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Optional support for Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting.
Ultimate Convenience
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Instant Online Ordering
We make it easy to form your corporation. Simply provide your information in our convenient online form and we’ll take care of the rest. -
Expedite Options Available
We have offices nationwide for in-person filing with the states to receive the fastest processing available. We make these full expedite options available to you. -
Service in Every State
Does your tax strategy or privacy needs require your corporation to be formed in a specific state? Form anywhere thanks to our nationwide network of registered agent offices.
The Best Protection
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Proceed With Confidence
Harness the expertise of our filing experts through Compliance Gaps. As soon as your corporation is formed, Compliance Gaps suggests regulatory filings commonly required of organizations like yours in the states where you operate. -
Comprehensive Support
We can help you with any additional registrations or licenses you may need. Our compliance services are a perfect fit for companies that plan to hire employees, sell physical goods, or open offices in other states.
How Our Incorporation Service Works
Complete the steps below to order our incorporation services. Once we have submitted your filings, we will track their progress and send confirmation when they are approved.
Form Your Corporation
Provide basic information about your new company.
We prepare and submit the required filings to form your corporation.
Receive your approved corporation formation documents.
Experience the Harbor Compliance Difference
Our managed services let you offload the government paperwork to our compliance specialists. Their deep industry expertise and strong working relationships with government agencies mean fast, cost-effective filing and exceptional ROI. We believe in doing it right, so it only has to be done once.
Frequently Asked Questions
A corporation is a business structure formed under state law. It can limit your personal liability as an owner.
Read more about What is a Corporation?
Liability refers to financial or legal debt. Limited liability means containing the amount of liability an owner has.
An owner who invests in a limited liability business structure such as a corporation is only risking the amount of his or her investment. The owner is not personally responsible for debts and obligations of the business that exceed the assets of the business.
An corporation must be properly set up and run to establish and maintain the “corporate veil” that protects owners from liability.
The owners of a corporation are called shareholders. For example, a corporation is authorized to issue 1,000 shares, and it issues 250 shares to two owners (500 shares issued total). Each shareholder is a 50% owner. Ownership is frequently documented in stock certificates and recorded on the company ledger.
Ownership often entitles the owner to a share of the corporation's profits or losses and to a right to vote in decisions of the corporation. This governance should be defined in the corporation's bylaws.
To add or remove ownership, shareholders transfer shares with each other. Sometimes the corporation issues additional shares or buys back shares from the shareholders.
A corporation is a formal structure with decision-making power split between the shareholders, directors, and officers (as documented in the bylaws). Each participant votes as permitted by their shares or office.
By default, a corporation is taxed as a C-Corp. It may make a special election to be taxed as an S-Corp. Read our article "C-Corp vs. S-Corp: Which Makes Sense for Your Business?"
Attorneys, accountants, and consultants excel when they can stay focused on what they do best: providing legal, tax, and strategic guidance. Let our software and services manage routine filings efficiently and affordably, so you can focus on solving your clients’ most complex problems.
Support To Meet Your Client Needs
Professional services firms are well-positioned to advise clients on how to structure a corporation’s ownership and operating agreement. Harbor Compliance specializes in providing fast, efficient filing processes that complement your advisory services. Maximize your time spent on strategic activities by outsourcing the rest of the incorporation project to Harbor Compliance. We offer:
- Quick name reservation.
- Expedited state processing of your incorporation documents. Walk-in options are available in most states.
- Configurable billing that properly reflects your client’s account or retainer, as needed.
- Customized permissions that allow you to either act as the middleman or grant your clients direct access to the Harbor Compliance portal.
- Use our Entity Manager software to see every state in which an entity is registered and the status in each state. The resulting Entity Health Check is a direct value-add to your clients that can also serve to identify future potential projects for your firm.
Additional Resources
For even more education about corporations, check out our Information Center and Blog.
Choose a Business Structure Limited Liability vs. Liability Insurance C-Corp vs. S-Corp: Which Makes Sense for Your Business? Suffix requirements such as "Inc.", "Corp.", and "Ltd.