Washington Corporation
For Washington Corporation prices and State fees, please visit the costs page for forming a Corporation in Washington.
Washington corporation and corporation are general, for profit, corporations, refered to as "C Corporations", referring to Chapter "C" of the IRS tax code. A corporation is a separate legal entity and is, essentially, treated as a person, legally. The entity can own property, open bank accounts and credit lines and, under its own name, conduct business. The corporation is responsible for its own debts and actions, therefore (if the company is operated correctly) in the event of a lawsuit that forces the business into bankruptcy, the owners of the corporation are not liable for the corporate debt.
All corporations and business entities filed with the Washington state office are subject to an annual filing of a statement of information, or annual report. This generally means a small filing fee is required. Washington corporation directors, officers and legal addresses are sent to the state office. corporation state offices generally allow for the filing of this report online, or you can call Companies Incorporated and have your statement filed for you, for a small service fee. This will ensure that your corporation is in good standing with the state office.
A corporation’s Articles of Incorporation are the documents filed with the state office that brings the company into legal existence. Once the documents are filed the corporation is a legal entity. However, there are additional elements required so that the legal entity that has been created provides the protection and tax savings offered by corporate law. Depending on the nature of your corporation, the documentation requirements could be relatively simple or very complicated. Each state has its own requirements regarding the contents of the articles of incorporation. Please contact one of Companies, Inc.’s helpful associates to determine what the filing requirements are for your potential corporation in your chosen state of incorporation.
