Filing Maine Articles of Incorporation is the first step to launching your Maine corporation. Afterwards, your corporation holds an organizational meeting and registers for any required taxes, permits or licenses. Corporations commonly open a corporate bank account as well.<\/p>\n
Ready to start your Maine corporation? Incorporating is easy with our formation package. We file your Articles, give you custom bylaws and initial resolutions (key documents for your organizational meeting and opening a corporate bank account), let you choose a website domain for your business, and provide you a year of registered agent service\u2014everything you need!<\/p>\n
In your Maine Articles of Incorporation, you\u2019ll make initial decisions for your company, such as your corporation\u2019s name and how many shares of stock to authorize.<\/p>\n
Name<\/strong><\/p>\n Maine corporation names can\u2019t be misleading, can\u2019t use banking words like \u201csavings\u201d or \u201ctrust,\u201d and can\u2019t already be in use in Maine. Check for availability with Maine\u2019s Corporate Name Search<\/a>.<\/p>\n Unlike many other states, Maine doesn\u2019t require words like \u201cIncorporated,\u201d \u201cCorporation,\u201d \u201cCompany\u201d or \u201cLimited\u201d in your corporation\u2019s name. However, including one of these words is common practice and can help your business better identify as a corporation.<\/p>\n Designation<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s a box to check if your business is a professional corporation. Most corporations aren\u2019t professional corporations. Professional corporations perform a licensed, professional service, such as accounting, nursing, or dentistry.<\/p>\n Clerk<\/strong><\/p>\n You can choose a commercial or noncommercial clerk. A commercial clerk (also called a registered agent) specializes in registered agent services and is registered with Maine\u2019s Secretary of State. Hire us, and you can list our name as your commercial clerk. A noncommercial clerk doesn’t specialize in registered agent services and could be a business, like a law firm, or an individual like yourself. If you choose a noncommercial clerk, you\u2019ll also have to list a physical and mailing address, which will become part of the public record.<\/p>\n Shares<\/strong><\/p>\n In this section, you\u2019ll decide how many shares you want to authorize. Authorizing shares means you\u2019re creating shares to be distributed later on. You have to authorize at least one share.<\/p>\n You can choose to have one or more classes of shares. Different classes of shares can come with different rights, like voting rights. If you have multiple classes of shares, you\u2019ll need to attach an exhibit explaining the rules and rights for each class.<\/p>\n Directors<\/strong><\/p>\n You\u2019ll need to decide the management style of your Maine corporation. You can have a board of directors, or choose to have the corporation managed by shareholders. Most corporations have a board of directors.<\/p>\n If you choose a board of directors, you\u2019ll also decide how many directors you\u2019ll have, the liability of the directors to the corporation, and whether the corporation will indemnify directors and officers (agree to cover their losses).<\/p>\n Preemptive Rights<\/strong><\/p>\n In your Articles of Incorporation, you decide whether or not your Maine corporation will have preemptive rights. Preemptive rights mean that the shareholders have a chance to purchase stock before it\u2019s offered to others, typically to maintain their ownership percentage.<\/p>\n So, if Joe Shareholder has 20 out of 100 shares, and the corporation later wants to issue 200 more shares, Joe\u2019s preemptive rights give him the opportunity to buy 40 of those shares before they\u2019re offered to others. This will allow Joe to maintain his 20% ownership in the company.<\/p>\n Incorporators<\/strong><\/p>\n An incorporator is the person who files and forms your Articles of Incorporation. An incorporator doesn\u2019t have to be a director, shareholder or anyone with ownership in the corporation. The incorporator has to include their name and address. We\u2019ll be your incorporator if you hire us.<\/p>\n How do I submit my Maine Articles of Incorporation?<\/strong> What is the filing fee? What are my choices for processing?<\/strong><\/p>\n The Secretary of State<\/a> currently notes that there may be a delay on expedited processing times<\/strong>, due to a high number of expedited requests. All the processing times are available during business hours only. This means that weekends and holidays aren\u2019t counted in the processing time, no matter how much extra you pay.<\/p>\n How do I choose expedited processing? If you file by mail, write \u201cExpedited Service\u201d in the lower right-hand corner of the envelope.<\/p>\n We offer expert formation service at a low price. Our package includes everything you need to incorporate\u2014including premium registered agent services and all the documents you’ll need to open a corporate bank account!<\/p>\n WHAT WE PROVIDE<\/strong><\/p>\n WHAT WE CHARGE<\/strong><\/p>\n We currently offer the 24-hour expedited processing option<\/strong>, which means the state will review and process your application within 24 business hours of receiving the filing submission. Please allow additional time for mailing your application and receiving your filed Certificate of Formation. The state also notes that processing times may be delayed due to a high volume of filing submissions.<\/p>\n We do not offer Maine\u2019s immediate processing option because it is not always available. Immediate processing depends on staff availability and is not available outside of business hours.<\/p>\n Service<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Maine State Filing Fees<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \n<\/td>\n $198 Our Formation Service Fee<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \n<\/td>\n $100<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 1 Year Registered Agent Service<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \n<\/td>\n $49<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Total<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n $347<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Still have questions about incorporating in Maine? Answers to questions about clerks, EINs, tax registration and more are below.<\/p>\n What is a commercial clerk? Why do I need a commercial clerk? Also, when you choose a commercial registered agent service like us, you can list our address on public documents instead of yours. You keep your privacy, and we deal with all the junk mail.<\/p>\n What is an EIN? Does my Maine corporation need an EIN? How do I get an EIN? How do I register for state taxes? Does Maine require a business license? What is an organizational meeting?Submitting Maine Articles of Incorporation<\/h2>\n
\nYou submit your Maine Articles of Incorporation in person or by mail. The Articles of Incorporation form<\/a> is available from the Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>$145, payable by credit card, check or money order.<\/p>\n\n
\n<\/strong>The last page of the Articles is a Filer Contact Cover Letter, where you can select expedited filings. If paying by check or money order, include a separate check or money order for the expedited fee. If paying by credit card, you don\u2019t need to submit a separate credit card payment voucher.<\/p>\nOur Services<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/strong>We provide commercial clerk\/registered agent service. We list our address on public documents, so you can maintain privacy and security. Our filers scan documents daily.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>We provide access to tools that help support your business’s professional presence, including a business domain, an email address at that domain, and an SSL-secure website. You’ll also get a direct business line to a local, Maine phone number that you can use with our iOS or Android apps.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>List our address on public documents and keep yours private.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>Log in for immediate access to free resources, like state forms pre-filled with your corporation\u2019s information.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>We provide your corporate bylaws, initial resolutions, and more!<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>Never forget to file an annual report! We include auto-reminders for your filing requirements.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>Call for assistance and get a real person\u2014never an automated operator.<\/li>\n
\nOption to register an assumed name (DBA) for $125 plus state fees after signing up for our incorporation service. Just add \u201cTrade Name Service\u201d inside your client portal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\n \n <\/td>\n \u00a0Fees (Expedited)<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n \n \n
\n(incl. expedite and filed copy fee)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <\/td>\n \n FAQ for Maine Corporations<\/h2>\n
COMMERCIAL CLERKS<\/h3>\n
\n<\/strong>\u201cCommercial clerk\u201d is a term Maine uses interchangeably with \u201cregistered agent.\u201d A commercial clerk or registered agent is responsible for accepting service of process, legal notices and official documents on behalf of your corporation.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Maine state statutes require the appointment of a \u201cclerk or registered agent.\u201d If the state of Maine needs to contact your corporation\u2014for example, to deliver a court order\u2014they need to find someone readily available and ensure due process.<\/p>\nEIN<\/h3>\n
\n<\/strong>An Employer Identification Number or EIN is a federal tax ID assigned by the IRS for federal tax purposes.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Yes. Corporations are required to have an EIN. An EIN will also be necessary for state-level tax filings, as Maine Revenue Services uses EINs for their filings as well.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>You can apply for your corporation\u2019s EIN from the IRS for no cost. If you\u2019d prefer to skip this process, however, you can add it on to our package for the cost of our time: $50.<\/p>\nMAINE TAX REGISTRATION<\/h3>\n
\n<\/strong>You can register online with Maine\u2019s Sales & Use, Withholding and Service Provider Tax Registration Service<\/a>. Or, you can download the Maine Application for Tax Registration<\/a> from Maine Revenue Services. If you have employees, you\u2019ll also need to register with the Department of Labor, using their online Maine Employer Registration Internet System (MERIS<\/a>).<\/p>\nMAINE BUSINESS LICENSE<\/h3>\n
\n<\/strong>There\u2019s no general business license in Maine, but there are specialized licenses and permits for specific business activities. Visit Maine\u2019s Department of Economic and Community Development\u2019s page on Business Answers<\/a> to determine what permits and licenses your corporation needs.<\/p>\nMAINE CORPORATION ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING<\/h3>\n
\n<\/strong>Maine requires that corporations hold an organizational meeting where some of the essential first actions of a corporation take place, such as appointing directors and officers, issuing stock to shareholders, and approving bylaws. We include custom bylaws as part of our formation services package.<\/p>\n