How to Form a C Corporation in Louisiana

Introduction

If you’re starting a new business, you have a number of options for how to organize it. There is no right or wrong way to set up your corporation and each type has different benefits and drawbacks. The most common type of corporation is called a C corporation because it’s governed by the federal Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section on C corporations, which are also known as regular corporations. This article covers everything you need to know about forming a C corporation in Louisiana, including choosing your business name, creating corporate bylaws, filing articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State’s office and more!

Choose a business name.

When choosing a business name, you must make sure that it is not already in use. Also, you should not choose a name that is too similar to another existing business or trademark in the state of Louisiana. For example, “Joe’s Pizza” is unlikely to be approved because there are already several businesses with this name registered in the state. Similarly, if your product or service contains the word “Apple” as part of its brand identity (for example, Apple Laptop), you will likely not be able to register your business under such a name because Apple Computer Inc., has previously registered several trademarks containing that word within their own branding strategy.

The same issues apply when selecting a company name that could conflict with another company’s brand identity—for instance: if there was a celebrity named Michael Jackson who opened up his own restaurant chain called Micky D’s—wouldn’t he run into problems with trademark infringement? If one person owns all rights over any given word or phrase but does not want anyone else using it for commercial purposes then he/she must file an application for Trademark Registration through UCC (Uniform Commercial Code).

Choose a registered agent for your business.

Choosing a registered agent for your business is a critical step. A registered agent is the person or company that receives any legal documents on behalf of your corporation in Louisiana. It can be a person, but it must have an address in Louisiana and be authorized to receive legal documents. If you choose an out-of-state company as your registered agent, they will charge extra fees for receiving and forwarding documents.

Registered agents are most often attorneys or law firms, although banks may act as registered agents if they meet certain requirements.[10]

File the Articles of Incorporation.

The articles of incorporation are the legal documents that officially establish your corporation. They include the name and purpose of your corporation, as well as any other information required by Louisiana state law. You should file these documents with the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office.

You can read more about what’s included in an articles of incorporation on their website or simply download one from their site (available in PDF format) to use as a template for filing purposes.

The cost to file them is $50 and it takes about five business days for them to process your request.

Create corporate bylaws.

Once you’ve filed to create a corporation, you will also need to file your corporate bylaws (the rules of the corporation).

Bylaws must be filed with the state. They should be written in a certain format—the Secretary of State’s website has instructions for how to write bylaws for Louisiana corporations. You’ll probably want them on hand as well.

In addition, some states require that your bylaws contain certain information about how the corporation will be governed, such as its name and place of business. Check with your Secretary of State’s office or do an Internet search if you’re unsure what information is required in order for your corporation to comply with Louisiana law.

Hold the first meeting of your corporation’s directors.

The first step in forming a C corporation in Louisiana is to hold the first meeting of your corporation’s directors. The directors are the people who run your company, and they’re elected by the shareholders. You should meet at least once a year, but you can also hold regular or special meetings as needed. The directors decide how your corporation is run, including what happens with its profits, who gets paid how much (for example, if there’s an annual bonus), and what kinds of companies it will do business with (or not).

The following information may be helpful:

• Directors are elected by everyone who owns stock in the company; this could include just one person or 100 people! If you want to form an LLC instead of a C corporation in Louisiana because it’s easier to manage on your own without having employees or significant assets like real estate investments on hand… well then congratulations–you can skip this step entirely!

Draft a corporate stock ledger and issue stock certificates.

• Draft a corporate stock ledger and issue stock certificates. In Louisiana, corporations are required to keep a record of who owns the company. This means that each person who buys shares must be recorded in the corporation’s official records and have their name listed on the official corporate stock ledger. Each shareholder has a box on the ledger where they can check off that they own shares in the company, which allows them to vote at corporate meetings and receive dividends from profits earned by their investment.
• Issue stock certificates: The state does not require you to issue actual certificates with signatures or seals on them—but most people do this anyway for convenience purposes so they can prove ownership of their share if needed (e.g., selling it). It is also wise because some contracts won’t allow you to sell something if you don’t have proof of its ownership!

C corporations make it easy for multiple people to invest in a business project with minimal legal liability

A corporation is a business that has been legally separated from its owners, the shareholders. This separation provides several benefits: it allows the corporation to have its own legal identity, separate from that of its shareholders and managers; it shields many investors from personal liability in case something goes wrong with their investment; and it enables corporations to raise large amounts of capital by selling shares of ownership.

While setting up a corporation may seem complicated at first glance, it’s actually not particularly difficult if you follow these steps:

• Choose a name for your company. You can use this name on your business cards, letterhead and website (although you’ll need to register those domains separately).
• Incorporate in Louisiana by filing Articles of Incorporation with the Louisiana Secretary of State. You’ll receive an EIN number after submitting these documents (and paying $125).

Conclusion

This process can be a little intimidating, but it’s definitely worth considering as part of your business plan. Once you decide to go ahead with it, you’ll need to gather the required paperwork and make sure that everything is in order before filing your articles with the state. After that, all that’s left is to get your corporation up and running!