How do you change the name of a Corporation in California?

Answer 1

Typically becoming a California Corporation takes 4-6 weeks, but you can speed up this process to about a week with expedited service. Expedited California incorporation processing can be purchased from an online service and will save you a substantial amount of time. Services will handle every aspect of California incorporation from filing Articles of Incorporation to preparation of all the documents, resolutions and certificates necessary to incorporate. It is not required by law that you obtain the service or advice of legal counsel to become a California Corporation.

The first step to incorporate in California is to select a name for your company. If available, the name can be reserved with the California Secretary of State for 60 days. Incorporating protects the name from being used by another California Corporation. However, the name cannot infringe on a trademark or service mark. Once you have incorporated in California, you will need to protect the name from use by non-corporate entities by registering it as a trademark or service mark which is a separate process.

To incorporate, Articles of Incorporation must be filed with the California Secretary of State. To complete the process of incorporating, directors will need to hold a First Meeting of the Board of Directors to elect officers, in which they will authorize the issuance of stock and adopt corporate bylaws. Once you have completed these steps the formation of the California Corporation has been formally established.

If you would like to become a "Subchapter Corporation S", you must file IRS form 2553. This form should be filed within 75 days of the filing of the Articles of Incorporation. All the shareholders of the Corporation must sign the form for the S corporation status to be accepted by the IRS. California incorporation services have an automated way to file this form along with your articles.

You will also need to obtain A Federal Tax Identification Number for the company (also called an "EIN" or "Employer ID Number") and a California Employment Development Department (EDD) employer account number. Both of these can be obtained from the IRS for taxation purposes and for opening a corporate bank account following California incorporation. The number is obtained by filing IRS form SS-4.

If you plan to operate your California Corporation under a fictitious name, a Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed with the County Clerk in the county of the company's principal place of business. It must be filed within 40 days start of business. Also, within 30 days the registrant must publish the statement in a newspaper of substantial circulation in the same county once a week for four weeks. Once completed, an affidavit of publication will need to be filed with the County Clerk's office as proof.

The California agency responsible for administration and enforcement of California corporate, business and personal income taxes is the Franchise Tax Board. If the corporation will be selling products in California, it must obtain a seller's permit from the State Board of Equalization and pay California sales tax for the products it sells.

You can form a corporation in California with or without an attorney. Nolo offers a book called How to Form Your Own California Corporation, which makes incorporating a straightforward task, showing you how to file articles of incorporation, set up a corporate records book, prepare bylaws and issue shares of stock.

Incorporation provides great benefits, such as:

• limited personal liability
• tax advantages
• access to capital
• employee perks

How to Form Your Own California Corporation contains all the forms, instructions, tax rules, practical information and step-by-step instructions you need to incorporate a California business, as tear-outs and on CD-ROM.

While you do not need an attorney in order to register a corporation (assuming that a corporation is even the best entity for you), if you are creating an entity involving certain complex issues or involving more than one shareholder (owner, member, etc), then an attorney may prove helpful. In the meantime, without the need to buy a book or consult with an attorney, the Secretary of State for California has made a wealth of information available and has provided links to the forms and fees necessary to register a corporation. Steps to Become a California Corporation

Typically becoming a California Corporation takes 4-6 weeks, but you can speed up this process to about a week with expedited service. Expedited California incorporation processing can be purchased from an online service and will save you a substantial amount of time. Services will handle every aspect of California incorporation from filing Articles of Incorporation to preparation of all the documents, resolutions and certificates necessary to incorporate. It is not required by law that you obtain the service or advice of legal counsel to become a California Corporation.

The first step to incorporate in California is to select a name for your company. If available, the name can be reserved with the California Secretary of State for 60 days. Incorporating protects the name from being used by another California Corporation. However, the name cannot infringe on a trademark or service mark. Once you have incorporated in California, you will need to protect the name from use by non-corporate entities by registering it as a trademark or service mark which is a separate process.

To incorporate, Articles of Incorporation must be filed with the California Secretary of State. To complete the process of incorporating, directors will need to hold a First Meeting of the Board of Directors to elect officers, in which they will authorize the issuance of stock and adopt corporate bylaws. Once you have completed these steps the formation of the California Corporation has been formally established.

If you would like to become a "Subchapter Corporation S", you must file IRS form 2553. This form should be filed within 75 days of the filing of the Articles of Incorporation. All the shareholders of the Corporation must sign the form for the S corporation status to be accepted by the IRS. California incorporation services have an automated way to file this form along with your articles.

You will also need to obtain A Federal Tax Identification Number for the company (also called an "EIN" or "Employer ID Number") and a California Employment Development Department (EDD) employer account number. Both of these can be obtained from the IRS for taxation purposes and for opening a corporate bank account following California incorporation. The number is obtained by filing IRS form SS-4.

If you plan to operate your California Corporation under a fictitious name, a Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed with the County Clerk in the county of the company's principal place of business. It must be filed within 40 days start of business. Also, within 30 days the registrant must publish the statement in a newspaper of substantial circulation in the same county once a week for four weeks. Once completed, an affidavit of publication will need to be filed with the County Clerk's office as proof.

The California agency responsible for administration and enforcement of California corporate, business and personal income taxes is the Franchise Tax Board. If the corporation will be selling products in California, it must obtain a seller's permit from the State Board of Equalization and pay California sales tax for the products it sells.

Answer 2

Ask the Government DER