How to Form a Company in New Jersey

Introduction

You’ve found the perfect name, and you’ve got your logo and web design ready to go. You’re almost ready to go out and conquer the world—but first you need to form a company in New Jersey. In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about forming your own business in The Garden State.

Choose the Right Type of Entity

Choosing the right type of entity is an important part of forming your business. This will determine how you run and operate your company, as well as what tax obligations you have. In New Jersey, there are several different types of business structures that can be registered with the state:

• Sole proprietorship
• Partnership
• Limited liability company (LLC)
• Corporation

Reserve a Company Name

Now that you have a business idea, you can move on to the next important step: reserving your company name.

When we say “reserve” we mean that you will be able to use this name as a placeholder for your business until you are ready to file for incorporation. This is especially helpful if you plan on forming multiple companies in New Jersey (you would not want one of them named “Twinkie Incorporated”), or if the name of your company is trademarked by someone else and could get entangled in legal issues down the road.

Once again, don’t forget about New Jersey’s certificate of incorporation requirements! If they aren’t met yet then no need for concern—simply wait until they are fulfilled before moving forward with this step.

File the Certificate of Incorporation or Articles of Organization

Once you have formed your LLC, you must file the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State. The articles can be filed online for a fee of $50 or by sending in a paper copy, which does not require a fee. The filing office is open from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM Monday to Friday (excluding major holidays).

Draft a Company Agreement

A company agreement is the document that outlines your company’s structure and how it will operate. It’s important to have a properly drafted, legally binding agreement in place before you begin operating your business, as it can protect you from disputes down the line.

A good first step is to contact an attorney who specializes in business law to help you draft your own Company Agreement. If they don’t have time for this project right away or if there are other legal matters on which they need to focus their attention, they may be able to refer you elsewhere—for example, some attorneys work with firms that specialize specifically in drafting corporate documents for startups (like ours!).

Employer Identification Number

In order to form a company in New Jersey, you will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN). This is a nine-digit number that is assigned by the IRS to identify your business for tax purposes. You can apply for one online at www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Apply-for-an-EIN.

The EIN serves as the official tax ID number of your business entity, similar to how Social Security numbers are used on individual taxpayers. If you don’t have an EIN yet, or if you have multiple businesses and would like them all under one umbrella organization with one EIN, we can help with that too!

Business Licenses and Permits

You may also need to obtain licenses and permits to operate your business. In addition to the New Jersey state business license, you may need several other licenses and permits depending on what type of business you plan to run. For example:

• Business tax registration (File with the Division of Taxation)
• Occupational tax certificate (File with New Jersey Department of Treasury)
• Building permit (File with your county or municipal government)
• Health permit (File with your county or municipal government) * Fire inspection certificate (File with your county or municipal government)   * Food permit (File with your county or municipal government)  * Water permit

You can form your business in New Jersey by following these steps.

In order to conduct business, you need a license. In New Jersey, there are two types of licenses: the Business License and the Occupational License. The Business License is required by any company that charges a fee for its services or products sold within the state of New Jersey. Some examples include hotels, restaurants and retail stores.

The Occupational License is required if you provide a service to individuals who have been injured by another person’s negligence, as well as professionals such as doctors and lawyers.

If you are uncertain which type of license applies to your business activities in the state of New Jersey then call 609-984-6700 or email [email protected] for assistance in determining which type of license will meet your needs before submitting an application for either kind!

Conclusion

That’s all there is to it. Once you have your EIN, business licenses and permits, you are ready to start operating your company! If you want more information on how to get started with a limited liability corporation or other types of entities like S corporations or partnerships, check out our free guide here: https://www.incfile.com/blog/how-to-form-an-llc/.