Filed in each separate STATE in the United States of America
Articles of Organization or Articles of Incorporation is a legal document which establishes your business in a state of your choice. One of the most important decisions you will make as a business owner during the formation period is deciding which business structure suits your business activity best: a Limited Liability Company (LLC), a Sole Proprietorship, a Partnership, or a Corporation. The filed Articles serve as the official birth certificate of your company, outlining essential details about your business, such as the location and people involved, and granting it legal recognition. Most of the time, these Articles are filed with a Secretary of State, but not every state in the Union has such a position. Before obtaining a Tax Identification Number or opening a bank account, you will need to have a Certificate detailing the organizational structure and some minimally required information.
Why is it required?
A legally recognized company must operate under some kind of law. The State where the organizational documents are filed will provide such a framework by spelling out the laws which will govern the behavior of the entity. For example, each state will define the rights of the business owners and what needs to be done in case of conflicts.
In addition, organizing the business as a separate legal entity offers business owners some personal protection against lawsuits and against creditors seeking to collect business related debts, as well as some tax and operational advantages.
How much does it cost to file?
Every state has a unique method of filing and charging for a business registration. Once the necessary information has been gathered and agreed upon by the partners, if there are any, a filing is submitted to a Secretary of State’s office or an agency tasked specifically with processing this type of activity in a State of your choosing.
The processing fees vary from state to state, but are generally within a few hundred US dollars. There may be additional fees based on the method of filing, especially when expedited service is requested. For the most accurate and up-to-date information on fees and processing times, check with the State of your choosing, or contact our office for more information.
Organizational and operational authority filings are routine, and our office offers this service for $125.00.
Who should use our services?
We offer our existing clients the service of filing registration documents with the States. In some cases, the registration is simple, especially when registering for operational authority as a foreign entity in a state other than the original state of organization. For example, when an entity organized in the State of Nevada wishes to do business in the State of California, a Foreign Entity Registration would be required.
Our assistance with these filings does not replace the need for legal advice, as selecting the type of entity and the appropriate State may carry legal and tax ramifications. We urge legal counsel for every business owner interested in starting a new business.
