Setting up a CA corporation doesn’t have to be complicated. We’ve created this straightforward guide on how to form a corporation in California.
Starting your California S Corporation or C Corporation with Incfile is fast and easy. We’ll gather all the information we need from you and file it with the CA Secretary of State. Here are the six steps you need to follow to form a corporation in California.
Briefly, the benefits of forming a California corporation are:
If you don’t need the options for buying and selling stock, a California LLC may be a better choice for your business. You can even have your LLC treated as an S Corporation for tax purposes to save you money.
Every CA business needs a unique name, including your corporation. You can carry out a California business entity name search on the CA Secretary of State website. The name of your California S Corporation or C Corporation cannot be confusable with another business that’s been formed in California. If you’re not forming your CA corporation right away, you can reserve the name with the Secretary of State.
See if the name is available by searching for it on the California Secretary of State website.
Learn how to name your California corporation.
Every California S Corporation or C Corporation must have a designated street address. That could be your home address (if you’re running the company from your residence), your company’s office building or any physical address of your preference. The address can be outside CA, but it cannot be a P.O. Box.
When your CA corporation is formed, it must have a “Registered Agent,” known in California as an “Agent for Service of Process.” This is an official position; the Registered Agent is someone who receives official legal and tax correspondence and has responsibility for filing reports with the California Secretary of State.
A Registered Agent position for a California S Corporation or C Corporation can be filled in several ways. This position can be carried out by you, another accountable person in the business or a dedicated Registered Agent service. Your CA Registered Agent must have a physical street address in California and must be present to receive important documents for your company during business hours.
At Incfile, all of our packages include a California Registered Agent service that is free for the first year and just $119 per year afterward. We also have a dashboard where you can log in and easily view any document your Registered Agent has received on your behalf.
Here at Incfile we always recommend using a proper California Registered Agent service since they provide several benefits:
Once you've gathered all the information for your California corporation, you’ll need to file a formal document with the CA Secretary of State. This document is known as your “Articles of Incorporation,” and filing the document creates your CA corporation. Here’s what the Articles of Incorporation normally includes:
Once your Articles of Incorporation document is drafted, you can file it with the California Secretary of State. Filing your Articles of Incorporation creates your California corporation. You can do this online, mail in a form or have Incfile do it on your behalf.
Once your California corporation has been created, you will need to get certain legal requirements in place. These include:
A regular California S Corporation or C Corporation is suitable for almost all business needs, but you also have a few other options to incorporate a special type of corporation.
Some states, including California, allow certain occupations to form “Professional Corporations.” These types of corporations may need special requirements and licensing. The California Secretary of State allows for the formation of professional corporations but does not provide a defined list of professions. Instead, they state the following:“Before submitting the completed form, contact the California state board or agency that controls your profession to find out if your profession is authorized to be a corporation in California and if there are any specific corporate name style rules.”
A “foreign” filing is when you have a regular, domestic corporation in a state (typically the one where you first formed your business) and need the company to be able to operate in another state. This is where you would file a “Foreign Qualification” to the new state for your domestic corporation to be able to operate in both states. You must have an existing domestic corporation before you can file as a foreign corporation.
Incfile provides a cost-effective service to help you create your corporation. We guide you through the process and handle most of the administrative steps on your behalf, such as filing your Articles of Incorporation. Our packages also provide a free Registered Agent service for the first year. If you're looking for assistance forming a corporation, we can help you start a CA S Corporation or C Corporation.
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Launch your business!State fee
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The state charges this amount to file a new business entity. This fee goes directly to the Secretary of State.
Compare State Filing Times Compare State Filing PricesThis report is mandatory and must be filed within the specified time frame in order for the entity to remain in good standing with the state. Failure to file this report can lead to the company being revoked or administratively dissolved.
Other State RequirementsAdditional resources, guides, and articles for better decision making.
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