Georgia Corporation

You can get an EIN directly from the IRS. The application is free, and most businesses can apply online. However, if you don’t have a social security number, you’ll need to submit a paper application form. Can’t bear to fill out yet another application? Hire Northwest to get your EIN for you. Just add on EIN service during checkout when you sign up for our incorporation service.

Corporate bylaws cover basic policies and procedures for issues such as company finances and management. Bylaws should cover a range of topics, answering key questions like those below:

• Meetings: When and where will meetings for shareholders and directors be held? How many attendees are required to transact business? What are the procedures for voting or proxy voting? How do you call a special meeting? What actions can be taken without a meeting?

• Stock: How are stock certificates issued and transferred? How is voting affected by issues such as corporate stock owners or fractional shares?

• Directors and officers: How many directors must there be? Which officer positions are required? What powers do they have? How do you fill a vacancy or remove a director or officer?

• Finances: What are the procedures for retaining profits, issuing dividends, and paying bills? Who can withdraw money from the corporate bank account or sign checks?

• Records: Where is the corporate book to be kept? What information will be maintained? How are requests for review or access honored? Can records or copies be kept or distributed digitally?

• Amendments and emergencies: Who can amend bylaws and how? Can emergency bylaws be adopted in the case of disaster?

Georgia bylaws can make other provisions as well, assuming additions are in accordance with state law. For example, GA Code § 14-2-627 (2019) states that Georgia bylaws can impose restrictions on the transfer of shares of a corporation.

Creating bylaws can be overwhelming—where do you start? Northwest can help. We give you free corporate bylaws when you hire us to form your Georgia corporation. We know what kinds of topics and questions corporations need to address, and we’ve spent years refining and improving our forms. We offer many other free corporate forms as well, including templates for resolutions and meeting minutes.

Both reports must be submitted with a $50 fee.

The filing is due by April 1st, but can be submitted as early as January.

These filings can be easy to forget—which is why we send our clients automatic reminders. Or better yet, let us file for you. With our business renewal service, we can complete and submit your Georgia annual registration for you for $100 plus the state fee.

Georgia corporations have two more major taxes to contend with: a corporate net income tax and a net worth tax. The corporate income tax rate is a flat 5.75%. Note that S corps with nonresident shareholders can potentially get hit with the corporate income tax as well. S corps have to file form 600-CA on behalf of each nonresident shareholder. If these aren’t filed, the state will not recognize the S-corp election and will tax the business as a regular C-corp.

There is also a net worth tax, which affects businesses taxed as both C and S corporations. If you have more than $100K in capital stock, paid-in surplus and earned surplus, you’ll have to pay this tax, which starts at $125 and tops out at $5K. After incorporating in Georgia, corporations must file an initial return for the state’s net worth tax by the 15th day of the fourth month following incorporation. Even if no tax is owed, an initial filing is still required.

The Georgia sales tax is 4%. City, county and specialty sales taxes can be tacked on as well, making the average total sales tax 7.104%%.

Yes, if you conduct business in Georgia, you’re required to register with the Georgia Department of Revenue. You can register via the Georgia Tax Center. You’ll need your EIN before you can register.

At least $100. The base filing fee is $100 to file online, but filing with a paper form by mail or in person adds an extra $10 service charge.

Hire us for a one-time fee of $375, including the state filing fees, a year of registered agent service, a business address and more.

Georgia generally takes 5-7 business days for online processing but may take two weeks or more. Paper filings can take 15 business days to process.

There’s no general, statewide business license required in Georgia, but some cities and counties have local requirements. For example, in Atlanta, you’ll need to pay $125 for a general license. If you do business in Savannah, however, you’ll have to register for a “Business Tax Certificate” and pay a fee based on yearly gross receipts (starting at $85).

For some license applications you may need an EIN or a certified copy of your Articles of Incorporation. At Northwest, we can streamline the process and get these for you—simply add on these items during checkout.

A corporation formed outside of Georgia—but which conducts business in the state—is considered a foreign Georgia corporation. For example, if you incorporated in Alabama but decide to open a storefront in Georgia, you would be a foreign Georgia corporation. This also means you would need to register with the state by filing an Application for Certificate of Authority with the Georgia Secretary of State. Foreign corporations are required to file the Georgia Initial Registration and Annual Registration each year as well.

Absolutely! We’re happy to start a nonprofit corporation for you. Georgia nonprofit corporations pay the same fee for filing Articles of Incorporation as for-profit ones do.

It’s a conundrum: you need a local number to display on your website and give to customers, but you don’t want to make your personal number quite so…public. We get it. And we’ve got you covered with Northwest Phone Service. We can provide you with a virtual phone number in any state—plus unlimited call forwarding and tons of easy-to-use features. You can try Phone Service free for 60 days when you hire us to form your corporation, and maintaining service is just $9 monthly after that. No contract required.