Connecticut Corporation

How to Incorporate in Connecticut

Starting a Connecticut corporation? We can help! We provide the information you need to incorporate in Connecticut correctly and efficiently.

What documents will I need to incorporate in Connecticut?

Starting a business means filing several different documents with various state agencies, as well as retaining your own business documents in your company files. A few of them are described below.

Articles of Incorporation

Corporations in Connecticut will register their Certificate of Incorporation (functionally similar to what is known in other states as Articles of Incorporation) with CONCORD, the Commercial Recording Division of the Secretary of State. The Certificate of Incorporation will include, at minimum:

  • Name of corporation (must be unique and distinct from other Connecticut corporations or LLCs on file)
  • Number of shares authorized (not all authorized shares must be issued at this time)
  • Class of shares, if multiple, and number of shares per class
  • Terms, limitations, and rights
  • Name of registered agent (either individual or Connecticut corporation/LLC/other entity)
  • Address of agent (cannot be a PO box)
  • Agent's signature (or officer of agent, if a business entity)
  • Any additional provisions
  • Signature of incorporator
  • Name and address of incorporator

Your Connecticut Articles of Incorporation should be printed on 8.5x11 paper and submitted to CONCORD along with the filing fee.

Business Plan

Every business—whether or not it's a corporation in Connecticut—needs a solid business plan. While your business plan will be tailored to your industry and geographic location, a basic plan will include the following:

  • Executive Summary: the abstract, or overview, of your business plan
  • Company Description: organizational structure (i.e., Connecticut corporation), strengths and weaknesses, mission statement, and so on
  • Industry Analysis: describe your industry landscape and how you fit into it
  • Products and Services
  • Market Information: who is your target market, where do they shop, and why do they need your business?
  • Sales Strategy
  • Management: corporate officers, management, and so on
  • Financial Plan: your accountant can help you put this section together

Yes, all these numbers can be daunting—but if you're thinking about the hard stuff now, you'll have the information later when you really need it, and you'll minimize your risk of nasty surprises down the line.

Corporate Bylaws

In Connecticut, corporations should have corporate bylaws, an important document that details how the business will be run and how certain situations (such as the loss of a corporate office) will be handled.

Again, there's a lot that goes into corporate bylaws, and it can be daunting—but trust me, you're better off hashing out all of these contingencies now than later when they actually arise.

Not sure how to draft corporate bylaws? ClickAndInc.com can provide corporate bylaws for you quickly and easily.

In addition to registering with the Secretary of State, a Connecticut corporation must be registered with the Department of Revenue Services in Hartford (or one of the branch offices in Bridgeport, Norwich, or Waterbury) for state tax purposes and with the IRS for federal tax purposes.

C Corporation vs. S Corporation in Connecticut

First, it's important to distinguish between two different types of corporations: C corporation and S corporation. While they're both very similar, there are a few important differences that you should know about before you submit your articles of incorporation.

C Corporation

A C corporation in Connecticut can be thought of as the default type of corporation; filing Articles of Incorporation automatically creates a C corporation, unless you file paperwork to the contrary.

A C corporation:

S Corporation

An S corporation is similar in many ways to a C corporation—both entities will file Articles of Incorporation with CONCORD to register as a corporation in Connecticut, both entities have corporate officers, both will need a business plan—but an S corporation may have some practical tax benefits for eligible entities.

An S corporation:

The decision to register an S corporation or C corporation should be discussed with your legal advisor or corporate attorney.

How ClickAndInc.com Can Help

If you'd like, we can register your corporation in Connecticut for you! Just tell us a little about your business, and we'll take it from there. What could be easier?

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Other types of businesses in Connecticut

A corporation isn't right for everyone. If you're not sure if a Connecticut corporation is the right type of business for you, take a look at information on other types of state entities below: