Form a Missouri LLC or Incorporate Online
The State of Missouri is called the "Show Me State", and this quote is perfect for running a business. If you are business owner, you are going to have to put your best foot forward, and give your best work to be successful. Let's be honest, you are going to have competition, and you'll have to show the competition and your competitors that you are the better solution or product. You will want to Form an LLC in Missouri by following the steps that are defined in the statutes. You can also choose to incorporate in Missouri and we will discuss what is necessary to accomplish this.
Form a Missouri LLC
The limited liability company structure is an exciting and newer type of entity that you can file with the Missouri Secretary of State. The LLC is slightly different than what you can get in a corporation, so let's discuss some of the differences.
- By default, the limited liability company, LLC, is a pass through entity where the corporation is not. However, as we mentioned here the S corp can be filed.
- The LLC has members and not shareholders.
- Both the corporation and LLC can provide limited liability protection to the owners/members/shareholders.
Finding a Name for your Missouri LLC
As you are probably aware, the idea of picking a LLC name can be a challenging one. You may want to have the same name for your domain, LLC, and still stay within the requirements of the state. To do this, you should open two tabs in your browser, one to GoDaddy.com, and one to the Missouri Name Search portal which you can see at the bottom of this page.
Incorporate in Missouri
The corporation that you initially file in Missouri will be called a traditional or C corporation. The C corporation is interesting because it will be a stand alone entity that will be responsible for paying its' own taxes. The C corp is really like a living person, who is responsible for taxes. The next type of corporation type is declared only after filing a Form 2553 with the IRS, and you will then be an S corporation. The S corporation is often sought by business owners looking to avoid double taxation. There are some limits to the S corporation, mainly large companies with more than 100 shareholders cannot use this entity type. But the S corp will provide pass through taxation for shareholders. This is where the income earned flows through the company and directly to the owners tax returns in the form of a K1.
Choosing a Name for your Corporation
Finding a name for your corporation can be tricky in any state, including Missouri. The reason that it can be tricky is that there are already thousands of companies who filed for corps ahead of you, so those names may already be in use. It can also be tricky because some business owners are looking to get a domain name at the same time as they register their corporation, thus adding a level of complexity. You must include one of the required words in the name: “corporation,” “company,” “incorporated,” or “limited” or an abbreviation of one of those words: Inc. Co. Corp. Ltd. Finally, you must avoid using any reserved words in your name. These words are typically words related to industries that are regulated such as financial, healthcare, or medical. You simply cannot refer to yourself as a doctor or bank unless you are previously approved to use such a name.
Missouri Secretary of State Links:
