Use our free guide below to form a corporation in Colorado:
Or, use a professional service:
Forming a corporation in Colorado is a simple process that is achieved by filing the Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State. In the guide below, we will show you step-by-step how to form a corporation in Colorado.
When naming your Colorado Corporation, you will need to:
First, you will need to choose a name that complies with Colorado Secretary of State naming guidelines:
You can read the Colorado state statute about corporation naming guidelines for more information.
You will need to check name availability by searching the business name database on the Colorado Secretary of State’s website.
This tool is also useful if you decide to register a trade name or DBA (Doing Business As) for your company. For detailed information about setting up a DBA for your Colorado corporation, check out our How to File a DBA in Colorado guide.
If you have a name in mind, but you aren’t ready to officially form your corporation, you can reserve your name. Your business name can be reserved for 120 days by filing a Statement of Reservation of Name form with the Colorado Secretary of State.
The name reservation form can be filed online on the Colorado Secretary of State’s website. There is a $25 fee to file your Colorado Name Reservation form.
We recommend checking to see if your business name is available as a web domain (URL). Even if you don’t plan to make a business website today, you may want to buy the web address in order to prevent others from acquiring it. It’s free to search.
Domain Name Search
Use our Corporation Name Generator to brainstorm your business’s perfect name. For more help, visit our free How to Name a Business guide. Then, create a logo with our free Logo Maker.
When you file your Colorado Articles of Incorporation, you will be asked to give the name of your Colorado registered agent.
A registered agent is a person or entity that accepts tax documents and service of process on behalf of your LLC or corporation.
Who Can Be a Registered Agent? Your registered agent can be an individual, business entity, or professional registered agent service. A registered agent must:
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You must appoint at least one director who, among other things, will oversee your Colorado corporation until the first shareholder meeting.
The directors of a corporation are in charge of the adoption, amendment, and repeal of bylaws as well as the supervision, election, and removal of officers.
Later you will prepare an “Incorporator Statement” with complete names and addresses of each director and keep it in your corporate records book.
Now that you have chosen a registered agent and at least one director, it’s time to make your corporation official by filing the Articles of Incorporation with the Colorado Secretary of State.
File the completed Articles of Incorporation online, along with the filing fee, using the Colorado Secretary of State’s website.
The Articles of Incorporation will disclose some basics of your business for the public record, including:
Filing Fee: $50
Once you are on the Colorado Secretary of State page, click on “Profit corporation” under the “LLCs, Corporations & Trade Names” section. This will direct you to their online page to start the process.
The Employer Identification Number (EIN), or Federal Tax Identification Number, is used to identify a business entity. It is essentially a social security number for the company.
Why do I need an EIN? An EIN is required for the following:
Where do I get an EIN? An EIN is obtained from the IRS (free of charge) by the business owner after forming the company. This can be done online or by mail.
To learn more about EINs, read our What is an EIN guide.
Think of this as the hard-copy record book where all critical corporate documents are kept, like your Articles of Incorporation, bylaws, meeting minutes, stock certificate ledger, stock transfer documents, etc.
You should keep the corporate records book at your principal location. Corporate records book kits can be purchased online, or you can use a large generic binder to store your records.
Bylaws are the rules that determine how your organization will be governed and run.
You can think about the bylaws as a constitution for your corporation. It makes the rules and priorities clear for everyone involved.
In your bylaws, be sure to include:
NOTE: A corporation’s bylaws will supplement any rules set forth by the federal government or the state.
Ready to get started? Check out these bylaws templates which you can customize to suit the needs of your incorporated business.
An organizational meeting is the first official meeting of your corporation.
These are some of the things that are discussed in a typical organizational meeting:
Don’t forget to record “minutes” of the meeting and have it signed by all attending directors. Here are some corporate minutes templates to help you get the ball rolling.
In order to protect your assets and stay compliant after you start your Colorado corporation, you will need to:
There are two critical reasons to open a unique corporate bank account.
The first is that separating your personal assets from your business assets adds another layer of protection in the event that your business is sued.
The second is that syncing a single account with business accounting software will make managing your finances much easier.
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Building business credit involves a number of factors, including establishing your business’s fundability, getting listed with the most important business credit agencies, and establishing credit lines while keeping them in good standing to build your score.
A good business credit score can help with many things, including credit cards that are issued in your business’s name instead of depending on your personal credit score, better interest rates on loans, higher lines of credit, and more.
All of these factors help protect your personal assets by making your business the entity responsible for the liability instead of yourself.
It’s important to get your books in order, even if you haven’t officially opened for business. A well-managed accounting system will help you:
You can maintain your accounting in two ways:
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The next step is to protect your corporation by getting business insurance. Depending on the type of corporation you’re operating, your insurance requirements and needs may vary.
So, what is business insurance exactly? Business insurance protects your corporation’s assets from losses that can happen naturally while doing business, such as property damage or lawsuits.
To learn more about the exact type of business insurance your corporation will need, visit our When to Get Insurance for Your New Business guide.
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To operate your corporation, you must comply with federal, state, and local government regulations. The details of business licenses and permits vary from state to state, so make sure to research carefully and plan accordingly.
Find out how to obtain necessary licenses and permits for your business or have a professional business licensing service do it for you:
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An S corporation (S corp) is an incorporated business that is taxed as a pass-through entity. This means that S corps do not pay federal taxes on their business income. Instead, the business profits “pass-through” to the owners of the S corp, who are also known as shareholders. Then, the shareholders pay income tax and report their share of the profits in the form of salaries on their individual tax returns, which are then taxed.
In order to elect an S corporation status for tax purposes, corporations will need to file form 2553 Election by a Small Business Corporation. The form must be signed by all shareholders and must be filed within two months and 15 days after the start of the initial tax year.
To learn more, read our What is an S corporation guide.
