How to Become Incorporated in Michigan
- 1). Gather the information you'll need to fill out the Articles of Incorporation. File required information with the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth to establish the corporation. Necessary information includes:
1.) The name of the corporation. Names of for-profit corporations must include the word "Company," "Corporation," "Incorporated," or "Limited." Rules require only one of these four words, and you may abbreviate it "Co.," "Corp.," "Inc.," or "Ltd."
2.) The name and address of the corporation's registered agent and registered office. The registered agent is a person within the state of Michigan who agrees to accept service of legal documents on behalf of the corporation. If the corporation is a small business, the registered agent is usually the owner or head of the business. Corporations may also designate their attorney or another individual as the corporation's registered agent, as long as that person is in Michigan.
3.) A brief statement explaining the nature of the corporation's business. Usually, this statement is one sentence long and describes the business as generally as possible, for example, "To provide lawn care services" or "To manufacture and sell widgets." If it is a for-profit corporation, it may use an all-purpose statement, such as, "To conduct any and all lawful business." A professional corporation, however, may not use an all-purpose statement, even if incorporated for profit.
4.) The term of the corporation, or how long it is to exist. If you intend for the corporation to exist indefinitely, list the term as "perpetual."
5.) The number of shares the corporation plans to issue. If issuing different classes of shares, list the number of each class as well as the total.
6.) The names and addresses of the incorporator(s). The address may be either the business or residential address.
7.) Any agreements the incorporators have made among themselves. Such agreements include how they may dissolve the corporation, how to distribute assets, and any other agreement the incorporators wish to record. - 2). Prepare an Articles of Incorporation form. These forms are available on the DELEG website, or by contacting DELEG at 517-241-6470. The form contains spaces for each of the items listed above.
- 3). Pay the required filing fee. As of 2010, the for-profit filing fee varied from $60 to more than $500, depending on the number of shares issued. The minimum required filing fee was $10 with no shares issued.
- 4). File the Articles of Incorporation together with the required filing fee. You may file the Articles of Incorporation with DELEG by mail, in person or electronically.
If filing by mail, send the Articles of Incorporation and filing fee to:
Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth
Bureau of Commercial Services - Corporation Division
P.O. Box 30054
Lansing, MI 48909
If filing in person, you may pay the filing fee with a credit card and deliver the completed Articles of Incorporation to:
2501 Woodlake Circle
Okemos, MI
To file electronically, you will need to apply for an electronic filing (MICH-ELF) account. You can apply by calling DELEG at 517-241-6470 or by downloading the MICH-ELF cover sheet and application from the DELEG website.
Source...