Your North Carolina 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 North Carolina Corporation name that you choose must be distinguishable from the name of any other registered North Carolina Corporation or other business entity and the name must also be different from any reserved names on record with the state of North Carolina.  Your North Carolina Corporation name must not imply that it was formed for a purpose other than that stated in your Articles of Incorporation; and your North Carolina Corporation name must not be a name that is likely to mislead the public.

North Carolina state law restricts the use of certain words and phrases in Corporation names.  The name of a North Carolina Corporation also must include the word "Corporation" or "Incorporated" or an abbreviation of one of these words.  If you choose us to help you for a new North Carolina Corporation we will make sure that the name you have chose complies with all North Carolina requirements.

It's important to choose a good name for your North Carolina Corporation because if you want to change it after you incorporate you will have to file amended Articles of Incorporation with the North Carolina Secretary of State (and pay a fee).

Every North Carolina Corporation must have an address that is physically located in the state of North Carolina.  This address is "registered" with the North Carolina 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 North Carolina to receive all correspondence on behalf of the North Carolina Corporation is called a "Registered Agent".  You may act as your own Registered Agent, however, many North Carolina Corporations hire a Registered Agent because they don't have a physical address within the state of North Carolina or to provide a distinct level of privacy.

All North Carolina Corporations are required to have a Board of Directors.  Directors are the people who will set policies for your North Carolina 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 North Carolina Corporation.  The same person may be a Director and an Officer at the same time.  Directors need not be residents of the state of North Carolina or shareholders of the North Carolina Corporation unless the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws require it.

Normally Directors for your North Carolina 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.

The Board of Directors elects Officers for your North Carolina Corporation in accordance with the Corporate Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation.  Officers serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Corporation.  Officers handle the day to day operation of the North Carolina Corporation.

Unless specifically prohibited by the Corporate Bylaws or Articles of Incorporation, in a North Carolina 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 North Carolina Corporation. 

The North Carolina Corporate Income Tax Rate is 3.0%.   You may form an S Corporation in North Carolina.  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 North Carolina Corporate Income Tax.

In order to form a Corporation in North Carolina you must file Articles of Incorporation with the North Carolina Secretary of State.  The Articles of Incorporation must include certain specific information about your North Carolina business. If the Articles do not conform exactly to state of North Carolina requirements they will be rejected.  You may subsequently amend the Articles of Incorporation for your North Carolina Corporation but you will have to pay a fee to the state of North Carolina in order to make the changes official.

A Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN), 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 North Carolina Corporation.  All North Carolina Corporations are required to have an FEIN.

Corporate stock is evidence of ownership of a North Carolina Corporation.  When you form your North Carolina 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 North Carolina Corporations hold 100% of the shares.

Stockholders in a North Carolina Corporation are entitled to voting rights or dividends of the Corporate profits or both.  Whoever owns over 50% of the stock of the North Carolina Corporation is able to make all Corporate business decisions.  North Carolina Corporations usually hold at least 51% of the corporate stock in order to retain control of the North Carolina Corporation.

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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina law or the North Carolina Corporation's Articles of Incorporation.  A copy of the Corporate Bylaws should be maintained at the Corporation's principal North Carolina office.

Note that forming a North Carolina Corporation doesn't take the place of obtaining a business license, tax registration certificate, or other required business permits.  A North Carolina 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 North Carolina Corporation you may need to get one or more city business licenses or permits.  The business licenses or permits that are required for your North Carolina Corporation vary depending on your business activities and the specific locations within the state of North Carolina in which you want to conduct business.

If your North Carolina Corporation will be selling products in North Carolina you may be required to obtain a Reseller's Permit from the appropriate North Carolina state agency.  If your North Carolina Corporation will be selling products in North Carolina you will also be responsible for all applicable local and state of North Carolina sales taxes if there are any.

Every North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina Corporation a lot of potential trouble.

A new North Carolina Corporation must file an Initial Annual Report by the 15th of the 4th month after the end of the NC Corporation's fiscal year. No NC Annual Report fee is required to be paid for the year in which the North Carolina Corporation is first incorporated.

For example, if the end of the North Carolina Corporation's fiscal year is Dec 31, the North Carolina Corporation Annual Report is due at the NC Secretary of State by April 15 of the following year.

All North Carolina Corporations must file an Annual Report with the NC Secretary of State EACH year.

If a North Carolina Corporation files a tax return with the NC Department of Revenue, the NC Annual Report is due at the same time that the NC Corporation files its North Carolina Corporation tax return with the NC Department of Revenue.

If a North Carolina Corporation does NOT file a tax return with the North Carolina Department of Revenue, that NC Corporation is required to file an Annual Report with the North Carolina Secretary of State.

A North Carolina Corporation that does not file a tax return with the NC Department of Revenue must file its Annual Report with the NC Secretary of State by the 15th day of the fourth month following the end of the NC Corporation's fiscal year.

If the end of the North Carolina Corporation's fiscal year is Dec 31, the NC Annual Report is due at the NC Secretary of State by April 15 of the following year.

NC Professional Corporations and NC Non-profit Corporations are not required to file an Annual Report with the North Carolina Secretary of State.