Form a corporation in any state, for free.
A C-corporation is the structure investors expect: it issues stock, runs on a board and bylaws, and can raise venture capital or one day go public. It's more formal than an LLC and taxed at the entity level. We form it in your state at no service cost.
Right now, it's an idea and the wrong kind of paperwork.
You're building something meant to take on investors and scale. That means a corporation, and a stack of decisions most first-time founders have never seen: authorized shares, par value, a board, bylaws, an 83(b) clock. You don't need to master corporate law. You need one clear path, and a team that has incorporated thousands of companies.
The first question is the one investors will ask too: why a corporation, and not an LLC?
What a corporation gives you: and what it costs you.
A corporation is a separate legal person that issues stock. That's what lets you bring on investors, grant equity to your team, and keep the clean ownership record a venture round requires. The trade-off is formality and tax: a C-corp files its own return and pays tax at the entity level, and profit paid out as dividends is taxed again to shareholders. The structure earns its keep when you're raising money, not when you're a solo operator keeping profit simple.
- You plan to raise venture capital or angel money: investors expect a Delaware C-corporation.
- You want to grant stock options to your team from an option pool.
- You need multiple share classes, such as common for founders and preferred for investors.
- You're aiming at an acquisition or IPO, and want a clean cap table from day one.
- You're a solo owner or small team with no outside investors.
- You want pass-through tax and to avoid entity-level double taxation.
- You take profit home steadily: an LLC with a later S-corp election is often simpler.
- Still deciding? Our LLC vs. Corporation breakdown walks the trade-offs side by side.
The detail founders miss: QSBS. Stock in a C-corporation held for more than five years can qualify for a federal capital-gains exclusion under Section 1202, potentially up to $10M or 10x your basis. It's one of the strongest reasons venture-scale founders choose a C-corp early, and the five-year clock only starts the day your shares are issued.
Going with a corporation? Settle two things first.
The two calls that stall founders: your name, and your state.
Make both right here. No signup, no guesswork: real 2026 corporation filing numbers, and names you can check on the spot.
Find a name that fits.
Type a word or two about what you do. We'll spark a set of ideas, then you can check any favorite live against state and USPTO records.
Ideas are a starting point. Run a favorite through the live availability check (51 state registries plus USPTO), or open the full name generator.
What will your corporation cost?
Our service fee is $0. You pay only what the state charges to file your Articles of Incorporation, at cost. Delaware is the default for venture-backed startups.
State fees are the government's charge, not ours. Full breakdown on the pricing page.
Name picked, state chosen. Now the handoff.
A clean handoff, in four steps.
You make four decisions. We prepare the Articles, the stock setup, and the paperwork the state and your future investors expect.
Pick your state
Venture-track startups usually incorporate in Delaware; operating businesses often use their home state. BosAI flags which fits your plan.
Confirm your name
We check it against the state register and naming rules, then reserve it for you if you're not filing the same day.
Set shares + directors
Authorize your shares (a 10,000,000-share setup is standard for startups), name your directors, and appoint a registered agent, included year 1.
We file it
We submit your Articles of Incorporation and return the stamped approval: same-day in DE, NV, WY, and CO; a few business days elsewhere.
Then the part you're actually waiting for.
The moment your company becomes real.
Delaware, Nevada, Wyoming, and Colorado typically approve the same day or the next. Most other states run a few business days for standard processing. We file the moment your details check out, so an avoidable error never sends you to the back of the line.
Acme Robotics, Inc.
Articles of Incorporation, filed with the Secretary of State. Specialist-reviewed before submission.
Maya incorporated in Delaware.
Twelve minutes to file. Two business days to approval. That week she issued founder stock, filed her 83(b) election inside the 30-day window, opened a business bank account, and signed her first pre-seed check.
Approval is the start, not the finish. Here's your first 30 days.
What to do once it's filed, in order.
These make the company bankable, financeable, and investor-ready. A few are on a clock, so the order matters.
Get your EIN
Your company's federal tax ID, needed to open a bank account, hire, or file taxes. It's free from the IRS, and we file it the same day, including for founders without an SSN.
Adopt bylaws and appoint your board
Bylaws set how the company is run: officers, meetings, voting, and share rules. Your board then adopts them and authorizes stock by resolution. It's the first document an investor's counsel asks to see.
Open a business bank account
The step that keeps your corporate shield intact. Mixing personal and company funds is the fastest way to undo the separation you just created.
Track your annual report, franchise tax, and BOI
Most states require an annual report, and some (Delaware, California, Texas) add a franchise or privilege tax to stay in good standing. On federal beneficial-ownership (BOI) reporting: as of 2026, U.S.-formed corporations are exempt, because FinCEN removed the requirement for domestic companies in 2025. Foreign-formed entities registered here still report. A compliance calendar tracks every date. See who has to file →
You can do these one by one. Or hand the whole sequence to one team.
File once, or stay protected year-round.
- Articles of Incorporation filed
- Specialist review
- Bylaws + organizational resolutions template
- EIN walkthrough
- Everything in one-time
- Registered Agent year 1
- Annual report + franchise-tax autopilot
- 47-signal compliance monitoring
- Year-round protection, cancel anytime
State fees vary by jurisdiction and are passed through at cost. See full pricing →
And this is where most filing companies stop. We're just getting to the part that matters.
Your company is now formed. Let's build everything that comes next.
Formation is one line in a much longer story. Every stage below already lives on one platform, so you're never starting over with a new provider.
Everything above happens inside File.Business: one platform, from your first idea to the day you exit. It's where you incorporate, and where you run the whole company.
The questions founders ask right before they incorporate.
Should I incorporate in Delaware or my home state?
If you're raising venture capital, Delaware is the default: the Court of Chancery, a deep body of corporate case law, and investor familiarity make it the path of least resistance for a priced round. If you're an operating business that isn't raising outside money, your home state is usually cheaper and simpler, because incorporating out of state means paying a registered agent and often a franchise tax in two places. Weigh it in our LLC vs. corporation breakdown, and if you'll operate across state lines, read foreign qualification before you choose.
How long does it take to form a corporation?
That's set by the state, not by us. Delaware, Nevada, Wyoming, and Colorado typically approve same-day or next-day; most other states run 5-15 business days for standard processing, and a few slow down at peak filing times. Many states sell expedited handling if you need it faster. We give you the realistic window for your state up front and file the moment your details check out, so nothing bounces back over an avoidable error.
What's included, and what does the state charge on top?
Our fee covers preparing and filing your Articles of Incorporation, a specialist review so it isn't rejected over something fixable, a bylaws and organizational-resolutions template, and an EIN walkthrough. The state charges its own filing fee on top, which varies by jurisdiction: we pass it through at cost with no markup and show the exact amount before you pay. You'll find current pricing for the filing and what each state charges on the pricing page.
C-corp, S-corp, or LLC: which should I choose?
Choose a C-corporation if you plan to raise venture capital, grant stock options, or want the QSBS tax benefit: investors expect it. An S-corp is a tax election, not a separate entity: it gives pass-through taxation with a possible payroll-tax saving once profit is steady, and you can apply it to an LLC or a corporation (see S-corp election). An LLC is simplest for a flexible, owner-run business with no outside investors. Our LLC vs. corporation breakdown compares them side by side.
What is the 83(b) election, and why the deadline?
If your founder stock vests over time, an 83(b) election lets you pay tax on the value today, when the shares are worth almost nothing, instead of paying tax on each chunk as it vests and appreciates. You must file it with the IRS within 30 days of the grant, with no extensions. Miss that window and you can owe ordinary income tax as the stock vests, which is the tax mistake founders regret most. We walk you through it: see the 83(b) explainer.
Isn't a C-corporation double-taxed?
In theory, yes: the corporation pays tax on its profit, and any profit paid out as dividends is taxed again to shareholders. In practice, venture-track startups reinvest rather than pay dividends, so the second layer rarely bites in the early years, and QSBS can exclude much of the gain at exit. If your plan is to take profit home each year rather than reinvest and sell later, an LLC or an S-corp election usually leaves you with more.
Do I really need bylaws and a board?
Yes. Bylaws and organizational resolutions are how a corporation legally operates and authorizes its stock, and they're the first documents an investor's lawyer reviews in diligence. Even a single-founder corporation needs them, and skipping them can cloud who owns what later. You can start from our bylaws explainer and adopt them by board resolution once the entity is approved.
Can a non-US resident form a US C-corporation?
Yes. You don't need to be a citizen or resident, hold a visa, or ever set foot in the country, which is why many international founders incorporate a Delaware C-corp to raise from US investors. The one extra step is the EIN: without a Social Security Number, we obtain it for you directly from the IRS, which opens US banking and payment processors like Stripe. Start with our EIN guide.
What is QSBS, and should I care?
Qualified Small Business Stock (Section 1202) can let you exclude a large share of the federal capital-gains tax when you sell C-corporation stock you've held for more than five years, potentially up to $10M or 10x your basis. It's one of the biggest reasons founders choose a C-corp early rather than converting later. The five-year clock starts the day your shares are issued, so incorporating and issuing founder stock sooner, not later, is what protects the benefit.