Leading S-Corp Formation Services in Ohio

GovDocFiling has partnered with Inc Authority to provide you with the best S-Corp formation services in Ohio. They’ll take care of all the paperwork and legal hassles and that too for free.

 

Inc Authority has helped 250K+ businesses and can help you too

Start Your S-Corp Today

1 Year Registered Agent Service Free

Free LLC or Corporation formation services that include documentation review and application filing.

Free registered agent service for one year with the free plan as well as both the paid formation plans.

S-Corp election for your LLC or C-Corporation along with preparation and filing Form 2553 of the IRS.

Why Should You Form an S-Corp in Ohio?

Ohio is not the most tax-friendly state as most businesses need to pay not only Ohio corporate income tax but also a commercial activity tax. By forming an S-Corp in Ohio, you can get some tax advantages compared to C-Corps or LLCs.

Here are some reasons why you should form an S-Corp in Ohio:

    • Avoid Double Taxation: S-Corps do not need to pay corporate taxes, as business income is taxed as part of owners’ personal income tax returns.
    • No Self-Employment Taxes: If an LLC chooses to get the S-Corp tax status then its members do not need to pay self-employment taxes.
    • Liability Protection: The personal assets of the shareholders are protected in case the business is unable to pay its debts or meet its liabilities.
    • Flexible Income: Shareholders can pay themselves salaries as employees of the S-Corporation or choose to get dividends from the business.

Ohio recognizes the federal S-Corp status and also offers a state-level S-Corp election via  Form FT-1120-S. This allows S-Corps to avoid paying corporate taxes, which can be a big relief for small businesses with low-profit margins.

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Choose an Available Business Name

The first step for starting an S-Corp in Ohio is to select a relevant and unique business name and check for its availability in the state database. This is to ensure that no other business is using your chosen business name in the state.

You can easily check business name availability using the search tool on Inc Authority’s website. Simply enter the name and it will scour the database for matches and let you know if any other business is using your selected name.

Available Business Name
Ohio Registered Agent

Get an Ohio Registered Agent

For starting any type of business in Ohio, you should hire a trusted registered agent with a physical address in the state. The agent should be available during business hours to receive legal correspondence on behalf of your business.

While you can choose to be your own registered agent, it is an unnecessary hassle that restricts you to be present at the official address on all working days. Instead, choose the registered agent service by Inc Authority, which is free for the 1st year.

Create an Operating Agreement or Corporate Bylaws

Before you can form an S-Corp in Ohio, you need to form either a C-Corp or an LLC. In either case, you need to lay down the rules of how you’ll operate the business, settle disputes, share profits, and make strategic decisions.

LLC operating agreements and corporate bylaws are documents that are used by businesses to lay down these rules of governance. Inc Authority’s paid plans come with the option to help you draft these documents in detail.

Create an Operating Agreement
Register a Limited Liability Company

Register a Limited Liability Company or C-Corp

Next in this guide to starting an S-Corp in Ohio is the step where you legally register your Ohio Corporation or Limited Liability Company with the secretary of state. This is necessary to establish your business legally.

You’ll need to submit an application for registering your business and getting a certificate of formation. You can submit the application via fax or mail, or by submitting an online application. Inc Authority can help with the entire process.

Apply for an Employer Identification Number

Even after you register your business, you need to get an employer identification number to actually run your business. An EIN is necessary for a lot of business activities like paying salaries, filing tax returns, opening a bank account, etc.

With Inc Authority’s paid plans you’ll get this service. Experts at Inc Authority will prepare and submit your application and ensure that it gets processed quickly. With their help, you can get an EIN/Tax ID quickly and start operations in no time.

Apply for an Employer
File Form 2553

File Form 2553 to Get the S-Corp Tax Status

Lastly, to form an S-Corp in Ohio, you need to file the federal S-election Form 2553, which will give you the S-Corp tax designation. Inc Authority can help you prepare and file the form and get your business the S-Corp tax status.

Please note that Ohio also offers a state-level S-election using Form FT-1120-S. You need to submit this form every year in which you want to be treated as an S-Corp, between 1st January and 31st March.

Why Should Choose Inc Authority to Form an S-Corp in Ohio?

Starting an S-corp from scratch can be overwhelming for even experienced entrepreneurs. Outsourcing the task to professionals takes away the hassle and helps you start a business in a quick and efficient manner.

Free

100% Free, No Hidden Charges

Unlike many other service providers that charge hundreds of dollars in service charges or hidden costs, Inc Authority’s business formation service is completely free and the paid plans also have transparent pricing.

Experts & Professionals

Access to Experts & Professionals

Even with the free plan, you get access to professionals who guide you through the business formation process, provide tax planning advice, etc. With paid plans, you can get dedicated support and direct access to experts.

Hassle-Free

Hassle-Free & Seamless Process

Starting an S-Corp in Ohio requires multiple steps, tons of paperwork, and a lot of regulatory hassle that you can avoid by outsourcing the task to professionals at Inc Authority and get the job done seamlessly.

Start an S-Corp in Ohio for Free

Free

Here are the features you’ll get with this plan:

    • Business name search
    • 1-year registered agent service
    • Digital document storage
    • Tax advisory
    • LLC or Corporation formation
    • S-Corp election and filing
    • Business funding analysis

Price: Free

Starter

This plan offers all the features of the free plan, along with the following:

    • LLC operating agreement/corporate bylaws
    • Initial meeting minutes & resolutions
    • Ownership or stock certificates
    • Employer identification number
    • Corporate forms and documents package
    • Annual compliance notifications
    • Detailed tax consultation
    • Web domain + 5 business email addresses

Price: Custom

Fasttrack

The Fasttrack plan offers all the features of the Starter plan, along with the following additional services/features:

    • Dedicated customer success advisor
    • Private banking specialist
    • Personalized business advisory services
    • Expedited preparation & filing

Price: Custom

FAQ

Yes, Ohio recognizes the federal S-Corp status for federal income tax purposes for firms that have elected for it. This avoids the need to pay income taxes at a federal or state level on the business profits.

The business income passes through to the owners’ personal income and they pay personal income tax on it. This is called pass-through taxation. 

Please note that Ohio also provides a state-level S-election form, but it’s not necessary for businesses with federal S-Corp status to file that form.

Here is the step-by-step process for starting an S-Corp in Ohio:

    1. Choose a name for your business
    2. Appoint a registered agent based in Ohio
    3. Prepare an LLC operating agreement or corporate bylaws
    4. Register an LLC or a Corporation with the state of Ohi
    5. Apply for a Tax ID or EIN to run your business seamlessly
    6. Choose the S-Corp status by filling out Form 2553 of the internal revenue service

Inc Authority can help you with the entire process and help you form an Ohio S-Corporation in no time.

As with any other state that recognizes the federal S-Corp tax designation, the business income passes to the owners. The owners are then required to file personal income tax returns and are taxed according to the state’s income tax rates.

However, Ohio is one of the states that charge a commercial activity tax on gross receipts of the business. This is one of the reasons why Ohio is not considered a tax-friendly state.

Both S-Corps and Limited Liability Companies have their own merits and which business structure you choose depends on your requirements.

However, by choosing the S-Corp status you get certain tax advantages like not paying self-employment taxes.

You can start an S-Corp in Ohio by simply paying the state filing fees and submitting the application online or through mail or fax. However, you need to ensure that you submit proper documentation and make no errors. Inc Authority can help with that by reviewing and filing paperwork on your behalf completely free of charge.