Form a Corporation built to raise capital.
A Corporation is the structure investors, employees, and acquirers expect. Default C tax treatment for venture-backed growth, optional S tax election (Form 2553) for closely-held tax efficiency. We form either in any state, with the documents the next institutional check requires.
What it costs to form a corporation in your state
Our service fee is $0. The only thing you pay is the state filing fee, passed through at cost. Pick your state to see exact pricing and processing time.
A Corporation, explained for the founder making real decisions.
A Corporation is a separate legal entity owned by shareholders, governed by a board of directors, and run by officers. It is the most formal US business structure. The formality is the feature: investors, employees, banks, and acquirers all know exactly what they are dealing with.
C-Corporation is the default. Profits are taxed at the corporate level (21% federal flat) and again when distributed as dividends. The double taxation is offset by Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) treatment under IRC §1202, which can exclude up to $10 million of gain from federal tax after a 5-year hold. Most venture-backed companies are C-Corps, almost always incorporated in Delaware.
S-Corporation is a tax election available to most US-citizen-owned corporations with under 100 shareholders. Profits flow through to shareholders' personal returns; no corporate-level tax. The trade-off: no foreign owners, no preferred stock, no VC-friendly cap table flexibility.
Pick C-Corp if you plan to raise venture capital, grant employee stock options to a meaningful team, sell to a strategic acquirer, or take the company public. Pick S-Corp if you are a profitable closely-held US business with simple ownership, no foreign holders, and no need for stock-class flexibility.
Is this the right service for you?
Venture-backed startup
You are raising or plan to raise institutional capital. Investors require a Delaware C-Corp with clean cap table, proper option pool, and 83(b) elections.
Companies issuing equity
Stock options work cleanly only in corporations. If you plan to grant equity to a meaningful number of employees, you want a C-Corp.
Founders eyeing QSBS
Section 1202 can exclude up to $10M of gain from federal tax after a 5-year hold. Available only for C-Corp stock issued after September 2010.
Closely-held S-Corp eligible
Up to 100 US-citizen or resident shareholders, one class of stock. S-Corp election removes corporate-level tax on profits.
Planning to sell
Acquirers strongly prefer C-Corps for clean stock purchases and tax planning.
Professional services
Law firms, medical practices, and similar that need formal governance and want salaries plus distributions through an S-Corp.
Everything we deliver as part of this service.
Each item below is performed by our team and confirmed in your dashboard. State filing fees are passed through at cost as a separate line item.
- Certificate of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State (Delaware standard)
- Federal EIN obtained from the IRS
- Corporate Bylaws customized to your governance structure
- Initial Board Resolution and First Action by Sole Incorporator
- Stock ledger and digital share certificates for founders
- 83(b) election filing for early-stage founder stock (when applicable)
- Registered Agent service in your state of incorporation for 1 year
- BOI report prepared and filed with FinCEN
- Investor data room template prepared in your document vault
- Compliance Suite tracking Delaware franchise tax, annual report, and federal deadlines
- Penalty-free guarantee on every state filing we manage
- Optional S-Corp election (Form 2553) prepared and filed at no extra cost
- Corporate name (we check availability + USPTO trademark)
- State of incorporation (Delaware is standard for venture-track)
- Number of authorized shares (10,000,000 is the typical default)
- Initial directors and officers
- Par value per share (typically $0.0001)
- Founder allocations and vesting schedule (if applicable)
Four steps. We do most of them.
Choose state and share structure
Delaware is the default for venture track. We confirm name availability, propose a share structure (typically 10M authorized at $0.0001 par), and a founder vesting schedule if you want one.
File the Certificate
We prepare and file the Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State. Delaware filings typically clear in 1–3 business days; we offer 24-hour and same-day expedite if you need it for a closing.
Issue founder stock and elect officers
Once the entity exists, we prepare the First Action by Sole Incorporator, the Initial Board Resolutions, stock issuance documents for each founder, and (if needed) 83(b) elections. You sign electronically.
File EIN, BOI, and stand up the company
We obtain your EIN, file the BOI report with FinCEN, register your Registered Agent, and seed your data room with every founding document. You are ready to open a bank account, sign contracts, and raise.
What you save by filing through us.
Compared to the alternatives most founders consider.
- You save the service fee
- No guarantee on bylaws
- No 83(b) deadline tracking
- No stock ledger
- No QSBS-friendly setup
- Investors will redo it anyway
- Done correctly
- Top-shelf bylaws
- Founder-friendly defaults
- Worth it for funded rounds
- Overkill pre-funding
- Slow turnaround
- Founder-friendly bylaws
- Authorized share defaults investors expect
- 83(b) filing handled
- Stock ledger included
- QSBS-aware setup
- Investor data room ready
“The 83(b) was filed correctly, the bylaws investors expected were already in place, and the cap table was ready for our first SAFE. Other founder friends paid lawyers $7,000 to do this. We paid the Delaware fee and that was it.”
The File.Business Promise
If we miss a filing deadline on a service you pay us to manage, we pay the state penalty. If you change your mind in the first 60 days, we refund our service fee in full. Your data stays yours, always.
Frequently asked questions.
Why is Delaware the default for C-Corps?
What is the difference between authorized shares and issued shares?
Should I make the S-Corp election?
What is an 83(b) election and when do I need it?
What is QSBS and how do I preserve it?
How is BOI different for corporations?
Can foreign nationals form a US Corporation?
How long until I can open a US bank account?
What is a 'flip' and do I need one?
Can I convert my LLC to a Corporation later?
Pair this with the services that follow.
Form an LLC
Simpler alternative if you are not raising outside capital.
Explore →Make the S-Corp Election
Closely-held US-owner corporation? Cut self-employment tax.
Explore →Registered Agent
Delaware coverage included for one year.
Explore →BOI Reporting
Required for new corporations. We file it free.
Explore →Form a Corporation through our guided 5-minute flow.
Choose C-Corp or S-Corp election later. We handle the formation document, EIN, Bylaws, and ongoing compliance on one platform.
since 2017
from 8,200+ reviews
covered
for formation
Real outcomes from real founders
Composite stories from 220,000+ businesses we have helped form and operate since 2017. Names changed; outcomes are typical.
What it actually costs to form your business
Pick your state. We show our service price, the state's filing fee, and your year-one total. No hidden costs.
From "I want to start a business" to fully compliant in five steps
Each step has a target time, a status indicator, and a clear owner. We do most of it. You sign and approve.
Pick name + state
Instant name availability across 51 jurisdictions. Our quiz suggests the right state if you are unsure.
Articles of Organization
$0 service fee. State fee at cost. Same-day in DE, WY, NV, FL, TX. Other states in 5 to 15 business days.
EIN from the IRS
Free, filed direct with the IRS. International founders without SSN: we fax Form SS-4 and get your EIN in 4 business days.
Open business banking
Mercury, Relay, Chase, or Brex. Pre-filled with your formation documents. International-founder accounts at Mercury and Relay.
Stay compliant
Annual reports auto-filed in all 51 jurisdictions. BOI tracking for foreign-owned entities. Penalty-free guarantee on Pro+.
220,000 founders, every kind of business.
Built for accountants, attorneys, and the businesses they file for.
Audit-grade security. Real privacy controls. A live compliance score, status tracker, and calendar that surface every deadline before it costs you a late fee.
Four steps from request to delivery
File.Business runs your filing on a single concierge workflow. You provide what we need; we handle the rest.
Tell us what you need
2-minute intake. We confirm the filing type, jurisdiction, and any supporting documents required.
We prepare the filing
Our specialists draft the document, validate against state requirements, and queue for your review where required.
We submit to the state
Filed through the state portal. We pay the state fee, track the submission, and resolve any state correspondence.
Confirmation in your vault
state-required document delivered to your SOC 2 encrypted document vault, with deadline tracking for the next filing.