed:
- Establish your business presence. Now that your business is officially registered with the state, it’s time to connect to the world. To reach all of your customers, you’re going to need an online business presence. That means a domain name, business email address, and website at the minimum. We include everything you’ll need for instant North Carolina business presence when you hire us: a FREE year of your own business domain, along with 90 days FREE of your own customizable business website, SSL for website security, a business email linked to your domain name, and local phone service. No additional upfront costs. Cancel anytime.
- Get an EIN. If you plan on hiring employees, you’ll need to register for a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN or EIN) with the IRS. Your EIN is kind of like your corporation’s social security number, and it will be used to identify you corporation on tax filings.
- Open a Bank Account. Mixing your personal and business finances is a good way to risk losing your corporation’s liability protection. To avoid this, you’ll want to open a corporate bank account for your business. Not only does this separate your personal assets from the corporation’s, but a corporate bank account is also essential when it comes to things like accepting payments or paying bills.
- Pay Taxes and File an Annual Report. Every year your corporation will need to file an annual report with the North Carolina Secretary of State. You’ll also need to pay the North Carolina corporate income tax of 3%, as well as a state franchise tax.
Some NC Incorporation Options For You:
You can either save yourself some money by filing your North Carolina articles of incorporation yourself with the tools provided in the client account. We include the North Carolina articles of incorporation forms in your online North Carolina registered agent account, along with all the free tools for your online business presence.
You also get filing tips and resources on how to file. You get access to this immediately after you sign up for our North Carolina registered agent service.
OR:
After you look around at the DIY option inside your client account; if you decide you don’t want to do the filing yourself, in a few minutes you can easily add our filing services for the state filing fees plus $100.
What now?
- Sign up for our North Carolina registered agent service. You’ll be immediately logged into your online account.
- You will see the state forms you file and tips on how to file right away. If you decide you don’t want to do it yourself, just click the add services tab inside your online client account, and you can add our North Carolina corporations filing service in a few minutes. You’ll see real time status updates of our progress inside your online account.
- As we form the North Carolina corporation, we write up your North Carolina articles of incorporation. Once completed, we file the documents with the state, make your initial incorporator resolutions, and provide you with North Carolina corporate bylaws. As soon as we’re finished, your documents are uploaded to your online account, emailed to you, and the hard copies are mailed.
- Once your corporation is started, you can add additional services inside your client account. For example, if you want to register a Trade Name for your corporation, just select “Trade Name Service” inside your client account for just $125 plus state fees. We’ll take care of all the paperwork.
Interested in bringing your corporation to North Carolina?
If you’re looking to expand your business by registering a foreign corporation in North Carolina, we can help you out. Our Out-of-State Registration Service is for business owners who want to bring their companies to North Carolina. For $100 plus the state filing fees, we’ll file your Application for Certificate of Authority with the Secretary of State and give you the tools you need to hit the ground running in the Tar Heel state.