Start here
Nobody explains the order it happens in
The filing itself is short. What trips people up is reaching a step before the thing it depends on exists — applying for an EIN before the entity is approved, or opening an account before either.
By stage
The questions, grouped by when they hit
Nothing is published yet, so none of these is answered on this page. They are listed in the order a founder actually meets them, which is the part that generalises.
Which state should I form in?
Usually the one you operate from. The exceptions are real but narrower than the internet suggests.
Do I need a registered agent?
Every state requires one. Whether it should be you is a question about your address, not your budget.
Will my home address be public?
If you serve as your own agent, yes — in a searchable record that persists after you change it.
Should I file it myself?
The same form reaches the same office either way. You are buying time, not a different outcome.
What does it actually cost?
The state fee is set by statute. Anything above it is a service charge, and the renewal is where it shows.
What if the name is rejected?
You correct it and pay again. Most states do not refund a rejected filing.
When do I get the EIN?
After the state approves the entity. It is free and direct from the IRS, and takes minutes.
Do I need a separate bank account?
The protection assumes the entity is treated as separate. This is the step people skip.
What keeps it alive?
A periodic report, on a fixed cycle, whether or not the business traded that year.
No answers are given above. When the write-ups land, each question will link to one that cites the office publishing the requirement.
Ground rules
How this site answers things
Not legal advice
What a state requires is a matter of record. Whether a structure suits you is a question for someone qualified to look at it.
Nothing was filed to write this
No answer rests on having formed an entity. Where something is only knowable by doing it, the page says so.
Nothing is scored
No ratings and no difficulty grades. Where one route suits a case, it is argued in words.
Affiliate links are disclosed
Some links earn a commission. It never changes an answer, and it is stated wherever it applies.