Arkansas offers a business environment that can support accessibility and growth with its low incorporating costs, predictable tax structure, and simple compliance requirements. The state has a graduated corporate tax rate, and its top marginal tax rate of 4.3% is one of the lowest in the US. The state also offers incentive programs for businesses that create jobs or invest in new assets. Incorporation in Arkansas can suit a one-person startup as easily as a growing manufacturer or a fintech that’s expanding into the region.

Below, we’ll explain how to incorporate in Arkansas, including filing articles of incorporation and meeting ongoing state requirements.

What’s in this article?

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

What does it mean to incorporate a business in Arkansas?

Incorporating means transforming your business into a distinct legal entity that’s separate from you. You must submit articles of incorporation to the secretary of state online via Arkansas’s online filing platform or by mail. Once the filing is approved, your corporation legally exists and will do so until you formally dissolve it.

Here’s what changes when you incorporate your business:

• Legal separation: The corporation becomes its own legal entity. It can own property, sign contracts, and take on debt in its name.

• Limited liability: Incorporation provides you limited liability, which protects your personal assets from most business-related liabilities. As long as you stay compliant, the corporation’s debts and legal problems won’t affect your personal home or savings.

• Formal obligations: Arkansas corporations are required to maintain corporate records, file annual franchise tax reports, and follow standard governance practices such as bylaw adoption and director appointment.

The filing process for an Arkansas limited liability company (LLC) is similar to incorporation, but it requires different forms.

What are the advantages of forming a corporation in Arkansas?

If you choose to form a corporation in Arkansas, your business gets a defined legal identity and access to a range of structural and financial tools you can’t get as a sole proprietor or partnership.

Here are the benefits of incorporation in Arkansas:

• A stable structure: Corporations don’t dissolve when a founder leaves, and they don’t depend on a single owner’s presence. The continuity can make the business more credible to customers, banks, and potential partners. This structure also makes it easier to transfer ownership.

• Easier access to funding: Corporations can issue stock to founders or outside investors, which makes it easier to bring in outside funding. Equity distribution creates options for growth, employee ownership, or early-stage funding.

• Flexible tax options: Businesses that incorporate in Arkansas start as C corporations (C corps) by default, which means the business pays taxes on its profits and shareholders pay tax on dividends. But your business can elect S corporation (S corp) status with the IRS if it is eligible. S corps pass on income to the owners’ personal returns to avoid double taxation.

• State-level incentives that reward growth: Arkansas offers income tax credits, sales tax reductions, and job creation incentives for qualifying corporations, especially businesses that might invest in equipment, facilities, or payroll. Arkansas incentive programs such as Advantage Arkansas and ArkPlus can reduce your tax burden if your business qualifies.

• Fewer complications if you stay local: If you plan to operate primarily in Arkansas, incorporating in the state keeps compliance straightforward. You avoid the extra filings and fees that come with registering as a foreign corporation.

What are the legal requirements to incorporate in Arkansas?

Arkansas outlines specific requirements for business formation and compliance. These are the conditions your business must meet:

• A lawful purpose: Every corporation in Arkansas must be formed for a lawful business purpose. The state allows broad purpose statements (e.g., “to engage in any lawful business activity for which corporations might be organized in Arkansas”). That flexibility keeps your options open as your business develops.

• An incorporator who’s at least 21: Arkansas law requires at least 1 incorporator (the person who signs and submits the articles of incorporation) to be 21 or older. If a founder is younger than 21, an adult can execute the filing on their behalf. Incorporators don’t have to be shareholders or officers later; they simply handle the legal formation.

• A registered agent with an Arkansas address: Every Arkansas corporation must maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in the state. This agent receives legal notices, service of process, and official mail from the secretary of state.

• Bylaws and board organization: Arkansas requires every corporation to adopt bylaws, the internal rules that govern how your board, officers, and shareholders operate. The board of directors must formally adopt the bylaws at its first meeting. The initial board must include at least three directors—unless there are fewer than three shareholders.

How much does it cost to incorporate in Arkansas?

You don’t need substantial savings to start a corporation in Arkansas. The state keeps its filing fees low and its ongoing costs predictable. This makes it one of the more affordable states for incorporation.

These are the costs associated with incorporation:

You might spend about $100–$300 per year for a registered agent service if you don’t want to list a personal address. Legal or incorporation services can add a few hundred dollars more, but these are conveniences, not state requirements.

In total, an Arkansas corporation can launch for $50 in required fees, then budget $150 annually to stay compliant.

What are the steps to incorporate your business in Arkansas?

The incorporation process is a clear, state-defined sequence. Following these steps in the right order keeps you compliant and saves you from unnecessary amendments or fees later:

Choose a compliant name

Your corporation’s name must be unique in Arkansas and include a designator such as “Corporation,” “Incorporated,” “Company,” “Limited,” or an abbreviation of those terms (e.g., “Corp.,” “Inc.,” “Co.,” “Ltd.”). Check availability through the Arkansas secretary of state’s name search tool. If the name is available but you’re not ready to file, you can reserve it.

Decide how you’ll be taxed

All US corporations begin as C corps. If you prefer pass-through taxation, you can later elect S corp status if eligible by filing IRS Form 2553. This decision affects how profits are taxed and not how you form the entity, so you can incorporate first, then file the election within the IRS window.

Appoint a registered agent

You can serve as your own agent if you have an Arkansas address. But you can hire a registered agent service instead to keep your personal address off the public record.

File your articles of incorporation

Your articles of incorporation must include:

• Your corporation’s name and registered office

• Registered agent’s name and address

• Incorporator’s name and address

• Number and par value of authorized shares (at least one share)

• Purpose statement (general or specific)

It’s optional to include the names of initial directors and your intended duration (most choose “perpetual”).

Once your articles are filed and approved, the Arkansas business formation process is complete. The secretary of state will issue confirmation of your incorporation and mark your business’s official start date as a legal Arkansas corporation.

Create bylaws and hold your organizational meeting

Arkansas law requires corporations to create bylaws, which define how decisions are made, directors are elected, and stock is issued. You’ll also need to hold an organizational meeting to adopt bylaws, appoint officers, or elect a board of directors if they weren’t named in the articles of incorporation.

Register for state taxes and licenses

Depending on your business type, you might need to register with the Department of Finance and Administration for sales tax, employer withholding, or unemployment insurance. Some industries also require local permits or licenses.

File your annual franchise tax report

Every Arkansas corporation must file an annual franchise tax report by May 1. You can file the report online, which makes the process quicker and ensures your business stays in good standing.

Hoe Stripe Atlas kan helpen

Stripe Atlas zet de juridische basis voor je onderneming, zodat je geld kunt inzamelen, een bankrekening kunt openen en binnen twee werkdagen overal ter wereld betalingen kunt ontvangen.

Sluit je aan bij de meer dan 75.000 bedrijven die zijn opgericht met behulp van Atlas, waaronder start-ups die worden ondersteund door topinvesteerders zoals Y Combinator, a16z en General Catalyst.

Aanmelden bij Atlas

Het aanvragen van het opzetten van een bedrijf met Atlas duurt minder dan 10 minuten. Je kiest je bedrijfsstructuur, bevestigt onmiddellijk of je bedrijfsnaam beschikbaar is en voegt maximaal vier medeoprichters toe. Je beslist ook hoe je het eigen vermogen splitst, een aandelenpool reserveert voor toekomstige investeerders en werknemers, functionarissen aanstelt en vervolgens al je documenten elektronisch ondertekent. Alle medeoprichters ontvangen een e-mail met een uitnodiging om hun documenten ook elektronisch te ondertekenen.

Betalingen accepteren en bankieren voordat je EIN-nummer arriveert

Na het oprichten van je onderneming vraagt Atlas je EIN-nummer (Employer Identification Number) aan. Oprichters met een Amerikaans socialezekerheidsnummer, adres en mobiel telefoonnummer komen in aanmerking voor versnelde verwerking door de Amerikaanse belastingdienst (IRS), terwijl anderen de standaardverwerking krijgen, die iets langer kan duren. Bovendien maakt Atlas pre-EIN-betalingen en -bankieren mogelijk, zodat je al kunt beginnen met het ontvangen van betalingen en het uitvoeren van transacties voordat je je EIN hebt ontvangen.

Aankoop van aandelen door de oprichter zonder contant geld

Oprichters kunnen initiële aandelen kopen met behulp van hun intellectuele eigendom (IE; bijvoorbeeld auteursrechten of patenten) in plaats van contant geld, met een aankoopbewijs opgeslagen op je Atlas-dashboard. Je IE moet een waarde hebben van 100 dollar of minder om hiervan gebruik te kunnen maken; wanneer je IE bezit met een hogere waarde, raadpleeg dan een advocaat voordat je verder gaat.

Automatische indiening van belastingkeuzeformulier 83(b)

Oprichters kunnen een zogenoemd belastingkeuzeformulier 83(b) indienen om de persoonlijke inkomstenbelasting te verlagen. Atlas dient die voor je in, ongeacht of je een Amerikaanse of niet-Amerikaanse oprichter bent, met behulp van USPS Certified Mail (aangetekende verzending) en tracking. Je ontvangt een ondertekend belastingkeuzeformulier 83(b) en een bewijs van indiening rechtstreeks op je Stripe-dashboard.

Juridische bedrijfsdocumenten van wereldklasse

Atlas heeft alle juridische documenten die je nodig hebt om je bedrijf te starten. De documenten van Atlas C corp zijn gemaakt in samenwerking met Cooley, een van de toonaangevende advocatenkantoren op het gebied van durfkapitaal. Deze documenten zijn ontworpen om je te helpen direct geld in te zamelen en ervoor te zorgen dat je onderneming juridisch beschermd is, met aandacht voor aspecten als eigendomsstructuur, aandelenverdeling en fiscale compliance.

Een gratis jaar Stripe Payments, plus $ 50.000 aan partnervoordelen en kortingen

Atlas werkt samen met top-tier partners om oprichters exclusieve kortingen en credits te geven. Dit zijn onder andere kortingen op belangrijke tools voor engineering, belastingen, financiën, compliance en ondernemingsvoering van marktleiders zoals AWS, Carta en Perplexity. We zorgen ook gratis voor je vereiste geregistreerde agent in Delaware tijdens je eerste jaar. Bovendien krijg je als Atlas-gebruiker toegang tot extra Stripe-voordelen, waaronder maximaal een jaar gratis betalingsverwerking voor betalingen tot $ 100.000.

Lees meer over hoe Atlas je kan helpen bij het snel en eenvoudig opzetten van je nieuwe bedrijf of ga vandaag nog aan de slag.