Incorporate in Indiana

How to Form an Indiana Corporation

To incorporate in Indiana, Articles of Incorporation must be submitted to Indiana’s Secretary of State. You’ll also need to get an EIN and hold an organizational meeting. Many corporations will also want to open a bank account. Your corporation may also need to register with state departments.

To incorporate in Indiana, most businesses do the following:

• Form and file your Indiana Articles of Incorporation
• Pay the filing fee: $98 online, $100 by mail
• Apply for a federal tax ID (EIN)
• Hold your organizational meeting and create bylaws
• Open a bank account for your Indiana corporation
• Register at Indiana’s Department of Revenue
• Register at Indiana’s Department of Workforce Development

For just $247—including state filing fees—Indiana Registered Agent LLC provides comprehensive formation services for your Indiana corporation. We’ll create and submit your formation paperwork, give you a year of expert registered agent service, and provide you with custom documents, such as bylaws and initial resolutions, AND we’ll give your corporation an Indiana Business Presence (website, email, phone) so you can launch your company as soon as it’s formed. Let us incorporate your business today!

What Do I Include in Indiana Articles of Incorporation?

Indiana Articles of Incorporation will ask you for your company’s name and office address, registered agent information, authorized shares, and incorporators.

Name and Principal Office

Your Indiana corporation’s name must include one of the following words or its abbreviation: Corporation, Incorporated, Company or Limited.

Your corporation’s name can’t suggest your business does something that it doesn’t, and you can’t use a name that’s already in use in Indiana by another entity. See if your desired name is available on the Secretary of States’ Public Business Search site.

Your principal office is your main office—the place where the corporation’s books and records are kept and where executive offices are usually located. Your principal office isn’t required to be in Indiana.

Indiana Registered Agent Information

Indiana Statute §IC 23-0.5-4-1 requires all domestic business entities to maintain a registered agent with a physical and mailing address in Indiana.

An Indiana registered agent is essential not just because Indiana law demands it—a registered agent protects your corporation by ensuring you never miss a legal document, service of process, or official notification. The state won’t take pity on you if you miss a filing deadline or a summons.

Let us provide our expert registered agent service to your corporation for only $49 a year.

Authorized Shares

When you authorize shares, you are creating the shares for your corporation. You can issue some or all of these shares later on at your organizational meeting. You have to authorize at least one share.

Incorporators

Incorporators are the people who prepare and sign the Articles of Incorporation and deliver it to Indiana’s Secretary of State for filing. Incorporators don’t need to be shareholders, directors, officers, or anyone with ownership interest. You don’t need multiple incorporators.

We will serve as your incorporator when you sign up for our formation services.

How Do I Submit Indiana Articles of Incorporation?

You can submit your Indiana Articles of Incorporation online or by mail. At Indiana Registered Agent LLC, our formation services include creating and submitting your Articles of Incorporation.

Online Submissions

• Create an Account:
  Visit the INBiz website, and provide an email address. After verifying your email, you create a password and provide your name and phone number.
• Log In and Complete the Articles of Incorporation:
  Once logged in, you’ll have a variety of options. Choose “Start a New Business” and follow the directions. You’ll complete the Articles of Incorporation, which you can review and sign electronically.
• Pay Your Filing Fee:
  The filing fee is $95 (plus a $3 service fee), payable by credit card. Standard processing time is 24 hours.

Mailed Submissions

The paper form is available on the Indiana Secretary of State website. Mail your Indiana Articles of Incorporation, along with a check or money order for $100, to the Secretary of State Business Services Division. Standard processing time is 5-7 days.

Our Indiana Incorporation Services

You should never have to worry about what you’ll pay or what services you’ll get. Our formation services provide everything you need with speed and transparency.

We Give You What You Need

What do you really need to incorporate? You’ll need Indiana Articles of Incorporation (which we form and file), a registered agent (which we provide), and internal documents like resolutions and bylaws (we give you all these custom documents too). Incorporating businesses is something we do daily—we know exactly what you need, and we make sure you have it all.

We’re Fast

After a few simple questions, we create and file your incorporation paperwork. Processing is only one day.

We Value Your Privacy

We never sell your information, and we help you keep business security by listing our address wherever possible on public documents like Articles of Incorporation.

We Don’t Hide Our Prices

Other formation services may lure you in with the promise of a low price—only to upsell you with services they should have included in the first place.

We tell you exactly what we offer and how much we charge.

What We Offer:

• 1-Day Processing
• Local Filers in Fort Wayne, IN
• FREE Indiana Corporate Bylaws
• FREE Initial Resolutions
• FREE Electronic Delivery of Your Documents
• FREE Pre-Filled Forms in Your Account
• FREE domain name for one year
• FREE website, SSL, email and phone service for 90 days
• Instant Access to Services Through Our Secure Online Portal
• Expert Customer Service Support (Never an Automated Operator!)
• One Year Registered Agent Service (Renewal at the Same Low Price!)
• Option to have us file your mandatory BOI report ($9)
• Option to get an assumed name (DBA) for $125 plus state fees using our Trade Name Service after purchasing your corporation formation service.

What We Charge:

Service	Fee
Indiana Formation Service	$100
One Year Registered Agent Service	$49
State Filing Fees	$98
Total	$247

From registered agent service to the documents you’ll need to open a corporate bank account, we’ve got you covered. Incorporate without the worry—our total formation package has everything you need.

After Incorporation in Indiana

Incorporation is the first step to launching your Indiana corporation, but you’ll also need to contact a few more departments and agencies for your new business.

Does my Indiana Corporation Need an EIN?

Yes—all corporations must file taxes with the IRS, so they are required to obtain a federal tax identification number (commonly called an Employer Identification Number or EIN). You can apply for an EIN from the IRS.

Do I need to file a Beneficial Ownership Information Report?

Most likely. Effective January 1, 2024, most newly-formed business entities operating in the US must file a federal Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). This report is free to file and is due within 90 days of company formation if you form your business in 2024, or within 30 days if formed anytime after that. If your company is formed anytime before 2024, your report must be filed by January 1, 2025. You can find a list of BOI filing exemptions on the FinCEN website.

If this sounds like a lot and you don’t want to have to bother with it, we don’t blame you. As business filing professionals, we’re prepared to file your BOI report with FinCEN on your behalf for just $9.

What information is required on my BOI report?

You’ll need to disclose name, address, and personal or tax ID information for your company and those with the most authority over your business. This includes individuals with substantial control over company decisions, anyone who owns 25% or more of your company, and the person(s) responsible for filing your formation paperwork.

Do I really need a website for my corporation?

Probably. The vast majority of businesses that operate in the U.S. have websites because most people look online for the products and services they want. Your website will be where people find you, how they learn about what you offer, and how they might be able to purchase products and/or services from you.

What is an Organizational Meeting?

Per Indiana Statute §IC 23-1-21-5, an organizational meeting should be held after incorporation. This organizational meeting is the first official meeting of your corporation. At this meeting, your corporation can issue stock, elect directors, appoint officers and adopt bylaws.

With our formation services package, we include a set of custom Indiana corporate bylaws.

Does my organizational meeting have to be in Indiana?

No, your meeting doesn’t have to take place in Indiana.

How Do I Register with Indiana’s Department of Revenue?

You can create an INTax account. INTax is the Department of Revenue’s online tax management system. A variety of state-level tax responsibilities, from fuel taxes to withholding, can be managed using this system.

Should I Register with Indiana’s DWD?

Corporations with employees will need to contact the Department of Workforce Development. Through their website, you can submit payroll reports, manage unemployment insurance and more.

Does my Indiana corporation need an assumed name (DBA)?

Many Indiana corporations operate under a fictitious name (often called a DBA) because it allows for more branding and franchising opportunities. We can register your corporation’s fictitious name for $125 plus state fees. Select our Trade Name Service inside your account after purchasing our business formation service.

Does Indiana Require an Annual Report?

Indiana requires reports, but not an annual report. In Indiana, corporations file a Business Entity Report every two years.

What is an Indiana Business Entity Report?
A Business Entity Report is an update of your company’s ownership and contact information for Indiana’s Secretary of State.

When is my report due?
The report is required every two years, due the same month of your incorporation. So, if you incorporated in May 2017, your first report will be due in May 2019.

What is the filing fee for the Business Entity Report?
The filing fee is $50 by mail or $32 online.

Advantages of an Indiana Corporation

Corporations offer one of the most stable yet financially financially flexible business structures.

• Financial Flexibility
  Corporations have some financial freedoms that are limited in other business structures. For example, corporations can reinvest profits in their business. Other business structures, like LLCs, require that profits be distributed to members, who then pay taxes on these profits. Reinvesting profits can avoid an extra tax hit while helping your corporation grow. Corporations also have the benefit of authorizing and issuing stock, which they can sell to quickly raise capital.

• Stability
  The management style and the formalities that make a corporation a bit more complex to manage also serve to make it more stable. The tiered management system—with a board of directors, officers, and shareholders—provide good structure, especially for large businesses. Additionally, formal procedures, like annual meetings and meeting minutes, help support the complexities of a large or involved business.

Peace of Mind

Rest easy with our formation services. Our package will take care of your Indiana Articles of Incorporation, and provide you with the registered agent service and custom documents you need to get your corporation started today.