Steps to Forming a South Carolina Corporation

Information We Need From You to Start Your Corporation

1: Select a Name: Your company name must contain the word Corporation, Incorporated, Company or Limited, or the abbreviation Corp., Inc., Co., or Ltd.

2: Authorize Shares: A corporation is owned by its shareholders. Shareholders own shares of stock in the company. South Carolina requires you to identify how many initial shares you want to authorize. Typically, a corporation will authorize only a small number of shares (100, for example). At the first shareholders meeting, you can then issue 51% of the shares to yourself, giving you control of the corporation. The remaining shares can be held for future business partners. 

South Carolina also allows you to designate different classes of stock. Most corporations authorize only one class of stock: common stock.

3: Choose Management: Corporations are run by Directors, who determine company policy, manage the corporation’s finances, issue additional stock, and appoint the corporate officers. In most cases, you would simply appoint yourself the sole Director and take on the various roles of the corporate officers (President, Treasurer, Secretary).

4: Remaining Info Needed to File:

  • Registered Agent: a registered agent must maintain a physical street address within the state of South Carolina. This is called a registered office (no PO boxes). All of our Speedy filings come with one free year of South Carolina registered agent service by Northwest Registered Agent. This service keeps your private home and office addresses off the public record and fulfills your registered agent, mailing and principal office requirements.

  • Delayed date: if you want the legal formation date of your company to be later than the date of your filing, you can indicate a later day (cannot be more than 90 days after filing).

Form Your Corporation Here Online

Steps to Forming a South Carolina LLC

Information We Need From You to Start Your LLC

1: Select a Name: The name of your company must include: Limited Liability Company, Limited Company, or the abbreviation L.L.C., LLC, L.C., or LC. “Limited” may be abbreviated as “Ltd.” The word “Company” may be abbreviated as “Co.” If you want to see if your company name is currently available, you can conduct a South Carolina business name search.

2: Membership: An LLC is owned by its members. Members do not have shares of stock, as they would in a corporation. Instead, each member is given an ownership percentage. Ownership percentages are usually—though not always—based upon the amount each member has invested in the company. 

3: Choose Management: LLCs are most often managed by their members. Members—like corporate directors—set company policy and make financial decisions. Typically, they also take part in the daily business operations. However, some LLCs choose to appoint a manager to run the business. In this case, a manager can be a manager, or they can be an outside party.

4: Remaining Info Needed to File:

  • Agent for Service of Process: a legal agent for service of process (also known as a registered agent) must have a physical street address within the state. This is known as a registered office, and it cannot be a PO box. Our Speedy filings come with one free year of South Carolina agent for service of process service. This free service keeps your private home and office addresses out of the public record and fulfills your agent for service of process, mailing and principal office requirements.

  • Management: whether your LLC is managed by its members or by a manager(s). If you are appointing a manager (or managers) you must list each manager’s name and street address.

  • Liability: whether or not one or more of your members will be liable for the debts and obligations of your LLC (optional).

  • Delayed date: if you want the official formation date of your company to be later than your filing date, you can specify a later date.

Form Your LLC Here Online

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