What is an Alaska Professional Corporation? |
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Generally, if you are required to obtain some kind of license before you can market your skills in the state of Alaska then you will
most likely need to form a Alaska Professional Corporation.
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Generally, if you are required to obtain some kind of license before you can market your skills in the state of Alaska then you will
most likely need to form a Alaska Professional Corporation.
Attorneys, architects, engineers, public accountants, nurses and physicians, among others, may require registration as a Professional
Corporation with the Alaska Division of Corporations.
The following professions are considered a professional service in the state of Alaska. If the Service you plan to provide is not listed then you cannot incorporate as a Professional Corporation:
| Acupuncturist |
Legal Services |
Physical/Occupational Therapy |
| Architect |
Land Surveyor |
Marital Family Therapy |
| Physicians Assistant |
Audiologist |
Medical Professional Counselor |
| Chiropractor |
Naturopath |
Psychology |
| Dental |
Nursing |
Public Accountant |
| Dispensing Optician |
Optometry |
Social Work |
| Geologist |
Pharmacy |
Veterinary |
An Alaska Professional Corporation may render Professional Services in the state of Alaska
only through individuals licensed or otherwise authorized in Alaska to render the specific Professional Service.
Depending on exactly what it is that you want to do in Alaska, approval from a specific Alaska state agency or board may be required before the AK Division of Corporations will approve a new
Alaska Professional Corporation filing.
This could add to the total processing time for a new Alaska Professional Corporation.
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What are the advantages of an Alaska Professional Corporation? |
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Alaska Professional Corporations are commonly formed by a group of licensed Professionals who want to open a joint practice.
The main advantage of Forming an Alaska Professional Corporation is that malpractice by one of the Professionals will not be
held against the other Professionals if they we're not involved in the malpractice.
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Do I need a lawyer to Form a Professional Corporation in Alaska? |
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The short answer is no.
The state of Alaska does not legally require a lawyer to form an
Alaska Professional Corporation.
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The short answer is no.
The state of Alaska does not legally require a lawyer to form an
Alaska Professional Corporation.
Our detailed Professional Corporation Information page may help you understand some
of the implications of forming an Alaska Professional Corporation.
However, if there is anything about Forming a Professional Corporation in Alaska
that you're not sure about you should seek the advice of a competent Alaska lawyer, an Alaska accountant,
or both before you Form a Professional Corporation in Alaska.
Once you have made the decision to Form a Professional Corporation in Alaska, an Alaska lawyer
can file your documents and act as a middle man for a few hundred dollars an hour; or you can use an online service provider like All Business Documents
to perform these services and save money that you can use in your new Alaska Professional Corporation.
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Do I have to Reserve a Company Name before I Form a Professional Corporation in Alaska?
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You are not legally required to reserve a Company Name for a new Alaska Professional Corporation before you submit your application to Form a Professional Corporation in
Alaska.
Whether or not you need to reserve a company name for your new Alaska Professional Corporation depends entirely on your business situation.
The Alaska Division of Corporations uses names on a first come first served basis.
So if you think that someone may snatch the Company Name that you have in mind, you may want to reserve that Alaska Company Name.
Click here for more information on
Alaska Company Name Reservation
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What if the Alaska Professional Corporation Name I want is already taken?
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If the Name you have chosen for your new Alaska Professional Corporation is already in use by a currently active
Alaska Corporation or LLC, and you still want to use that Professional Corporation Name, then you will have to register a DBA Name with the Alaska Division of Corporations. "DBA" is an abbreviation for "Doing Business As."
In Alaska a DBA Name is called a Business Name.
We verify that the Name you have chose for your new Alaska Professional Corporation is available before we submit
your Incorporation filing to the Alaska Division of Corporations.
If necessary we can register a Business Name in Alaska for you so that you can open your new Alaska business as quickly as possible.
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Are there any Company Name restrictions for an AK Professional Corporation? |
An Alaska Professional Corporation corporate name must comply with all laws and regulations for regular Alaska
Corporation corporate names.
In addition, an Alaska Professional Corporation corporate name may not contain any language stating or implying that it is
incorporated for a purpose other than that authorized by its Articles of Incorporation.
An Alaska Professional Corporation corporate name must also conform with the name regulations of
any applicable Alaska Professinal licensing board.
An Alaska Professional Corporation name must contain the last name of one or more of its shareholders (owners), unless the regulations of a particular regulating board or the ethics of an Alaska Profession permit the use of a Corporate Name which does not include the surname of any present or former shareholders.
The corporate name must end with the word Corporation, Company, Incorporated, Limited, A Professional Corporation, or an abbreviation of one of these, such as P.C.
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What do I have to do to Form a Professional Corporation in Alaska?
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8 things you have to do in order to Incorporate in Alaska.
1. Choose a name for your Alaska Professional Corporation
2. Select an official address and a Registered Agent for your Alaska Professional Corporation
3. Choose a Board of Directors for your Alaska Professional Corporation
4. Decide who will be Officers for your Alaska Professional Corporation
5. Determine how you want your Alaska Professional Corporation to be taxed
6. File Articles of Incorporation with the Alaska Division of Corporations
7. Get a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
8. Issue Stock Certificates to the Initial Shareholders
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1. Choose a name for your Alaska Professional Corporation
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Your Alaska Professional Corporation name can identify the type of products and services your business will provide;
or it may be the name of the founder; or it can be a combination of the two or something else.
In any case, the Alaska Professional Corporation name that you choose must be distinguishable from the name of any other registered Alaska Professional Corporation or other
business entity and the name must also be different from any reserved names on record with the state of Alaska.
Your Alaska Professional Corporation name must not imply that it was formed for a purpose other than that stated in your
Articles of Incorporation;
and your Alaska Professional Corporation name must not be a name that is likely to mislead the public.
The name of an Alaska Professional Corporation must include the word "Corporation" or
"Incorporated" or an abbreviation of one of these words.
It's important to choose a good name for your Alaska Professional Corporation because if you want to change it after you incorporate you
will have to file amended Articles of Incorporation with the Alaska Division of Corporations (and pay a fee).
We will:
- Check to make sure that your Alaska Professional Corporation name is available
- Make sure your Alaska Professional Corporation name conforms to state of Alaska regulations
- Reserve your Alaska Professional Corporation name with the Alaska Division of Corporations
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2. Select an official address and a Registered Agent for your Alaska Professional Corporation
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Every Alaska Professional Corporation must have an address that is physically located in the state of Alaska.
This address is "registered" with the Alaska Division of Corporations.
The Registered Address is where official and legal correspondence can be delivered.
The individual or company that is registered with the state of Alaska to receive all correspondence on behalf of the Alaska
Corporation is called a "Registered Agent".
You may act as your own Registered Agent, however, many Alaska Professional Corporations hire a Registered Agent because they don't have a physical
address within the state of Alaska or to provide a distinct level of privacy.
- We can act as the official Registered Agent for your Alaska Professional Corporation.
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3. Choose a Board of Directors for your Alaska Professional Corporation
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All Alaska Professional Corporations are required to have a Board of Directors.
Directors are the people who will set policies for your Alaska Professional Corporation and manage the business and its resources.
In the majority of small corporations directors are the owners.
The Articles of Incorporation or Corporate Bylaws may define specific qualifications for Directors.
The Board of Directors is responsible for creating rules, approving budgets and distributing profits to shareholders.
One of the most important duties of the Board of Directors is electing Officers for your Alaska Professional Corporation.
The same person may be a Director and an Officer at the same time.
Directors need not be residents of the state of Alaska or shareholders of the Alaska Professional Corporation unless the Articles of Incorporation
or Bylaws require it.
Normally Directors for your Alaska Professional Corporation are elected for a term of one year.
Elections are held at the annual meeting of Shareholders.
The Directors serve until the next annual Shareholders meeting.
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4. Decide who will be Officers for your Alaska Professional Corporation
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The Board of Directors elects Officers for your Alaska Professional Corporation in accordance with the Corporate Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation.
Officers serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors of the Alaska Professional Corporation.
Officers handle the day to day operation of the Alaska Professional Corporation.
Unless specifically prohibited by the Corporate Bylaws or Articles of Incorporation, in a Alaska Professional Corporation
the same person may hold more than one Corporate Office at the same time.
However, there are certain legal affairs in which the same person cannot act in more than one capacity.
One Officer - usually the Secretary - is given responsibility for preparing Minutes of Directors and Shareholders meetings
and for authenticating records for the Alaska Professional Corporation.
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5. Determine how you want your Alaska Professional Corporation to be taxed
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| The Alaska Corporate Income Tax Rate is %.
You may form an S Corporation in Alaska.
S Corporations may "pass through" all corporate profits to the shareholders (owners) who then pay tax at their applicable
personal rate.
S Corporations do not pay any Alaska Corporate Income Tax.
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- If you choose to be taxed as an S Corporation, we can prepare the S Corporation election form for your Alaska Professional Corporation and include it with
your Incorporation documents.
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6. File Articles of Incorporation with the Alaska Division of Corporations
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In order to form a Corporation in Alaska you must file Articles of Incorporation with the Alaska Division of Corporations.
The Articles of Incorporation must include certain specific information about your Alaska business. If the Articles do not conform exactly to state of Alaska requirements they will be rejected.
You may subsequently amend the Articles of Incorporation for your Alaska Professional Corporation but you will have to pay a fee to the state of
Alaska in order to make the changes official.
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7. Get a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
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A Federal Employer Identification Number, also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, is used by the IRS to identify a
business entity.
An FEIN is like a Social Security Number for your Alaska Professional Corporation.
All Alaska Professional Corporations are required to have an FEIN.
- We can obtain an FEIN for your Alaska Professional Corporation.
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8. Issue Stock Certificates to the Initial Shareholders
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Corporate stock is evidence of ownership of a Alaska Professional Corporation.
When you form your Alaska Professional Corporation, you will need to determine what type of stock and the number of shares of each type that
you want to authorize.
You do not have to sell the number of shares that are authorized.
Many small Alaska Professional Corporations hold 100% of the shares.
Stockholders in a Alaska Professional Corporation are entitled to voting rights or dividends of the Corporate profits or both.
Whoever owns over 50% of the stock of the Alaska Professional Corporation is able to make all Corporate business decisions.
Alaska Professional Corporations usually hold at least 51% of the corporate stock in order to retain control of the Alaska Professional Corporation.
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What do I have to do after I form my Alaska Professional Corporation? |
6 things you have to do after you Incorporate in Alaska.
1. Conduct an initial Meeting of the Board of Directors and adopt Corporate Bylaws
2. Open a Business Bank Account in Alaska for your AK Corporation
3. Obtain Business Licenses from the cities and counties in which you plan to do business
4. Hold Meetings of Shareholders and Directors of each year.
5. File the required Alaska Professional Corporation reports
6. Keep proper records of your Alaska Professional Corporation on file
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1. Conduct an initial Meeting of the Board of Directors and adopt Corporate Bylaws
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The Board of Directors holds an initial meeting to elect Officers, authorize issuance of stock and adopt the Corporate Bylaws.
Bylaws are the internal rules of your Alaska Professional Corporation.
They are adopted by the Board of Directors and vary widely from Corporation to Corporation.
Commonly bylaws include the number of seats on the board of directors; how Directors are elected; how meetings of Directors and
Shareholders are to be conducted; what Officers the Alaska Professional Corporation will have and a description of each of their duties.
As your company grows over time, you may amend your bylaws as necessary.
Bylaws generally cannot be amended by the Board of Directors unilaterally.
A vote by the majority of Stockholders of the Alaska Professional Corporation is usually required to amend the Corporate Bylaws.
Bylaws may include any rules for managing the business and conducting corporate affairs.
Almost anything may be written into the Bylaws, however, the Bylaws must not be in violation of any federal or Alaska law or
the Alaska Professional Corporation's Articles of Incorporation.
A copy of the Corporate Bylaws should be maintained at the Corporation's principal Alaska office.
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2. Open a Business Bank Account in Alaska
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It's very important that you have a separate business bank account for your Alaska Professional Corporation.
Mixing personal and business funds can get you in a lot of trouble with the tax man down the line.
It's a good idea to contact the bank before you open a business bank account.
Specific requirements vary from bank to bank.
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3. Obtain Business Licenses from the cities and counties in which you plan to do business
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- We can research and prepare the necessary forms for your required business licenses and permits and include
them in your Alaska Incorporation package.
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Note that forming an Alaska Professional Corporation doesn't take the place of obtaining a business license, tax
registration certificate, or other required business permits.
An Alaska Professional Corporation merely creates an ownership structure that limits the owners' personal liability.
You may still need to take care of getting set up to do business with your local government.
Depending on the nature of the business and the location of your Alaska Professional Corporation you may need to get one or more city
business licenses or permits.
The business licenses or permits that are required for your Alaska Professional Corporation vary depending on your business activities
and the specific locations within the state of Alaska in which you want to conduct business.
If your Alaska Professional Corporation will be selling products in Alaska you may be required to obtain a Reseller's Permit from the appropriate
Alaska state agency.
If your Alaska Professional Corporation will be selling products in Alaska you will also be responsible for all applicable local and state of Alaska
sales taxes if there are any.
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4. Hold Meetings of Shareholders and Directors of each year.
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Every Alaska Professional Corporation must hold corporate and shareholder meetings, at least annually, and must keep minutes of each meeting
on file.
A copy of the minutes is evidence that the meetings took place and includes all resolutions that were adopted.
The minutes of each meetings must be open for inspection by any Shareholder or Director.
This meeting requirement is often overlooked and comes into play when the Alaska Professional Corporation is challenged for any reason.
Keeping proper meeting minutes and documenting resolutions made and approved by the Directors is a formality that could save your
Alaska Professional Corporation a lot of potential trouble.
- We can transcribe the minutes of any meeting of your Alaska Professional Corporation into a form that complies with all
state of Alaska requirements.
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5. File the required Alaska Professional Corporation reports
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| All Alaska Corporations must file an initial Biennial Report with the AK Department of Commerce within six months of the date of their Incorporation in the state of Alaska. | Every Alaska Corporation must file a Biennial Report EVERY TWO YEARS with the Alaska Secretary of State.
The Alaska Corporation Biennial Report is due at the Alaska Secretary of State by January 2.
If The Articles of Incorporation of the AK Corporation were approved in an even-numbered year then the Alaska Corporation Biennial Report is due at the Alaska Secretary of State by January 2 of every even-numbered year.
If The Articles of Incorporation of the AK Corporation were approved in an odd-numbered year then the Alaska Corporation Biennial Report is due at the Alaska Secretary of State by January 2 of every odd-numbered year. | | If an Alaska Corporation Biennial Report is filed after February 1 then the Alaska Secretary of State will impose a late filing fee on the Alaska Corporation. |
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We can fill out and file your Initial Biennial Report with the Alaska Division of Corporations and include confirmation of filing
with your Corporation documents.
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We can fill out and file any Biennial Report with the Alaska Division of Corporations after your Alaska Business gets going.
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6. Keep proper records of your Alaska Professional Corporation on file
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Keep the following records on file and available at the principal business office of your Alaska Professional Corporation:
- Names and addresses of all Directors and Officers of the Alaska Professional Corporation
- Articles of Incorporation for the Alaska Professional Corporation and any Amendments to them
- Corporate Bylaws for the Alaska Professional Corporation and any Amendments to them
- List of current shareholders of the Alaska Professional Corporation.
If shareholders change, keep a record of old shareholders and how stock was transferred.
- Minutes of all Meetings of Shareholders and Directors
- Copies of any Corporate Resolutions which have been adopted by the Alaska Professional Corporation
- Copies of all tax returns and Annual Reports for the Alaska Professional Corporation for the last 3 years
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What information do I need in order to Form a Professional Corporation in Alaska? |
In order to Incorporate in Alaska you'll need certain specific information about your new Company
including the Corporation name and address; and Registered Agent information.
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In order to Incorporate in Alaska you'll need the following information about your new Company:
- The name of your new Alaska Professional Corporation along with your second choice of a name in case the name that you want is not available
- Physical addess of the Corporation office in Alaska (not a PO Box)
- Name and address of your Alaska Registered Agent (not a PO Box)
- A description of the nature of the business you are planning to operate with the Alaska Professional Corporation
- Names and addresses of the initial Directors of the Alaska Professional Corporation
- The number of shares of stock that the Alaska Professional Corporation will be authorized to issue
- The par value of the shares which the Alaska Professional Corporation will be authorized to issue
Remember - ALL the information that you provide when you Incorporate in Alaska becomes part of the public record.
Our data entry forms include the absolute minimum amount of information that is required in order to Form a new Corporation in Alaska.
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How long does it take to Form a Professional Corporation in Alaska? |
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Processing times for new Alaska Professional Corporation applications vary depending on the work load of the
Division of Corporations's staff.
We've found that normal processing of new Alaska Articles of Incorporation takes the state around 15-20 business days.
Add 2-3 days for the time period for shipping the final documents by mail.
Choosing our Express Mail option can shave a couple of days off the total processing time for your Alaska LLC.
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PLEASE NOTE: WE CANNOT GUARANTEE ALASKA DIVISION OF CORPORATIONS PROCESSING TIMES.
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We are dependent on, and have no control over, the staff and systems of the Alaska Division of Corporations.
In our experience 15-20 business days is the time it usually takes the Alaska Division of Corporations to process
a new Alaska Professional Corporation application.
We get your Alaska Professional Corporation application to the AK Division of Corporations ASAP.
Once it is at the state we have no control over the new Alaska Professional Corporation application process.
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Are there any Expedited Processing Options for new AK Corporation Filings?
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| The Alaska Secretary of State does not offer any expedited processing options for new Alaska Corporation filings. |
How much does it cost to Incorporate in Alaska? |
The state of Alaska charges $250.00 to Incorporate a Profesional Corporation.
This is the cost of filing and getting a Certified Copy of your Articles of Incorporation from the AK Division of Corporations.
If you choose All Business Documemnts to help you form your Professional Corporation in Alaska our processing fees are $125.00.
We start processing your new Alaska Professional Corporation order as soon as we get it.
Total cost includes:
- AK Name Check and Reservation
- Prepare Articles of Incorporation
- File Articles of Incorporation with the Alaska Division of Corporations
- Certified Copies of Articles of Incorporation
- Alaska Professional Corporation Checklist
- Priority Mail Delivery
- Unlimited Customer Support
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