PA Corporation Filing Fees and Requirements

How Much Does It Cost to Form a PA Corporation?

Legal business registration — and maintaining business compliance — involves necessary expenses and investment. Some of these costs are payable to the PA Department of State, while others are due to additional state entities or the federal government. Here are some common requirements and fees.

Please note that fees for a State of Pennsylvania business license or permit may be due when you first form your business, on an ongoing schedule or on an ad hoc basis. Find more details below.

Initial Pennsylvania Corporation Filing Fees

When starting a business in Pennsylvania State, you’ll need to file a form and pay a filing fee. Here are the current Pennsylvania corporation filing fees and times:

In addition to filing your incorporation paperwork, you'll also need to publicly state your intentions within a legal publication.

When you use Bizee to register a business in Pennsylvania, we charge you the state filing fee and forward it to the Department of State when we file your incorporation paperwork.

Employer Identification Number

Every corporation in the country should have a unique EIN (Employer Identification Number) from the Internal Revenue Service. You'll use it when you open a business bank account, file taxes and pay employees. You can get one directly from the IRS, or Bizee can get one for you.

Foreign Corporations

If you want to do business in a state other than the one where your business is based, you must create a Foreign Corporation.

Pennsylvania Foreign Corporation Registration

Before you can bring an arm of your business into Pennsylvania from another state, you must request Pennsylvania Foreign Qualification. This means the state gives you permission to conduct business there.

To request registration of a Pennsylvania Foreign Corporation, you must complete a Foreign Registration Statement and pay a processing fee of $250. The state may have additional registration requirements, so contact the Pennsylvania Department of State directly for more information and to ensure you're in compliance with PA corporation law.

Foreign Qualification to Operate in Another State

If you plan to expand your Pennsylvania corporation into another state, you’ll first need Foreign Qualification or a Certificate of Authority from that state. This is necessary before you can create a physical presence, hire employees or bank in that state.

You'll likely have to complete at least one application and pay a filing fee, but each state has its own requirements. Before you start the process, compare state filing times and state filing fees so you can plan accordingly.

Above all, contact the state government entity that administers business (usually the Secretary of State) to confirm their requirements and for specific instructions.

If you need assistance, Bizee provides a complete Foreign Qualification service for all states.

Pennsylvania Annual Report Requirements

Most states require business entities to file an annual (or other periodic) report. Pennsylvania is a little different in that it only requires a decennial report to be filed every ten years with the PA Department of State.

File your completed decennial report accompanied with a filing fee of $70 with the PA Department of State.

State of Pennsylvania Business License and Permit Requirements

Before you start doing business, you must secure the necessary state, federal or local business licenses and permits to operate your corporation. Some of the fees will only need to be paid once, while others may be ongoing charges.

Permits and licenses vary based on:

Corporate Bylaws

Pennsylvania is unlike other states in that you aren't required to have corporation bylaws if you form a corporation in the state. We always recommend having them regardless. Simply keep them with your business documents and by all means, continue to follow them.

The bylaws may then be adopted (and amended, if necessary) by the board of directors and shareholders.

Drafting a set of bylaws can be extremely helpful in making sure you’re organized and can help protect your business from any future changes and events that may affect your business.

Other PA Corporation Filing Requirements and Fees

The State of Pennsylvania requires you to complete a few more tasks before you can begin conducting business.

Appoint a Director

Some states require corporations to appoint a full board of directors. PA Consolidated Statutes requires all corporations to have at least one director.

Appoint Officers

In Pennsylvania, the board of directors must elect officers a president, a secretary and a treasurer, or officers who shall act as such.

Issue Stock to Shareholders

To raise business capital and keep it separate from company owners' money, every Pennsylvania corporation must sell stock to its shareholders. The Articles of Incorporation must authorize the sale of at least one class of share, and the corporation cannot sell more shares than are authorized.

Hold Annual General Meetings

In Pennsylvania you must hold annual meetings, however if you fail to do so, PA Consolidated Statutes Title 15, Chapter 17, § 1755 states, "Failure to hold the annual or other regular meeting at the designated time shall not work a dissolution of the corporation or affect otherwise valid corporate acts."

Get a Fictitious Name or DBA

If you want to register a Pennsylvania DBA (fictitious name), you must file a form with the Department of State and pay a filing fee of $70. You will also need to publicly announce your intentions in a legal publication within the county that your corporation is located in.

Change the Registered Agent

If your corporation is based in Pennsylvania, then you must have a Registered Agent in the state. You'll need to appoint one when you file your Articles of Incorporation. You can also change to a new Registered Agent later by filing a form and paying a fee of $5.

Reserving a Name for Your Corporation

If you're not quite ready to start your business, you can reserve a name for 120 days with the Department of State by filing a form and paying a fee of $70. First, conduct a PA corporation search and learn the state's business naming rules to ensure you choose a name that meets legal requirements.

Amending Facts About Your Corporation

When you incorporate, the Pennsylvania business forms you fill out include certain facts about your business at that time. Through the years, some or all of this information may change. If it does, you'll need to file Articles of Amendment with the Department of State along with a filing fee of $70. You can do this yourself or Bizee can do it for you.

Get a Certificate of Good Standing

Some organizations may request that you prove your corporation's compliance with laws and tax requirements. In most states, this proof is provided with a Certificate of Good Standing. In this state, it's a Subsistence Certificate.

If you need to prove you have met your commitments, you’ll need to request a PA Subsistence Certificate from the Department of State. You can do this by submitting a form to the PA Department of State and paying a filing fee of $40.

The information listed above details many of the fees a standard corporation will be required to pay in Pennsylvania. In some circumstances, there may be other one-off, periodic or ad hoc fees not listed above.

Of course, your corporation will also probably need to pay federal, state, self-employment (if it's an S Corp) and other taxes. You'll find more information on the Pennsylvania taxes page.