How to Form a C Corporation in West Virginia

Introduction

A C corporation is a for-profit business entity that’s created by filing Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State. If you’re thinking about starting a C corporation in West Virginia, here’s what you need to do:

First, choose a name for your business and research to ensure it’s available and doesn’t infringe on someone else’s trademark.

First, choose a name for your business and research to ensure it’s available and doesn’t infringe on someone else’s trademark. The most important thing is to make sure that no one else has the same exact name as you before you set up your corporation.

The next thing to consider is how easy it will be for people who don’t know about you or what you do to remember your company name and spell it correctly when they’re talking about it with friends or colleagues. Try not to go with anything too long or complex. You want something short and sweet so that everyone can say it easily, especially if they’re not familiar with the term “corporation.”

You also want a name that isn’t offensive, misleading, or overly broad—in other words, nothing like “I Hate Everyone Corporation” (a fake example!). If someone were looking into whether there was already an LLC called IHATEEVERYONELLC and saw this strange-sounding company had been around since 2008 but only had five employees listed on LinkedIn instead of thousands like expected… well let’s just say things wouldn’t look good!

Next, designate a registered agent (a person or company in West Virginia who will accept legal documents on your behalf).

Once you’ve formed your corporation and elected a board of directors, the next step is to designate a registered agent (a person or company in West Virginia who will accept legal documents on your behalf). Your registered agent must be located at the same address as your business and should be available during normal business hours. You’ll also need their social security number so they can register with the state.

Once you have your registered agent established, it’s time to file paperwork with both the secretary of state’s office and the IRS within 90 days of incorporating. In addition to submitting Articles of Incorporation with this form, you’ll need to submit an Employer Identification Number application with Form SS-4—this identifies your company as an independent economic entity separate from its owners

After that, file Articles of Incorporation with the Office of the Secretary of State.

After you’ve formed your C corporation, it’s time to file Articles of Incorporation with the Office of the Secretary of State. What are these? They’re essentially a declaration of your business’ existence as an entity, including its name and address.

• What do you need to file? You need to submit a copy of your corporate resolution and bylaws. The resolution is basically an official statement that says who owns the company and how much stock each person has bought into it (if applicable). The bylaws define how your board members will act—for example, when they meet and who makes important decisions for the company.
• Where do I submit my Articles? Mail everything via certified mail at: Secretary of State, Business Services Division-Corporations Section 2101 Capitol St., Charleston WV 25305-0521

Next, draft bylaws.

A corporation’s bylaws are the rules that govern how it operates internally. As a general rule, it’s best to keep your bylaws concise and clear. Typically, you’ll want them written in plain language so that anyone can understand them—after all, if you need help understanding your own company’s policies, imagine how hard it would be for a new employee or an outsider!

You should also consult an attorney when drafting your bylaws. The last thing you want is for someone to come after you because they think something could be improved upon in the way your organization is run.

After that, hold an organizational meeting with shareholders.

The next step is to hold an organizational meeting with shareholders. At least one shareholder must be present at this meeting, and they should vote on the articles of incorporation and bylaws. The articles of incorporation should list all of your shareholders and their addresses, as well as any other information you want to include.

Next, issue stock certificates to shareholders.

You can issue stock certificates to your investors. This is a way for them to show ownership of your company, and it gives you the ability to issue multiple classes of stock (such as voting and non-voting). You can also issue preferred stock that has special rights that regular common stock does not have.

However, you must be careful when issuing shares because each share must represent an equal amount of ownership in your business. If one person owns more shares than another, then they’ll have more power over what happens with their company—and this could cause problems if the shareholders disagree on something important like where to expand or how much money should be invested in new equipment or employees.

Now you can open a bank account and start doing business in West Virginia as a C corporation!

Now you can open a bank account and start doing business in West Virginia as a C corporation!

You’ll need to visit your state’s Secretary of State website to find information about how to register your company. The West Virginia Secretary of State has an extensive list of instructions for forming a corporation online, including what information you’ll need and what fees are associated with filing your paperwork. You’ll want to make sure that the name you choose is available before choosing it, because once you’ve picked out the perfect name for your new business, there’s no changing it later on.

Once we’re done filing all our documents with the secretary of state’s office, we can finally open up our bank account and start doing some real business here in West Virginia!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve officially incorporated your new C corporation and are ready to start doing business in West Virginia. Now that you know how easy it is, there’s no reason not to form a C corporation yourself. If you have any questions along the way, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at LegalZoom who can help guide you through all of the steps outlined above.