Register Your Maine Foreign Corporation

You need to register your business name in Maine. Just because it’s already registered in your home state doesn’t mean it’s available for use in Maine. Conduct a free business name search to make sure your corporation’s name is available. What if someone else in Maine is already using it? In that case, you’ll have to come up with a new name that is available but easily connected to your current name.

If you’re not ready to register your foreign business, that’s fine. You can still reserve a business name in Maine for $20.

Want to make sure your business name is used only by you? Consider getting a federal trademark to secure the name in your industry.

A Maine registered agent is authorized to accept legal mail, including lawsuits, on behalf of your company. Since the registered agent should be located within the state so they can receive mail, it’s not likely that you can act as your own registered agent in this case.

However, at Northwest, we offer comprehensive registered agent services for every state. Using a single registered agent is one way to make your life easier.

Once your business is legal in the new state, you’ll want to be ready to connect with customers. This is where building your business identity, or the way you present yourself to your potential clients, can help.

Now’s a prime opportunity to launch a business website or get a custom business email address.

Your business should also know how to market itself in a new, well, market. Consider getting phone service that has the local area code or a local business address to use on documents where possible.

A certificate of good standing shows that your corporation is in good shape with its home state. The process for receiving a certificate of good standing, which may be called a certificate of existence in certain areas, depends on your home state. But note that the certificate you submit to the Maine Secretary of State’s Corporations Division must be dated within 90 days of registering.

The certificate of existence must accompany your Application for Authority to Do Business.

Your form should include:

• Your company’s fictitious name, if applicable
• Registered agent name and address
• Your company’s original jurisdiction and incorporation date
• Principal office address
• Names and business addresses of current directors and members
• A corporation officer’s original signature
• The name and daytime telephone number for a contact person

Your foreign corporation will now have taxes and reports to file. These are independent of the ones you file in your home state.

Annual Report: Your Maine annual report is due annually on June 1.

Corporate Tax: Corporations pay Maine corporate income tax based on their adjusted federal taxable income. Maine’s graduated corporate income tax rates start at 3.5% for corporations making $350,000 or less and top off at 8.93% for corporations making $3,500,000 or more.

Depending on your industry, you may also need to pay miscellaneous state taxes. These include the state’s Blueberry, Cannabis, and Healthcare Provider Taxes. You can find out which taxes apply to your business and your exact tax rates through Maine Revenue Services.