Start a Corporation in Nevada
Use our free business tools below to complete your Nevada Articles of Incorporation. This is the document you file directly with the Nevada Secretary of State to form your corporation.
If you want more, hire us to form your corporation in Nevada for just $39 + state fees. We’ll get your business stood up in minutes with a free domain, website, email, business phone, and more.
How to Start a Corporation in Nevada
A Nevada corporation is a business with a legal existence separate from its owners. If properly maintained, a corporation can conduct business in its own name and has many of the rights and obligations of a natural person, including the ability to enter into contracts, sue and be sued, hold assets, and pay taxes in its own name.
To start a corporation in Nevada, you’ll need to do three things: appoint a registered agent, choose a name for your business, and file Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State. You can file this document online or by mail. The articles (along with the mandatory business license and initial list) cost a minimum of $725 ($744 if you pay by credit card) to file. Once filed with the state, this document formally creates your Nevada corporation. This guide shows you how to start and maintain your Nevada corporation.
1. Name Your Corporation
If you’re starting a new business, you probably already know what you want to name your corporation. But you’ll need to know if your preferred name is available. To find out, visit the SOS’s Nevada Business Name Search and browse until you find the perfect name for your corporation.
You must also ensure your business name complies with state laws. NV Revised Stat. § 78.039 lists the requirements. Your corporation name must:
- Be unique among approved business names in Nevada. If it’s not unique, you must have written consent from the name’s holder.
- Not contain words that require special approval. For instance, using the word “mortgage” isn’t OK without permission from the Nevada Commissioner of Mortgage Lending. See the Secretary of State’s Restricted Word List for more.
Yes. If you want to reserve your business name before filing your corporation, you can submit a Name Reservation Request to the Nevada Secretary of State to reserve your name for 90 days. The filing fee is $25.
The business name on your Articles of Incorporation is your corporation’s official name. Any other name your business goes by is a fictitious name (also called a “doing business as” name or DBA).
Businesses sometimes use a fictitious business name when they want to re-brand or break into a new industry without forming a whole new corporation.
In Nevada, if you want to use an assumed business name, you must file a fictitious firm name (FFN) certificate with the County Clerk in the county where your business is located. Each county has its own form, and filing fees vary.
Considering using an assumed business name? Learn How to Get a Nevada DBA.
2. Designate a Registered Agent
Per NV Rev Stat § 78.090 (2019), every Nevada corporation must appoint a registered agent. Your Nevada registered agent will be the person (or company) responsible for accepting important legal mail on behalf of your business.
Learn why the pros use a registered agent service.
Registered agents can provide a variety of services to businesses, but at the minimum, your registered agent must:
- Have a physical street address (not a P.O. box) in the state of Nevada.
- Be available during normal business hours.
- Accept service of process and other important legal notices on your business’s behalf and get them to you fast.
Yes. As long as you don’t mind listing your address on the public record and you can maintain regular business hours year-round to accept service of process in person, you can be your own registered agent in Nevada.
For better privacy protection and peace of mind, many business owners instead hire a registered agent service. That way, you can go on vacation without worrying about missing a legal summons, and you can use your registered agent’s business address on forms in place of yours.
Yes, you can always change your registered agent in Nevada by filing a Statement of Change of Registered Agent with the Secretary of State and paying a $60 filing fee.
3. Submit Articles of Incorporation
Learn more about each Articles of Incorporation requirement below. Note that the information you provide becomes part of the public record—permanently.
Better yet, skip the form entirely and hire us to incorporate your Nevada business. We provide a free business address to list whenever possible throughout the filing to better keep your personal address private.
- Business Name: While most states require a corporate designation such as “Corporation” or “Incorporated,” Nevada only requires these if your corporation’s name is a person’s name (so, switch “Sam Jacobs” to “Sam Jacobs, Inc.”). Tip: If you plan to expand your business to other states, it’s a good idea to include a corporate designation in your name.
- Registered Agent or Office: For your Nevada registered agent, you can list a commercial agent (like Northwest), a noncommercial agent (like yourself), or an office/position (a title like “Secretary”). Agents need to sign to accept their appointment as well. Note that if you go with an office/position or noncommercial agent, you’ll need to include the physical address in Nevada where the agent will be regularly available to accept legal mail. Noncommercials agents also need to provide their name. Rather not list so much personal info? Hire Northwest, and our information will go here.
- Governing Board: You’ll need to note whether or not you’re forming a close corporation—and if so, whether or not you’ll have a board of directors. A close corporations are designed for small, typically family-operated businesses to better keep control over the business. Close corporations are subject to Chapter 78A of the Nevada Revised Statutes, and have different regulations, such as tighter restrictions of share transfers. Tip: Most corporations are not close corporations.
- Directors/Trustees: For a normal profit corporation, you’ll include the name and street address of each director on the board of directors. (Professional corporations also need to include names and addresses of original stockholders.) A business address is sufficient. When you hire Northwest as your registered agent, you can list our business address here.
- Jurisdiction of Incorporation: This section is just for foreign corporations (corporations originally formed in another state but are applying to do business in Nevada). Starting a new Nevada corporation? Skip this section.
- Benefit Corporation: Only tick this box if you’re creating a benefit corporation. A benefit corporation has a business purpose that includes a general public benefit (think Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia, or Warby Parker). Note that benefit corporations are subject to Chapter 78B of the Nevada Revised Statutes, and face different regulations and reporting requirements.
- Purpose: Profession to Be Practiced: Only foreign corporations, professional corporations and benefit corporations are required to list a purpose or profession. Forming a professional corporation? List the state-licensed profession you’ll be practicing, such as law or veterinary medicine. Forming a benefit corporation? Describe how your corporation benefits the public (this will typically be something related to education, environmental protection or charity).
- Authorized Shares: For each class or series of shares, list the numbers of shares you wish to create and their par value. Par value (also called “face value”) is the price listed on stock certificates and is typically the lowest value at which a share will be traded. If you have more than one class or series, you’ll also need to attach a description of rights and restrictions for each type.
- Nevada Incorporator: Your incorporator signs your Articles of Incorporation. Incorporators must include their names and addresses. You need at least one incorporator, but it doesn’t have to be anyone in your corporation—just someone you authorize to submit your articles. We’ll be your incorporators when you hire Northwest to form your Nevada corporation.
- Initial List and Business License: Along with your Articles of Incorporation, you’ll have to submit your Initial List. This form must be signed by an officer and include the names and addresses of your president, secretary, treasurer, director and any other officers. The business license only requires a fee—just be sure to include this item in your “order description” on the customer order instructions.
All of the information on the Articles of Incorporation goes onto the public record, so if your members or managers share their own addresses on this form, marketing firms are going to send junk mail to those addresses and then sell your information.
If you don’t want your address to be a public commodity, your best bet is to hire a registered agent service. When you hire a registered agent, you can put their business address on the Articles of Incorporation in place of your members’ or managers’ addresses. Plus, you won’t have to worry about missing a legal summons if you go out of town.
By mail or in person:
Secretary of State
New Filings Division
202 North Carson Street
Carson City NV 89701-4201
Start Your Nevada Corporation Today!
Get Started
4. Get an EIN
Your federal employer identification number (commonly known as an EIN or FEIN) is similar to a social security number for your business. The IRS assigns these numbers and uses them to easily identify individual corporations on tax filings, including federal corporate income tax returns.
The IRS requires corporations to get an EIN for their federal tax filings. You may also be asked for your EIN when opening a bank account, securing a loan, or applying for local business permits and licenses.
You can get an EIN directly from the IRS. The application is free, and most businesses can apply online. However, if you don’t have a social security number, you’ll need to submit a paper application form. Can’t bear to fill out yet another application? Hire Northwest to get your EIN for you. Just add on EIN service during checkout when you sign up for our incorporation service.
5. File the Beneficial Ownership Information Report
Nearly every US Corporation is required to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). On this report, you’ll need to provide some information about your corporation, the company applicant, and beneficial owners, and (for new corporations).
- Company Applicant: This is the individual who filed your Nevada Articles of Incorporation with the Nevada Secretary of State. It is important to note that corporations formed prior to 2024 are not required to include company applicant information.
- Beneficial Owner: Defined as anyone with at least a 25% ownership stake in your company. This also includes anyone with significant control over company operations, such as your CEO, CFO, or General Counsel.
You can file the BOI Report online or hire us to handle it for you.
Starting in 2024 you’ll be able to file the BOI Report online, totally free, using FinCEN’s E-filing system
The deadline for your first BOI Report will depend on when you formally formed your business:
- Companies formed before 2024 will need to file by January 1, 2025.
- Companies formed in 2024 need to file within 90 days of incorporation.
- Companies formed in 2025 or later need to file within 30 days of incorporation.
You’ll need to include identifying information for each beneficial owner and (for corporations formed in 2024 or later) your company applicant. You’ll also need to provide some information about the corporation itself.
Beneficial Owner and Company Applicant Information
- Full legal name
- Birth date
- Residential or business street address
- Personal identification document (such as a driver’s license or passport), including the ID number
Company Information
- Legal business name
- Any DBAs or assumed business names
- Physical business address
- State of incorporation
- Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Yes, you’ll need to file an updated BOI Report any time the information provided in the report changes, such as if your corporation changes owners or gets a new CEO. You have 30 days after the change occurs to file your updated report through FinCEN’s E-filing system.
No. Unlike the information on your Nevada Articles of Incorporation, the BOI Report isn’t public record. The information on this report will only be accessible to government agencies, law enforcement, and financial institutions that need to confirm customer identity.
Yes, there are 23 classes of exemption from the BOI Report. Exemptions include (but aren’t limited to):
- Large operating companies
- Most financial companies, such as banks and credit unions
- Investment companies registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
- Insurance companies registered with a state or federal agency
- Public utilities companies registered with a state or federal agency
- Tax-exempt entities
6. Write Corporate Bylaws
Bylaws are the internal rules you set for your business. They put into writing how decisions will be made and who gets to make those decisions. All the major organizational processes and procedures for your corporation will go in your bylaws.
For more on Nevada Corporate Bylaws (including a free Nevada Corporate Bylaws template), see our Nevada Corporate Bylaws resource.
NV Rev Stat § 78.046 (2019) does not require you to write them specifically, but your corporation will absolutely need bylaws. Starting a corporation is always a gamble—there are going to be factors out of your control. However, there are some things you can (and should) carefully plan and develop—such as your corporation’s internal powers and procedures. In other words, your bylaws.
You don’t have to submit bylaws to the state though. Corporate bylaws are internal documents you keep with your other corporate records, such as meeting minutes and resolutions.
Corporate bylaws cover basic policies and procedures for issues such as company finances and management. Bylaws should cover a range of topics, answering key questions like those below:
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Meetings: When and where will meetings for shareholders and directors be held? How many attendees are required to transact business? What are the procedures for voting or proxy voting? How do you call a special meeting? What actions can be taken without a meeting?
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Stock: How are stock certificates issued and transferred? How is voting affected by issues such as corporate stock owners or fractional shares?
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Directors and officers: How many directors must there be? Which officer positions are required? What powers do they have? How do you fill a vacancy or remove a director or officer?
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Finances: What are the procedures for retaining profits, issuing dividends, and paying bills? Who can withdraw money from the corporate bank account or sign checks?
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Records: Where is the corporate book to be kept? What information will be maintained? How are requests for review or access honored? Can records or copies be kept or distributed digitally?
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Amendments and emergencies: Who can amend bylaws and how? Can emergency bylaws be adopted in the case of disaster?
Nevada bylaws can make other provisions as well, assuming additions are in accordance with state law. For example, NV Rev Stat § 78.046 (2019) states that your Nevada bylaws can require that certain conflict resolutions be decided by a court of your choosing.
Creating bylaws can be overwhelming—where do you start? Northwest can help. We give you free corporate bylaws when you hire us to form your Nevada corporation. We know what kinds of topics and questions corporations need to address, and we’ve spent years refining and improving our forms. We offer many other free corporate forms as well, including templates for resolutions and meeting minutes.
7. Hold an Organizational Meeting
Unanimous written consent of the board of directors in lieu of an organizational meeting may be used.
8. Open a Corporate Bank Account
Businesses that mix personal and business finances together risk losing their liability protections, so your corporation will need its own bank account. In addition, a corporate bank account is essential for easily accepting payments, paying bills and holding funds.
To open a corporate bank account in Nevada, you’ll need to bring the following with you to the bank:
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A copy of the Nevada corporation’s Articles of Incorporation
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The corporation’s bylaws
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The corporation’s EIN
If your bylaws don’t specifically assign the power to open a bank account, you may also want to bring a corporate resolution to open a bank account. The resolution would state that the person going to the bank is authorized by the business to open the account in the name of the corporation. At Northwest, we provide free corporate bank resolutions, along with many other free corporate forms, to help you get started fast.
9. File Nevada Reports and Taxes
In Nevada, corporations file an annual list of directors and officers each year. Nevada corporations are also subject to state tax requirements, which may include the state’s MBT and Commerce Tax.
Your Nevada Annual List is essentially an annual report. It’s a form you submit to the Nevada Secretary of State each year to update or confirm the names and addresses of your directors and officers. The annual list and the state business license fee are submitted together each year.
The fee to submit the annual list is based on the value of your authorized stock. The fee starts at $150 for up to $75K in authorized stock. The report and fee are due each year by the end of your anniversary month (the month you first registered your corporation in the state of Nevada). If you file late, there’s a $75 late fee.
Alongside the annual list, you’ll also pay the $500 business license fee each year.
The annual list is due each year on the last day of the month in which you filed your Articles of Incorporation (your anniversary month).
These filings can be easy to forget—which is why we send our clients automatic reminders. Or better yet, let us file for you. With our business renewal service, we can complete and submit your annual list and business license renewal for you for $100 plus the state fees.
No corporate net income tax, no personal income tax—businesses are often pretty excited to learn that Nevada doesn’t have some of the most common state taxes. However, Nevada does have some more uncommon taxes that can apply to your corporation—in particular, the MBT and the Commerce Tax.
Nevada’s Modified Business Tax (MBT) affects businesses with employees. The MBT is a 1.475% quarterly tax on wages (which kicks in after the first $50K of gross wages each quarter). For example, if you paid out $101,000 in wages last quarter, minus any money you paid in health benefits and qualified deductions, you would owe $752.25 ($101,000 – $50,000 = $51,000 x 0.01475).
The Commerce Tax affects businesses with more than $4 million in gross revenue. The rate calculations and deductions vary by industry. The filing is due 45 days after your corporation’s fiscal year end (typically June 30).
The Nevada sales tax is 4.6%. City, county and specialty sales taxes can be tacked on as well, making the average total sales tax 7.82%. Note that many services aimed at Nevada’s abundance of tourists also have specialty tax rates. For instance, on the Las Vegas Strip, hotel tax rates can hit 13%.
Every retailer that sells tangible personal property for storage use or consumption in the state of Nevada must register with the Department of Taxation for a Sales Tax Permit. You can register online at NevadaTax.
Ready to Start a Corporation in Nevada?
