Incorporating in Massachusetts means you’ll create a company in a state that has a strong local economy that invests heavily in education and technological research, especially in its thriving life sciences industry. Massachusetts is also home to many Fortune 500 companies and highly respected universities, with both recent graduates and experienced pros who want to join new businesses.

Below, you’ll learn how to incorporate in Massachusetts, from choosing your structure to filing articles of organization and maintaining compliance.

What’s in this article?

• What does it mean to incorporate a business in Massachusetts?
  
• What are the advantages of forming a corporation in Massachusetts?
  
• How much does it cost to incorporate in Massachusetts?
  
• What are the steps to incorporate your business in Massachusetts?
  
• How Stripe Atlas can help
  

What does it mean to incorporate a business in Massachusetts?

Incorporating in Massachusetts means creating a separate legal entity—a corporation—that exists apart from its founders. Once it’s formed, the company can own property, sign contracts, and take on debts in its own name. This legal separation protects business owners from having to cover business liabilities with their own personal assets.

In Massachusetts, you create a corporation when you file articles of organization with the secretary of the commonwealth. From that point on, the company must follow the state’s governance rules, including by appointing directors and officers, maintaining records, and holding annual meetings.

Incorporation marks the shift from an informal operation to a structured business that can raise capital and issue stock.

What are the advantages of forming a corporation in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts has a modern incorporation process that incentivizes electronic filing and offers targeted tax incentives for building and hiring within the state.

Here’s a closer look at the advantages of incorporating here.

A modern, nationally aligned statute

Massachusetts replaced its older corporate laws with the Massachusetts Business Corporation Act of 2004, which was modeled closely on the American Bar Association’s Model Business Corporation Act. Everything from shareholder voting rights to director duties and merger procedures mirrors what’s used in other major jurisdictions in the United States. That alignment gives lawyers and investors predictable governance standards.

The state updates the law regularly to keep up with improvements in the economy. This includes formally recognizing the validity of electronic records, e-signatures, and remote shareholder meetings.

Real-time administration and public record

The secretary of the commonwealth’s Corporations Division runs a user-friendly digital system. Articles of organization are time-stamped on submission, and accepted filings quickly appear in the public database. The system’s immediacy creates a reliable public record of corporate standing. This is especially helpful when a bank, regulator, or counterparty needs to conduct due diligence.

Concrete financial incentives

Massachusetts corporations benefit from many different types of business incentive programs. One of these programs is the Economic Development Incentive Program, where a qualifying business can receive tax credits for creating new jobs in economically distressed areas. These programs aren’t limited to new corporations, but early-stage companies can use them to offset the costs of the first years of growth.

How much does it cost to incorporate in Massachusetts?

It depends on the kind of corporation your company is. For most for-profit businesses, filing the articles of organization, which covers up to 275,000 authorized shares, costs $275. The fee scales by $100 per additional 100,000 shares. This lets early-stage companies start lean and expand only when equity planning gets more complex.

Nonprofits pay $35 to incorporate. The fee for registering an existing out-of-state company is $400, making it advantageous for Massachusetts-based founders to incorporate in the state from the start.

Once it’s formed, every corporation files an annual report. It costs $125 to file ($100 if filed online). Nonprofits file for $15 either way.

There are also other small, predictable costs. A registered agent might cost you about $100–$300 a year, if you hire a service. If you need proof that the corporation is in compliance with all state requirements, you can order a certificate of good standing from the secretary of the commonwealth for $12.

What are the steps to incorporate your business in Massachusetts?

Incorporation in Massachusetts is a fairly simple process, but it involves making some important decisions about how you want your company to operate. Once your company information is ready, you’ll file paperwork with the secretary of the commonwealth and set yourself up to legally operate.

Here’s what this process entails.

1. Choose your corporation type

Start by identifying the kind of corporation your company is.

Massachusetts recognizes the following corporation types:

• For-profit corporations: Companies that aim to earn a profit. Corporations are taxed as C corporations (C corps) by default, but domestic business corporations can also elect federal S corporation status for pass-through taxation.

• Professional corporations: Corporations that seek to provide services in a single profession such as medicine or law.

• Nonprofit corporations: Businesses organized around charitable or educational work that reinvest their profits into their work. In Massachusetts, nonprofits are generally tax-exempt, and certain kinds of nonprofit work have limited tort liability.

• Foreign corporations: Out-of-state companies that would like to do business in Massachusetts.

2. Check and reserve your name

Your corporate name must be distinct within Massachusetts and include a designator such as “Incorporated,” “Company,” “Limited,” or an abbreviation (e.g., “Inc.,” “Co.,” “Ltd.”). Run a search through the secretary of the commonwealth’s online database to confirm availability. You can reserve a name for 60 days by filing a short online request and paying a fee, if you’re not ready to file immediately.

3. Identify your incorporator(s) and initial directors

The incorporator (often a founder or attorney) is the person who signs and submits the articles of organization. You can also designate initial directors of the company. One person can hold multiple offices such as president, treasurer, and secretary. There are no residency or age requirements for directors and officers.

4. Designate a registered agent

Every Massachusetts corporation must list a registered agent with a street address in the state (no PO Boxes). The agent receives official and legal correspondence on your company’s behalf and must be available during regular business hours. This can be an individual, such as the incorporator or an initial director, another Massachusetts corporation, or a professional registered agent service.

5. File articles of organization

Filing the articles of organization legally creates your corporation. You can file online through the secretary of the commonwealth’s Corporations Division portal, or you can file by mail, by fax, or in person.

The articles of organization include:

• Corporate name and principal office address

• Registered agent’s name and Massachusetts address

• A statement of purpose (a general “any lawful business” clause is fine)

• Authorized shares and par value (if applicable)

• Names and addresses of incorporator, directors, and officers

• The corporation’s fiscal year

• Optional provisions such as limitations on director liability

Ensure you’re filing for the correct type of corporation. Online filings are time-stamped immediately, and approval typically arrives within a few business days. Once the filing is accepted, your corporation is officially recognized and assigned a Massachusetts entity ID.

6. Adopt bylaws and hold an organizational meeting

Bylaws act as the internal rule book for how the corporation will operate. They define how meetings are called, how directors are elected, and how shares are authorized and issued. You aren’t required to file these documents with the state, but they’re legally required.

You’ll need to call the company’s first organizational meeting to formally adopt these guidelines. You’ll also elect directors, if you haven’t named them yet, and elect corporate officers. At this meeting, you might also want to authorize the issuance of shares to initial shareholders.

Keep the bylaws and written minutes in your corporate records. Maintain a stock ledger, if applicable. These internal records establish corporate formality and protect liability limits.

7. Register for Massachusetts taxes

Massachusetts corporations are required to register with the Department of Revenue and pay state taxes. You can file and pay business taxes electronically through MassTaxConnect.

8. File your annual report

Every corporation must file an annual report. Typically, this is due within two and a half months after its fiscal year ends. Nonprofits are required to file their reports by November 1. The report updates officer and director information.

Comment Stripe Atlas peut vous aider

Stripe Atlas met en place les bases juridiques de votre entreprise afin que vous puissiez collecter des fonds, ouvrir un compte bancaire et accepter des paiements en deux jours ouvrables depuis n’importe où dans le monde.

Rejoignez plus de 75 000 sociétés constituées via Atlas, y compris des startups soutenues par des investisseurs de premier plan, tels que Y Combinator, a16z et General Catalyst.

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La création d’une entreprise avec Atlas prend moins de 10 minutes. Vous choisissez la structure de votre entreprise, vérifiez instantanément si le nom de votre entreprise est disponible et ajoutez jusqu’à quatre cofondateurs. Vous décidez également de la répartition du capital, réservez une partie du capital pour les futurs investisseurs et employés, nommez les dirigeants, puis signez électroniquement tous vos documents. Tous les cofondateurs recevront également un e-mail les invitant à signer électroniquement leurs documents.

Accepter des paiements et effectuer des opérations bancaires avant l’obtention de votre numéro EIN

Après avoir créé votre entreprise, Atlas demande votre numéro d’Identification employeur (EIN). Les fondateurs disposant d’un numéro de sécurité sociale américain, d’une adresse et d’un numéro de téléphone portable peuvent bénéficier d’un traitement accéléré par l’IRS, tandis que les autres bénéficieront d’un traitement standard, qui peut prendre un peu plus de temps. De plus, Atlas permet d’effectuer des paiements et des opérations bancaires avant l’obtention de l’EIN, ce qui vous permet de commencer à accepter des paiements et à effectuer des transactions avant que votre numéro EIN ne vous soit attribué.

Achat dématérialisé des actions du fondateur

Les fondateurs peuvent acheter des actions initiales en utilisant leur propriété intellectuelle (par exemple, des droits d’auteur ou des brevets) plutôt que de l’argent liquide, la preuve d’achat étant sauvegardée dans votre Dashboard sur Atlas. Votre propriété intellectuelle doit être évaluée à 100 $ ou moins pour utiliser cette fonctionnalité. Si vous possédez une propriété intellectuelle d’une valeur supérieure, consultez un avocat avant de procéder.

Déclaration fiscale automatique au titre de l’article 83(b)

Les fondateurs peuvent déposer une déclaration fiscale 83(b) afin de réduire leurs taxes sur le revenu. Atlas se chargera de la déposer pour vous, que vous soyez un fondateur américain ou non, par courrier certifié USPS avec suivi. Vous recevrez une déclaration 83(b) signée et une preuve de dépôt directement dans votre Dashboard Stripe.

Documents juridiques d’entreprise de classe mondiale

Atlas fournit tous les documents juridiques dont vous avez besoin pour commencer à gérer votre entreprise. Les documents Atlas C corp sont élaborés en collaboration avec Cooley, l’un des principaux cabinets d’avocats spécialisés dans le capital-risque. Ces documents sont conçus pour vous aider à lever des fonds immédiatement et à garantir la protection juridique de votre entreprise, en couvrant des aspects tels que la structure de propriété, la distribution des actions et la conformité fiscale.

Une année gratuite d’utilisation de Stripe Payments, plus 50 000 dollars de crédits et de remises chez nos partenaires

Atlas collabore avec des partenaires de premier rang pour offrir aux fondateurs des remises et des crédits exclusifs. Profitez de réductions sur les outils indispensables en matière d’ingénierie, de fiscalité, de finance, de conformité et de gestion, grâce à des partenaires de renom comme AWS, Carta et Perplexity. Nous vous fournissons également gratuitement, durant votre première année, l’agent agréé du Delaware requis. De plus, en tant qu’utilisateur Atlas, vous bénéficierez d’avantages Stripe supplémentaires, dont jusqu’à un an de traitement gratuit des paiements jusqu’à 100 000 $.

Découvrez comment Atlas peut vous aider à mettre en place votre nouvelle entreprise rapidement et facilement, ou démarrez dès aujourd’hui.