Georgia Secretary of State

The Georgia Secretary of State is an elected official. It has different responsibilities. They entail overseeing elections and keeping public documents. Besides, there are other duties, such as

Disclosure of campaign finances
Offering educational programs
Licensing
Monitoring
Registering professionals and businesses

Since 1946, the position has had a four-year term. Before 1880, the Assembly chose the Georgia Secretary of State instead of the general public.

How to Form a New Business Entity?

The entity established for the first time is referred to as a domestic entity. There are different types of entities that you can choose from.

Entity Type

As already mentioned, there are several types of entities, such as:

Corporation
LLC
Partnership

Thus, one has to first decide what type of enterprise to start. The choice, in turn, influences the level of liability, the type of tax regime, and other legal factors.

The Secretary of State's staff provides legal advice on how your firm should be organized.

It is recommended that people obtain professional advice to ensure that their goals and intentions are met. Besides, it is necessary to satisfy the requirements of the law.

Obtain a Registered Agent

A registered agent is a person or company. He or she acts as a contact for the enterprise. Thus, this means that the agent handles:

every important document, such as the annual registration and certificate of good standing,
every service or process for the company in any legal dispute.

According to the law, every enterprise must have an agent. Accordingly, the State of Georgia provides all the necessary documents on this topic.

Gather Necessary Paperwork

There are some important documents that one has to have for doing business, such as:

Tax identification numbers
Georgia Business License
Articles of incorporation

To conclude, businessmen have to keep up with employer regulations, such as tax withholding guidelines. Besides, there are other regulations, like the federal wage and tax statement. Not to speak of employment eligibility verification and insurance requirements.

Get a Professional Certification

If you are planning to open your company here, you need to have a Georgia business license. The procedure is simple. So, you are to follow a certain sequence of steps.

Apply for a License

First, one must get professional advice. Though this is optional, it is preferable. As a result, you will find other steps easier. Secondly, you must make a business plan.

Then, you have to choose a structure and name. Next, you need to register your company. Following that, you are to apply for an EIN (employer identification number).

After that, you have to open a checking account. Besides, you are to register your enterprise with the Departments of Revenue and Labor. After you have completed all of these steps, you must obtain funding and thus, apply for your license.

Search for a Licensee

To search for a licensee, you can conduct an online search or lookup. First, follow the link. Fill in the required information and press the “Search” button.

You can also file a complaint against someone who is not licensed.

License Renewal

If you own an LLC, LP, or any other type of legal entity, you have to renew your license annually. To do it, submit an application to the Secretary of State's Georgia Corporations Division.

Every year, the deadline is April 1. However, you may apply for a multi-year registration.

In case you fail to renew it and pay the necessary fees, the government will file a civil suit against you. Besides, your company might be dissolved.

Register a Corporation

You can register your enterprise by carrying out some steps. First, you should prepare for it. To be more specific, you must:

Choose to open either a foreign or domestic company.
Assign an agent.
Decide the number of authorized shares in the case of a profit corporation.
Choose the members in the case of a non-profit corporation.

After this, you have to gather other important information:

Name
Data of the person, who submits the application
A valid email address
Mailing address
Agent info
Each incorporator info
Number of authorized shares

After you have gathered all the necessary data, you can submit it. You can do it online, by mail, or in person.

Online

Go to the official webpage of the Georgia State of Secretary.
Create an account.
Choose the required button.
Fill in the required lines.
Pay the fee of $100.

After the submission, wait 7 working days.

By Mail

Prepare Articles of Incorporation.
Print and fill out the form.
Pay the $110 fee by check or money order.

After the submission, wait 15 working days.

In-person

Prepare Articles of Incorporation.
Print and fill out the form.
Pay $110 in person.

Working hours are 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday. Yet, you cannot hand in the paperwork on holidays.

To conclude, remember that everything is possible if you follow the guidelines and the required steps.

Mary T

Mary is a translator/interpreter by profession. She is an experienced translator and though translation/interpretation is her passion and she pictures herself in that area, content writing is of particular interest to her. She has cooperated with many different organizations and has written contents on various topics. She places all her skills and ken into her writings to provide the reader with a quality content to read and enjoy. She loves to study, gain new knowledge and share it with those who are eager to learn and enrich their outline, so content writing is the right field for her to operate. The scope of her interests is large, she wants to challenge herself, aspiring for the best. She also is passionate about creative writing and is trying to do her first steps into the literary world. She is also a creative writer with her unique style and interesting point of view.

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