Does Pa Require Articles of Incorporation?

by

Steps to Form a Corporation in Pennsylvania

  1. Filing Articles of Incorporation

    To form a corporation in Pennsylvania, you need to file articles of incorporation with the Pennsylvania Department of State. This document secures your corporate name and creates the legal entity. Filing your articles is the first step in starting your business corporation.

  2. Obtaining Certified Documents

    You can obtain copies of most business filings via the Pennsylvania Department of State’s online portal. Expect it to take a couple of weeks before you receive your certified documents in the mail.

Guidelines for Articles of Incorporation

  • Check with the IRS to determine if your company is a C corporation or S corporation based on any elections you made and your tax returns.
  • A PA docketing statement must be filed with your articles.
  • To request a copy of your articles of incorporation, submit a letter to the Bureau containing the entity’s name and address.
  • Obtain and review proper forms from the Secretary of State.

Corporate Structure Declaration

Corporations come in several structures and you will need to declare your chosen structure on your articles of incorporation. Business corporations are typically stock corporations, meaning stockholders (shareholders) own the company. Corporations can also be non-stock corporations, meaning they do not issue stock and have members instead of shareholders.

Leave a Comment