Do I need a lawyer to Incorporate in Georgia? |
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The short answer is no.
The state of Georgia does not legally require a lawyer to form a
Georgia Corporation.
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The short answer is no.
The state of Georgia does not legally require a lawyer to form a
Georgia Corporation.
Our detailed Incorporation Information page may help you understand some
of the implications of forming a Georgia Corporation.
However, if there is anything about Incorporating in Georgia
that you're not sure about you should seek the advice of a competent Georgia lawyer, a Georgia accountant,
or both before you Incorporate in Georgia.
Once you have made the decision to Incorporate in Georgia, a Georgia 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 Georgia Corporation.
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Do I have to Reserve a Company Name before I Incorporate in Georgia?
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You are not legally required to reserve a Company Name for a new Georgia Corporation before you submit your application to Incorporate in
Georgia.
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You are not legally required to reserve a Company Name for a new Georgia Corporation before you submit your application to Incorporate in
Georgia.
Whether or not you need to reserve a company name for your new Georgia Corporation depends entirely on your business situation.
The Georgia Secretary of State 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 Georgia Company Name.
Click here for more information on
Georgia Company Name Reservation The name of a Georgia Corporation must include thew word "Corporation", "Company", "Incorporated" or "Limited", or an abbreviation of one of these words.�
The Georgia Corporation name cannot be more than 80 characters including spaces and punctuation.
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What if the Georgia Corporation Name I want is already taken?
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If the Name you have chosen for your new Georgia Corporation is already in use by a currently active
Georgia Corporation or LLC, and you still want to use that Corporation Name, then you will have to register a DBA Name with the county recorder in each Georgia county in which you want to do business. "DBA" is an abbreviation for "Doing Business As."
We verify that the Name you have chose for your new Georgia Corporation is available before we submit
your Incorporation filing to the Georgia Secretary of State.
If necessary we can register a DBA Name in Georgia for you so that you can open your new Georgia business as quickly as possible.
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What do I have to do to Incorporate in Georgia?
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8 things you have to do in order to Incorporate in Georgia.
1. Choose a name for your Georgia Corporation
2. Select an official address and a Registered Agent for your Georgia Corporation
3. Choose a Board of Directors for your Georgia Corporation
4. Decide who will be Officers for your Georgia Corporation
5. Determine how you want your Georgia Corporation to be taxed
6. File Articles of Incorporation with the Georgia Secretary of State
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 Georgia Corporation
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Your Georgia 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 Georgia Corporation name that you choose must be distinguishable from the name of any other registered Georgia Corporation or other
business entity and the name must also be different from any reserved names on record with the state of Georgia.
Your Georgia Corporation name must not imply that it was formed for a purpose other than that stated in your
Articles of Incorporation;
and your Georgia Corporation name must not be a name that is likely to mislead the public.
The name of a Georgia Corporation must include thew word "Corporation", "Company", "Incorporated" or "Limited", or an abbreviation of one of these words.�
The Georgia Corporation name cannot be more than 80 characters including spaces and punctuation.
It's important to choose a good name for your Georgia Corporation because if you want to change it after you incorporate you
will have to file amended Articles of Incorporation with the Georgia Secretary of State (and pay a fee).
We will:
- Check to make sure that your Georgia Corporation name is available
- Make sure your Georgia Corporation name conforms to state of Georgia regulations
- Reserve your Georgia Corporation name with the Georgia Secretary of State
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2. Select an official address and a Registered Agent for your Georgia Corporation
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Every Georgia Corporation must have an address that is physically located in the state of Georgia.
This address is "registered" with the Georgia Secretary of State.
The Registered Address is where official and legal correspondence can be delivered.
The individual or company that is registered with the state of Georgia to receive all correspondence on behalf of the Georgia
Corporation is called a "Registered Agent".
You may act as your own Registered Agent, however, many Georgia Corporations hire a Registered Agent because they don't have a physical
address within the state of Georgia or to provide a distinct level of privacy.
- We can act as the official Registered Agent for your Georgia Corporation.
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3. Choose a Board of Directors for your Georgia Corporation
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All Georgia Corporations are required to have a Board of Directors.
Directors are the people who will set policies for your Georgia 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 Georgia Corporation.
The same person may be a Director and an Officer at the same time.
Directors need not be residents of the state of Georgia or shareholders of the Georgia Corporation unless the Articles of Incorporation
or Bylaws require it.
Normally Directors for your Georgia 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 Georgia Corporation
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The Board of Directors elects Officers for your Georgia Corporation in accordance with the Corporate Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation.
Officers serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Corporation.
Officers handle the day to day operation of the Georgia Corporation.
Unless specifically prohibited by the Corporate Bylaws or Articles of Incorporation, in a Georgia 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 Georgia Corporation.
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5. Determine how you want your Georgia Corporation to be taxed
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The Georgia Corporate Income Tax Rate is 6%.
You may form an S Corporation in Georgia.
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 Georgia Corporate Income Tax.
Certain Georgia Corporations must also pay a Net Worth TaxÂ
This tax is based on the net worth of the Georgia Corporation and is levied in exchange for the privilege of doing business or exercising a corporate franchise in Georgia.Â
The minimum Georgia Net Worth Tax is $10 for a net worth less than $10,001.Â
The maximum is $5,000 for a net worth in excess of $22 million.
Click here for more Georgia Corporate Tax Information .
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- If you choose to be taxed as an S Corporation, we can prepare the S Corporation election form for your Georgia Corporation and include it with
your Incorporation documents.
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6. File Articles of Incorporation with the Georgia Secretary of State
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In order to form a Corporation in Georgia you must file Articles of Incorporation with the Georgia Secretary of State.
The Articles of Incorporation must include certain specific information about your Georgia business. If the Articles do not conform exactly to state of Georgia requirements they will be rejected.
You may subsequently amend the Articles of Incorporation for your Georgia Corporation but you will have to pay a fee to the state of
Georgia 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 Georgia Corporation.
All Georgia Corporations are required to have an FEIN.
- We can obtain an FEIN for your Georgia 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 Georgia Corporation.
When you form your Georgia 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 Georgia Corporations hold 100% of the shares.
Stockholders in a Georgia Corporation are entitled to voting rights or dividends of the Corporate profits or both.
Whoever owns over 50% of the stock of the Georgia Corporation is able to make all Corporate business decisions.
Georgia Corporations usually hold at least 51% of the corporate stock in order to retain control of the Georgia Corporation.
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What do I have to do after I form my Georgia Corporation? |
7 things you have to do after you Incorporate in Georgia.
1. Conduct an initial Meeting of the Board of Directors and adopt Corporate Bylaws
2. Open a Business Bank Account in Georgia for your GA 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 Georgia Corporation reports
6. Keep proper records of your Georgia Corporation on file
7. Publish a notice of Incorporation in a newspaper in the state of Georgia
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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 Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Georgia law or
the Georgia Corporation's Articles of Incorporation.
A copy of the Corporate Bylaws should be maintained at the Corporation's principal Georgia office.
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2. Open a Business Bank Account in Georgia
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It's very important that you have a separate business bank account for your Georgia 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 Georgia Incorporation package.
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Note that forming a Georgia Corporation doesn't take the place of obtaining a business license, tax
registration certificate, or other required business permits.
A Georgia 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 Georgia Corporation you may need to get one or more city
business licenses or permits.
The business licenses or permits that are required for your Georgia Corporation vary depending on your business activities
and the specific locations within the state of Georgia in which you want to conduct business.
If your Georgia Corporation will be selling products in Georgia you may be required to obtain a Reseller's Permit from the appropriate
Georgia state agency.
If your Georgia Corporation will be selling products in Georgia you will also be responsible for all applicable local and state of Georgia
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 Georgia 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 Georgia 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
Georgia Corporation a lot of potential trouble.
- We can transcribe the minutes of any meeting of your Georgia Corporation into a form that complies with all
state of Georgia requirements.
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5. File the required Georgia Corporation reports
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| Each Georgia Corporation must file an Initial Annual Registration with the GA Secretary of State within 90 days of Incorporation in Georgia. | Each Georgia Corporation must file an Annual Registration with the GA Secretary of State EACH year.
The Georgia Corporation Annual Registration is due at the GA Secretary of State EACH year between January 1 and April 1. | There is a $25 penalty if the Annual Registration for a Georgia Corporation is not filed with the Georgia Secretary of State by the due date.
Changes to the GA Corporation address and/or registered agent and registered office address throughout the year are made by filing another Corporation Annual Registration with the Georgia Secretary of State and paying a fee. |
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We can fill out and file your Initial Annual Registration with the Georgia Secretary of State and include confirmation of filing
with your Corporation documents.
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We can fill out and file any Annual Registration with the Georgia Secretary of State after your Georgia Business gets going.
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6. Keep proper records of your Georgia Corporation on file
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Keep the following records on file and available at the principal business office of your Georgia Corporation:
- Names and addresses of all Directors and Officers of the Georgia Corporation
- Articles of Incorporation for the Georgia Corporation and any Amendments to them
- Corporate Bylaws for the Georgia Corporation and any Amendments to them
- List of current shareholders of the Georgia 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 Georgia Corporation
- Copies of all tax returns and Annual Reports for the Georgia Corporation for the last 3 years
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7. Publish a notice of Incorporation in a newspaper in the state of Georgia
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| The state of Georgia requires each new Corporation to publish a notice of the incorporation in the Georgia county where the Registered Agent of the Georgia Corporation is located. The publication must be forwarded for publication no later than one business day after the Incorporation date with the Georgia Secretary of State. |
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What information do I need in order to Incorporate in Georgia? |
In order to Incorporate in Georgia 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 Georgia you'll need the following information about your new Company:
- The name of your new Georgia 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 Georgia (not a PO Box)
- Name and address of your Georgia Registered Agent (not a PO Box)
- A description of the nature of the business you are planning to operate with the Georgia Corporation
- Names and addresses of the initial Directors of the Georgia Corporation
- The number of shares of stock that the Georgia Corporation will be authorized to issue
Remember - ALL the information that you provide when you Incorporate in Georgia 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 Georgia.
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How long does it take to Incorporate in Georgia? |
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Processing times for new Georgia Corporation applications vary depending on the work load of the
Secretary of State's staff.
We've found that normal processing of new Georgia Articles of Incorporation takes the state around 15 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 Georgia LLC.
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PLEASE NOTE: WE CANNOT GUARANTEE GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE PROCESSING TIMES.
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We are dependent on, and have no control over, the staff and systems of the Georgia Secretary of State.
In our experience 15 business days is the time it usually takes the Georgia Secretary of State to process
a new Georgia Corporation application.
We get your Georgia Corporation application to the GA Secretary of State ASAP.
Once it is at the state we have no control over the new Georgia Corporation application process.
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Are there any Expedited Processing Options for new GA Corporation Filings?
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| The Georgia Secretary of State offers two expedited processing options for new Georgia Corporation filings. For $100 your filing will be completed the next business day. For $250 the Secretary of State will process your new Georgia Incorporation filing the same day. |
Are there any Publication Requirements for a new Georgia Corporation?
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| The state of Georgia requires each new Corporation to publish a notice of the incorporation in the Georgia county where the Registered Agent of the Georgia Corporation is located. The publication must be forwarded for publication no later than one business day after the Incorporation date with the Georgia Secretary of State. |
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How much does it cost to Incorporate in Georgia? |
The state of Georgia charges $110.00 to Incorporate in GA.
This is the cost of filing and getting a Certified Copy of your Articles of Incorporation from the GA Secretary of State.
If you choose All Business Documemnts to help you Incorporate in Georgia our processing fees are $125.00.
We start processing your new Georgia Corporation order as soon as we get it.
Total cost includes:
- GA Name Check and Reservation
- Prepare Articles of Incorporation
- File Articles of Incorporation with the Georgia Secretary of State
- Certified Copies of Articles
- Georgia Corporation Checklist
- Priority Mail Delivery
- Unlimited Customer Support
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What is a Georgia 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 Georgia then you will
most likely need to form a Georgia 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 Georgia then you will
most likely need to form a Georgia Professional Corporation.
Attorneys, architects, engineers, public accountants, nurses and physicians, among others, may require registration as a Professional
Corporation with the Georgia Secretary of State.
Depending on exactly what it is that you want to do in Georgia, approval from a specific Georgia state agency or board may be required before the GA Secretary of State will approve a new
Georgia Professional Corporation filing.
This could add to the total processing time for a new Georgia Corporation.
Click here for more information on a
Georgia Professional Corporation.
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Georgia Foreign Corporation Qualification |
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You want to do business in the state of Georgia but are registered as a Domestic Corporation in another state.
In order to legally conduct business in the state of Georgia you must register with the Georgia Secretary of State as
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You want to do business in the state of Georgia but are registered as a Domestic Corporation in another state.
In order to legally conduct business in the state of Georgia you must register with the Georgia Secretary of State as
a Georgia Foreign Corporation.
The process of registering as a Foreign Corporation in the state of Georgia is called Georgia Corporation Foreign Qualification.
The process of Georgia Corporation Foreign Qualification is similar to the process of forming a Domestic Corporation in the state of Georgia.
Your original formation documents (usually called Articles of Incorporation) and Corporate Bylaws apply to your Georgia Foreign Corporation.
The Board of Directors and Officers of your Domestic Corporation have the same roles in the Georgia Foreign Corporation.
Click here for specific requirements for
Georgia Corporation Foreign Qualification.
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