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Professional Corporation Formation · File.Business

Professional Corporation Formation

For licensed professionals required to incorporate as a PC: physicians, attorneys, CPAs, architects, engineers, and other regulated practitioners.

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What is a Professional Corporation?

A Professional Corporation (PC) is a corporate structure designed for licensed professionals · physicians, dentists, attorneys, architects, engineers, CPAs, psychologists, and other regulated practitioners. Most states require certain licensed professions to incorporate as a PC (or a Professional LLC, "PLLC"). The PC structure provides liability protection while preserving professional accountability · owners remain personally liable for their own malpractice but are shielded from co-owners' professional errors.

Who must form a PC instead of a regular corporation

  • Physicians, dentists, optometrists, chiropractors, podiatrists
  • Attorneys at law
  • Architects, engineers, land surveyors
  • Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
  • Psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists in some states
  • Veterinarians

State requirements vary. Some states allow PLLCs as an alternative for the same professions. Both structures provide similar liability protection; PCs follow corporate governance (board, officers), PLLCs follow LLC governance.

What we'll set up for you

A clean handoff, in four steps.

You give us the basics. We handle the state, the IRS, and the compliance clock so you can focus on the business.

01 · Name + Brand

A name that's actually available.

Real-time check against the state register, USPTO trademark database, and matching domains.

02 · State filing

Filed with the Secretary of State.

We submit your Articles, pay the state fee on your behalf, and return the stamped certificate.

03 · Federal IDs

EIN + the right tax setup.

Federal Employer ID with the IRS, plus state tax accounts when your business needs them.

04 · Stay compliant

Registered Agent + deadline tracking.

Your agent on file in every state, with every renewal and annual report tracked in one calendar.

Pricing

Professional Corporation formation
No state-fee markup + state filing fee
Start at $0
Form your business for $0Start →
How it works

How we deliver, end-to-end.

Four-step path from request to confirmation. State and IRS turnaround varies; our steps run in parallel where possible to compress the timeline.

1

Intake + scope

You tell us what you need through a short intake form (or a call for complex matters). We confirm scope, surface any gating issues (deadlines, missing documents, entity status), and quote any state fees that pass through at cost.

2

Prepare + verify

Our specialists draft the filing, verify entity details against state databases, run internal QA, and route any items needing your sign-off. You see drafts before anything gets submitted.

3

File with the authority

We submit directly to the state Secretary of State, FinCEN, IRS, USPTO, or whichever authority your filing requires. We pay state fees at cost and track the submission identifier in your account.

4

Confirmation + vault

Stamped certificate, IRS notice, or filing receipt arrives in your SOC 2 encrypted document vault the moment we receive it. Next filing deadline auto-added to your compliance calendar where applicable.

Why File.Business

Built on the same infrastructure used by 220,000+ businesses.

SOC 2 Type II audited

Independent annual security audit covering access control, change management, incident response, and data handling. Current report on request.

All 51 US jurisdictions

Every state plus DC plus Puerto Rico - direct filings, not third-party reseller. We hold registered-agent qualifications in every state we operate.

Deadline guarantee

If we miss a filing deadline on a service you pay us to manage, we pay the state penalty. Specific to each plan and the filings it includes.

4.9 from 8,200+ verified reviews

Independently verified by Trustpilot + Google + our own NPS infrastructure. Customer success team within reach by email, chat, or phone.

60-day money-back promise

Change your mind in the first 60 days and we refund our service fee in full. State filing fees pass through at cost and are non-refundable once paid to the state.

E&O insured

Errors and omissions coverage protects you from service errors. Carrier and certificate available on request for enterprise clients.

FAQ

About Professional Corporations.

What is a professional corporation?
A professional corporation (PC) is a corporation formed by licensed professionals, doctors, lawyers, accountants, and others, to provide their professional services, required or permitted in many states instead of a standard corporation. It offers corporate structure while meeting licensing rules. We form the PC and flag your state's professional requirements.
Who needs a professional corporation?
Licensed professionals in fields that states restrict to professional entities, medicine, law, accounting, engineering, architecture, and others, often must use a PC or a professional LLC rather than a standard entity, depending on the state and profession. We flag whether your profession requires a professional entity so you form the right one.
How is a PC different from a regular corporation?
A PC is limited to providing professional services, usually must be owned by licensed members of the profession, and is subject to licensing board rules, whereas a standard corporation has no such restrictions. We flag these differences so a licensed professional forms the correct entity rather than a standard corporation the state may not allow.
Does a PC protect me from malpractice?
Not from your own: a PC generally shields owners from the business's general debts and from liabilities of other owners, but it does not protect a professional from liability for their own malpractice, which is why professionals also carry insurance. We flag what a PC does and does not protect so your expectations are accurate.
Should I form a PC or a PLLC?
It depends on your state and profession: some states require a PC, others allow a professional LLC, and each has different tax and governance features, so the choice is driven by what your state permits. We flag which structures your profession and state allow so you pick the right professional entity.
Do all owners of a PC have to be licensed?
Usually yes: most states require that a professional corporation be owned, and often managed, by individuals licensed in the profession it practices, which restricts who can hold shares. We flag your state's ownership rules so your PC is formed with an ownership structure the licensing board will accept.
How is a professional corporation taxed?
A PC can be taxed as a C corporation or, by election, as an S corporation, and some professional corporations face specific tax treatment, so the tax choice matters and should be planned. We flag the options and coordinate with your tax advisor so your PC's tax treatment fits your situation.
Does forming a PC involve the licensing board?
Often yes: many states require licensing board approval or a certificate of good standing from the board as part of forming a professional entity, adding a step beyond the standard filing. We flag your state's board requirements so your PC formation includes that approval rather than being rejected for skipping it.
Can File.Business form my professional corporation?
Yes: we form the professional corporation, coordinate any licensing board requirements, obtain the EIN, provide registered agent service, and flag whether a PC or PLLC fits your state and profession, so your licensed practice is set up in the correct professional entity from the start.
SOC 2 Type II audited
220,000+ businesses. 60-day money-back. State fees passed through at cost.
Your operating system, not a transaction
Every deadline auto-tracked across your entities. Compliance Score visible year-round.
Transparent pricing
No hidden fees. No upsells at checkout. State fees disclosed upfront.

Start your business in the next 5 minutes.

No state-fee markup. Pay only the state fee. 60-day money-back guarantee.

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