What Is the Purpose of Articles of Incorporation?

Question

Accepted Answer

A vast majority of North American companies are registered as corporations. To be officially acknowledged as a corporation, your business must be incorporated. You do this by undertaking certain steps. The first step is filing the Articles of Formation for the company. By filing this document, you inform the local government of your plans to do business in that state. There is a filing fee to incorporate in the state ranging from $50 (Iowa, Arkansas, and Michigan) to $520 (Massachusetts) if filed online. There may be an additional franchise tax. Another important document for corporations is the Corporate Bylaws. It basically provides guidelines on how a corporation has to operate. Bylaws and Articles form the basis for the business. Filing for a certificate of incorporation gives your company certain benefits that a simple business does not possess. For example, you may acquire enormous benefits in the form of tax exemption and protection from creditors. The Articles become a public record listing all the important information about the business: its name, address (including the address of the registered agent), type of structure (profit, non-profit, non-stock, etc.), names of the board of directors, numbers of the authorized shares, people that own the corporation (stockholders), duration (if applicable) and name and address of the incorporator (person responsible for the corporation set up). This is not a complicated document. Basically, it requires the kind of information any business would provide for transparency.

Articles of Incorporation Templates by State

Documents:

Articles of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation (Profit) - Utah

Articles of Incorporation (Professional) - Utah

Articles of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation (Benefit Corporation) - Utah

Form CONS-1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Articles of Incorporation for a Consumer Cooperative - Acknowledgement Statement - Hawaii

Instructions for Form CONS-1 Articles of Incorporation for a Consumer Cooperative - Hawaii

Form CONS-1 Articles of Incorporation for a Consumer Cooperative - Hawaii

Form SBC-1 Articles of Incorporation for a Hawaii Sustainable Business Corporation - Hawaii

Instructions for Form SBC-1 Articles of Incorporation for a Hawaii Sustainable Business Corporation - Hawaii

Form AG-1 Articles of Incorporation for a Hawaii Agricultural Cooperative - Hawaii

Instructions for Form SOLE-1 Articles of Incorporation for a Hawaii Nonprofit Corporation Sole - Hawaii

Form SOLE-1 Articles of Incorporation for a Hawaii Nonprofit Corporation Sole - Hawaii

Certificate of Incorporation for Stock Corporation - Delaware

Certificate of Incorporation for a Public Benefit Corporation - Delaware

Instructions for Form DC-1 Articles of Incorporation - Hawaii

Instructions for Form PC-1 Articles of Incorporation for a Professional Corporation - Hawaii

Form PC-1 Articles of Incorporation for a Hawaii Professional Corporation - Hawaii

Articles of Incorporation - Professional Service Corporation - Washington

Articles of Incorporation - Nonprofit Professional Service Corporation - Washington

Articles of Incorporation - Social Purpose Corporation - Washington

Articles of Incorporation - Profit Corporation - Washington

Articles of Incorporation - Nonprofit Miscellaneous and Mutual Corporation - Washington

Articles of Incorporation - Nonprofit Corporation - Washington

Minnesota Cooperative Articles of Incorporation - Minnesota

Minnesota Cooperative Articles of Organization - Minnesota

Articles of Incorporation (Benefit Corporation) - Utah

Form 200 Articles of Incorporation - Domestic Non-profit Corporation - Rhode Island

Form DNP-1 Articles of Incorporation - Hawaii

Instructions for Form DNP-1 Articles of Incorporation - Hawaii

Minnesota Cooperative Amendment to Articles - Minnesota

Minnesota Nonprofit Corporation Election to Chapter 317a - Minnesota