How to Form a Company in Nebraska

Introduction

The state of Nebraska is home to more than 1.9 million people, making it the 27th most populous in the country. Its largest city, Omaha, has a population of around 408,000 and boasts an economy that’s driven by manufacturing, finance and insurance. Whether you’re looking to start a new business or move one into Nebraska, there are certain steps you’ll need to take first — starting with forming your company.

Decide on a business type.

When you form a business in Nebraska, you have to decide on which type of entity it will be. There are several types to choose from:

• corporation
• limited liability company (LLC)
• partnership
• sole proprietorship.

Choose a business name.

• Choose a name that is easy to spell, say, and remember. This can make it easier for your customers to find you.
• Check that the name isn’t taken by another business in Nebraska or any other state! If it is, then you have to change your company’s name before applying for an EIN.
• Check that the name doesn’t infringe on anyone else’s trademarks or copyrighted material either—you don’t want to get sued!
• In addition to protecting yourself legally, this step also helps keep things simple with the IRS during tax season when they need information about your business structure (like its legal title).

Find a registered agent.

A registered agent is a person or business that agrees to be responsible for receiving official documents on behalf of an entity. This includes things like tax notices, court papers and important legal notices.

You can find a registered agent through the Secretary of State’s office by searching their database. You will need to provide your company name, address and more information about its intended activities in Nebraska before they will share their list of registered agents with you.

Registered agents typically charge between $100 and $200 per year for this service but some may have discounts available if you pay in advance for multiple years at once (which might be worth considering if there’s any chance your company could eventually outgrow its current structure).

Register your business with the state.

As an LLC, you need to register your business with the state. You can do this by filing this form, [which is available here](https://www.sos.nebraska.gov/business/foreign-registration-forms).

• Register a “foreign” corporation in Nebraska: Use this form if you’re a single-member or multiple-member corporation from another state that wants to do business in Nebraska and doesn’t have any physical presence within the state (for example, if you operate an online business).
• Register a “foreign” limited liability company in Nebraska: Use this form if your LLC was formed outside of Nebraska but does have some physical presence within the state (for example, if it has employees there).
• Register a “foreign” limited partnership in Nebraska: Use this form if your LP was formed outside of Nebraska but does have some physical presence within an area where NELLPCs are allowed (such as downtown Omaha). Again, no fee is required for registering with NELLPCs when they meet certain criteria; however​ you must pay $100 per year more than what applies above when registering as part of SELCs.* Registering as part of this category means that although dues are waived on paper work processing fees due at time of registration; no refunds will be given once declared invalid by NELLPC officials after review process completion date has passed

Get an EIN.

Your EIN is a unique number that identifies your business when it files taxes and applies for certain licenses. In order to get an EIN, you will need to fill out Form SS-4. This form is available on the IRS website and in most post offices across the country. Once you have filed this form and received your EIN, you can use it for many things related to your business. For example:

• You will need your EIN when applying for licenses as a sole proprietor or LLC owner (like a liquor license).
• Your bank will ask for your EIN if you want to open an account in the name of your new company.

Open a bank account and accept payments.

Whether you plan to accept payments online or in person, make sure your company has a bank account. You can open an account with any local bank or credit union. It’s important that this account be used only for business purposes and not personal expenses; otherwise, it could jeopardize your tax status as an S corporation or LLC.

Once you have the necessary accounts set up, you’ll need a debit card and checks so that customers can pay electronically or by mail on paper. Make sure any checks are written from the correct account so you don’t accidentally overdraw funds!

When accepting payment online, it’s also important to track expenses carefully—especially if they’re going towards office essentials such as supplies and equipment.

Register with the city, if required.

If you’re establishing a business in a city that requires businesses to register with the city, you’ll need to follow their procedure for registering. This is often done through the county clerk or a commercial database like BizFilings.

If your business doesn’t need to register with the city, skip this step!

Takeaway:

• The takeaway is a concise summary of the article. It should be one sentence in length, and it’s good to have a few bullet points as well.
• Takeaways are not meant to be too long—they should fit on one page or less.
• The takeaway is essentially a condensed version of your article that gives readers an overview of what they can expect from reading it.

Conclusion

When you’re ready to get your business started in Nebraska, use our step-by-step guides to help make the process easier. We hope this article has given you a better idea of what it takes to form a company in Nebraska. If you have any questions or need more information on how to create your own LLC or corporation, please contact us today!