Incorporation Forms

Incorporation forms may not be any less varied than they ever have been--but they are much more accessible. Online forms save corporations huge amounts of time that was once spent simply gathering a full collection of papers. Many incorporation forms can even be completed online in their entirety.

Two of the most common forms for incorporation to be found online are those for applying for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and a business name. Getting an EIN is the first step towards incorporation for many businesses. These numbers are issued by the US government and are required for corporate status and are available on the Web and over the phone.

Applying for a business name can be a surprisingly tricky process. A business cannot take the name of a corporation that has already been registered. Naming restrictions, however, do not stop there. The name of a new corporation must be sufficiently different from the names of any existing corporation to avoid both confusion as well as profiteering on the basis of an established name. Online name searches of reserved names can help businesspeople to narrow down the field of potential names.

Incorporation Forms: State Regulations

States, of course, have their own forms that must be filled out before a company can become a corporation. State forms are best handled through registered agents. State-approved agents provide their clients with the most recent and relevant forms for their businesses and corporation types. Agents also help businesses with the process of submitting forms in a timely fashion.