How To Register A Business Entity In California
Organizing your business with the secretary of state will establish your entity as a legal business venture.
How to register a business entity in california. Choose a business structure. Generally all businesses that wish to conduct business in california need to register and form their legal entity with the california secretary of state s office file appropriate taxes register as an employer and obtain business licenses and other permits from appropriate cities or counties. Why is this important. Actively engaging in. Sellers permit most businesses will need to register for a seller s permit with the california department of tax fee administration.
To register your business in california you must file an application to register a foreign limited liability company llc with the california secretary of state sos. Generally all businesses that wish to conduct business in california need to register and form their legal entity with the california secretary of state s office file appropriate taxes register as an employer and obtain business licenses and other permits from appropriate cities or counties. Through 2010 doing business in california was broadly defined as actively engaging in any transaction for the purpose of financial gain or profit it was a pretty vague definition to say the least. The secretary of state supports california businesses by registering business entities and processing millions of filings and records requests each year. To form a corporation in california articles of incorporation must be filed with the california secretary of state s office.
However if you re doing business in california you will likely have to register in california as a foreign entity which means you would have to pay fees in two states. You can download a copy of the application form from the sos website. Forms for the most common types of articles of incorporation are available on our forms samples and fees webpage. Business licenses there is no general state of california business license however many cities require a business license in order to operate. Thank you for your interest in registering a business with the california secretary of state s office.
A brief overview of the following types of legal business structures available in california can be found on our entity types website. You may use the form or prepare your own statutorily compliant document. Since 2011 a business entity is considered to be doing business in california if it meets one of the following criteria.