Incorporate
Form your California corporation.
Incorporate in the nation’s largest economy with your formation handled end to end, name check, certified Articles of Incorporation, bylaws, and first-meeting minutes.
California corporation formation
$1,495 one-time
includes first-year state filing fees · expedite to one business day for $50
What’s included in your California corporation package
The C corporation is the standard (or default) corporation under IRS rules. An S corporation is a corporation that has elected a special tax status with the IRS, and therefore has some tax advantages. Both take their names from the parts of the Internal Revenue Code they are taxed under, C corporations under Subchapter C, S corporations under Subchapter S. To elect S-corporation status when forming, Form 2553 must be filed with the IRS and all S-corporation guidelines met.
Standard formation package
- All state formation filing fees for the first year
- Corporate name availability check
- Certified Articles of Incorporation
- All paperwork filed with the state
- Digital binder with bylaws, first-meeting minutes, and resolutions
Add the deluxe corporate binder
Prefer a physical corporate kit? Add our deluxe binder, embossed with your company name, which also includes:
Deluxe corporate binder
- Engraved corporate hand-press seal with pouch
- 20 pre-printed stock certificates
- Corporate by-laws
- Minutes for the first board of directors meeting
- Stock transfer register
- EIN application and instructions (Form SS-4)
- Free ground shipping within the U.S.
Price and time frame
Our standard service completes your formation in about ten working days, including all filing with the state, then a few more days to receive documents back from the state and mail your kit, if ordered. Need it faster? We can expedite and complete your filing within one business day for just $50.
To elect S-corporation status, Form 2553 must be filed with the IRS. We offer one-day Form 2553 filing service for $50.
One-time cost
$1,495 one-time for the standard package, first-year state filing fees included. Expedited (one business day) is $1,545.
What you’ll also need
Every California corporation must continuously maintain a California registered agent (agent for service of process), a real presence in the state to receive legal and government mail, and keep up with annual filings to stay in good standing. We provide registered agent service and a corporate compliance program so nothing lapses, all handled by the same team.
Forming this entity for asset protection?
Limited liability is a strong first layer, but comprehensive asset protection usually means pairing your entity with trusts and a multi-entity structure, and that is legal work. Tresp Corporate Services, LLC works in tandem with the independent law firm of Tresp, Day & Associates, Inc. We handle the corporate formation and compliance; their attorneys handle the legal strategy. Tresp Corporate Services is a separate company and does not provide legal advice.
Forming in California
If you live or actively do business in California, forming your entity in California keeps things simple and avoids having to register an out-of-state company as a foreign entity. California entities pay an annual franchise tax (an $800 minimum for most LLCs and corporations) and file a Statement of Information with the Secretary of State. If your priority is privacy and low ongoing cost and you do not need a California presence, ask us about a Wyoming entity instead, we will help you weigh the trade-offs.
Ready to form your California corporation?
Set up within days, or one business day expedited. Questions first? Call us, we’re a real office.
Common questions
Frequently asked
What's the difference between a C-corp and an S-corp?
Both are corporations. A C corporation is the IRS default and is taxed on its own profits. An S corporation elects pass-through tax status by filing Form 2553 with the IRS and meeting the requirements. We form the corporation and can file your Form 2553 election for a $50 one-day service.
How long does it take to form a California corporation?
Our standard service completes the formation in about ten working days, including all state filing, plus a few days to receive documents and mail your kit if ordered. Expedited service completes the filing within one business day for an additional $50.
What are the ongoing California requirements?
California corporations pay an annual franchise tax (an $800 minimum in most cases) and must file a Statement of Information with the Secretary of State. They must also maintain an agent for service of process. We can handle your agent and compliance filings so nothing is missed.
Should I form in California or Wyoming?
If you live or actively operate in California, forming in California is usually simplest and avoids registering a foreign entity. If privacy and low ongoing cost matter more and you don't need a California presence, a Wyoming entity may be a better fit. We'll help you weigh the trade-offs, this is general information, not legal advice.
Tresp Corporate Services, LLC provides corporate, registered-agent, and compliance services and does not provide legal advice. For legal matters, we work in tandem with the independent law firm Tresp, Day & Associates, Inc. This page is general information only.
Ready to form or move your company?
Tell us what you need and we’ll take it from there, most clients are set up within a day.