How To Incorporate In Connecticut

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1. Choose a Name for Your Connecticut Corporation

Check on Available Names in Connecticut: The first thing you need to do when you decide to incorporate your small business in the state of Connecticut is to decide on a name for your corporation. The name that you choose must be unique and not already in use by another corporation. You can determine if the name that you have chosen is unique by searching the Internet and corporate and legal records and databases. You can search Connecticut businesses online on the official state website: Connecticut Corporation.

Reserve a Corporate Name: After you have found a unique name for your corporation, you can reserve that name by submitting an application to Connecticut Secretary of State. The application for Reservation of Name is available online at Reserve a Connecticut Corporation Name. The fee is $60.00 to reserve a corporate name and the reservation will be effective for a period of 120 days.

Filing Trademarks and Doing a Corporate Name Search: You should recognize that although the name that you have chosen and reserved for your corporation might be available for use in Connecticut, it is possible that another company outside of Connecticut is using the same name. Recognize that you might encounter some restrictions on the name that you have chosen to use to incorporate your small business in Connecticut.  See our article on how to choose a name for your corporation.

Connecticut Corporate Name Requirements: When you incorporate a business in Connecticut, the name of the corporation must include the word “corporation,” “incorporated,” “company,” “limited,” or “Society per Azioni.” You could also choose to use an abbreviation of one of these words in the name of your corporation.

2. Find a Registered Agent in Connecticut 

Once you have chosen a unique name for your Connecticut corporation, you will need to find a registered agent to act as an agent for service of process. The registered agent that you choose for your corporation will be responsible for receiving legal and tax documents for your corporation.  There are corporate services companies that provide registered agent services for a fee. You may want to consider using one of these companies as your registered agent.  

3. File Certificate of Incorporation with the Connecticut Secretary of State

Minimum Requirements: If you have decided to incorporate your small business as a normal stock corporation, you will need to file a Certificate of Incorporation with the Connecticut Secretary of State. You can download the Certificate of Incorporation form online at How To Incorporate In Connecticut. As part of the Certificate of Incorporation for your company, you will need to provide the name that you have chosen for your corporation, the purpose of your corporation, the name and address of your registered agent, and the name and address of each of the incorporators. You will also need to provide information about the number and class of shares authorized by your corporation. The Certificate of Incorporation must be signed by each incorporator.

Other Connecticut Legal Provisions: You may find that there are other legal provisions that apply to your corporation besides the minimum requirements that make up the Certificate of Incorporation document. You should consult an attorney when you are preparing the Certificate of Incorporation so that you can be sure to include the additional legal provisions that are appropriate for your company.

Where to Submit Form: You should submit your completed Certificate of Incorporation to the Commercial Recording Division of the Connecticut Secretary of the State, PO Box 150470, Hartford, CT 06115-0470. If you want to submit the form in person, you can do so at 30 Trinity Street in Hartford, Connecticut. You may also be able to file online at Connecticut Incorporation Form.

Filing Fee: The filing fee in Connecticut is $250.00.

4. Create Other Connecticut Incorporation Documents (Corporate Kits)

Once you have completed and submitted the Certificate of Incorporation, your corporation should prepare to take certain actions, including appointing officers and directors, adopting corporation bylaws, issuing stock certificates, and obtaining a tax ID number in preparation to pay taxes. You will also most likely need to obtain a business license for your corporation.

When you are taking these actions, consider creating other types of corporate documents such as buy-sell agreements, shareholders agreements to determine when stock can be sold, and documents that outline what will happen if an owner leaves the company. These documents can prove to be very useful, especially if there are multiple owners of the corporation. You should consult an attorney as you are drafting these documents so that you can be sure to follow all the legal requirements that apply to your corporation. You may also enlist the services of one of the many corporate service companies that assist corporations in preparing these types of legal documents for a fee.

5. Qualify Your Connecticut Corporation to Do Business in Other States

If the main office of your corporation is not located in Connecticut, you will need to find out if you need to register or qualify your corporation to do business in other states. Most other states do require some kind of qualification, and you will need to pay taxes in your home state. You can read more about how to qualify your corporation to do business in other states at Doing Business in other states.

6. Make Annual Filings and Pay Annual Fees and Taxes in Connecticut

All domestic corporations that are registered in the state of Connecticut are required to file an annual report. On this report you can provide updated officer, director and registered agent information for your corporation. The filing fee for this report is $150.00. You can file the annual report for your corporation online at Connecticut Corporation Fee.

Once you have registered your corporation in the state of Connecticut, your corporation will be subject to Connecticut state taxes.  The minimum franchise tax for stock corporations in Connecticut is $150.00. You will need to file the appropriate tax documents for your corporation and pay the annual required tax in Connecticut. To download tax forms and learn more about the tax requirements for corporations in Connecticut, go to the official website of the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services: Connecticut Corporation Revenue Services.

At the time that you are preparing tax documents for your corporation, you should consult an accountant to help you avoid costly mistakes on your tax documents.

There are multiple decisions to make when you incorporate your small business, especially if there are multiple owners.  But if you consult an attorney and an accountant when you incorporate your small business in Connecticut, you can feel more confident that your paperwork will be processed correctly.

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This site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial or tax advise. The information on this site should not be relied upon as an official source of information and should be independently verified.

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