Arizona Corporation

What is an Arizona Corporation?

An Arizona Corporation is a business formation that can be formed by one or more people by filing the formation paperwork with the Arizona Corporation Commission. The Arizona Corporation will be used for various business purposes. Financial transactions, corporation ownership distribution and public offerings are a few examples. There are a few requirements to operate and form a Corporation in Arizona legally.

Arizona Corporation Requirements

1. State Filing Fee of $60.
2. A Registered Agent located in Arizona. See our service here.
3. Article Publication
4. Annual Report due on the anniversary date of formation.
5. Beneficial Ownership Information Report filing. Report due after company formation starting January 1, 2024.

Where Do I Publish My Notification of Publication?

The Arizona Corporation Commission maintains a list of newspapers where you can publish your notification. The notification must be published for three weeks. When your Articles of Incorporation are approved, the ACC will send an approval letter with instructions and a notification of publication form to fill out and submit to the newspaper of your choice.

Arizona Corporation Structure

AZ Corporations are structured legally with the Arizona Articles of Incorporation. Like many states, the document for a Corporation formation is short and simple.

The required information to be listed:

• The Arizona Corporation Name
• Character of Business
• Shares Information
• Address Information
• Director(s)
• Statutory Agent
• Certificate of Disclosure
• Incorporators

Arizona Corporation Name

The Arizona Corporation name must comply with the statutes in Arizona. The name of the Corporation in Arizona must include one of the following words: “association”, “bank”, “corporation”, “company”, “limited”, “incorporated” or an abbreviation of one of those words. If the name contains the word bank or a similar word, prior written permission must be obtained by the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions.

Character of Business

A brief description of the character of business the Arizona Corporation intends to initially conduct in the state of Arizona. Although a description is required on the Articles of Incorporation, the nature of the business is not limited to the description provided.

Arizona Corporation Shares

What are shares of stock for an Arizona Corporation? One share of stock is one unit of ownership for the Arizona Corporation. All shares combined are called stock. The AZ Corporation must have at least one class of authorized shares. You will list the class and series (if needed), along with the total.

Address of Arizona Corporation

List the known place of business for your AZ Corporation. The address can be the same address as your Arizona Statutory Agent. The address can not be a PO Box.

Director of Corporation

The name and address of each Arizona Corporation Director must be listed on the Articles of Incorporation for Arizona. You are given a space for six Directors, but you may list additional Directors if needed on a Director Attachment form.

Arizona Statutory Agent

Your Arizona Statutory Agent, also known sometimes as an Arizona Registered Agent, will be located in Arizona to accept any important paperwork at their registered address in Arizona on behalf of your Arizona Corporation. The Statutory Agent can not be located at a PO Box.

Certificate of Disclosure

A Certificate of Disclosure filing is required to be turned in at the time of Arizona Corporation initial filing. You will state the entity name, the A.C.C. File number (if already registered in AZ), the certificate type and you answer three felony/judgment questions. A bankruptcy question will also be required on the disclosure.

Incorporator

List the names and addresses of each incorporator for the Arizona Corp. A signature from each incorporator is required.

How to File an Arizona Corporation

Steps in forming an Arizona Corporation:

1. Name Your Corporation. When you incorporate in Arizona, you must first select a name for your company that conforms to state law. You can do an Arizona business name search first to see if your corporation name is already taken.
2. File Articles of Incorporation. To form a corporation in Arizona, you must file Articles of Incorporation with the Arizona Corporation Commission. The filing must include a Cover Sheet, a Certificate of Disclosure, and a Statutory Agent Acceptance form. There is a $60 filing fee.
3. Designate a Statutory Agent. To incorporate in Arizona, you must designate an Arizona statutory agent. The agent must have a physical street location (not a PO box) within the state where service of process (notice of a lawsuit) can be received.
4. Publish Notification of Publication. A.R.S. § 10-203 requires that all corporations publish a Notification of Publication in a newspaper within 60 days after the ACC has approved the filing. When your Articles are approved, the approval letter from the ACC will include publication instructions.
5. Write Corporate Bylaws. Bylaws are the governing document of your corporation. Corporate bylaws outline the ownership of the company and how the company will operate.
6. Open Business Accounts. After you incorporate in Arizona, you can open business bank accounts to handle the company’s monetary transactions.
7. File Annual Report. Each year, a corporation must file an annual report with the Arizona Corporation Commission.
8. Submit Beneficial Ownership Information Report. You must a file a BOI report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network after formation, starting January 1, 2024. The BOI report is free to file and must be submitted online.

To incorporate in Arizona, you file Articles of Incorporation with the Arizona Corporation Commission. Included with the Articles you must also file a Cover Sheet, a Certificate of Disclosure, and a Statutory Agent Acceptance.

The filing must be mailed or delivered by hand. The filing fee is $60.

After you form a corporation in Arizona, you must file an annual report each year. The annual report fee is $45.

Additional Resources: 
How to Start an Arizona Corporation
How to Form an Arizona Corporation (paper option)

Do I Have to Write Bylaws for My Arizona Corporation?

Yes. In Arizona, corporations are required to adopt bylaws. Bylaws can have any provision that is not prohibited by law.

Arizona Annual Report

Once you incorporate in Arizona with Arizona Corporation formation, your corporation is required to file an annual report each year. The annual report is filed on your anniversary date. It can be filed online. The Arizona Secretary of State fee is $45 to file the annual report for your Arizona Corporation.

Federal Beneficial Ownership Information Report Filing

Starting January 1, 2024, most newly-formed corporations are required to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) follwing company formation. On your report, you’ll need to disclose some basic details about your company and those with the most control over your corporation’s profits and operations. Save yourself from the additional paperwork with our $25 BOI report filing service.

Why Hire Corporate Filing Solutions to Form Your Arizona Corporation?

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