The American Dream of Business Ownership
Many people dream of being self employed. Owning their own business and being the boss. We want to celebrate business owners. The dreamers, the doers, the achievers, the employers, the creators of jobs. Forming an LLC in California is one of the first steps.
Forming an LLC in California
You need to search for a name. The name needs to be special. The name needs to clearly define what your business will do. You will want to search for a domain name while you are at it. Try and keep the name short and to the point. Once you have found your name we can reserve it with the California Secretary of State.
You are now on the path to forming an LLC in California. Click here to fill out the LLC-1 Form. You will print it and sign it. Scan and email us your signed form.
The next step in forming your LLC in California is paying the fees. The Secretary of State will charge $70 to file the LLC-1 Form and $6 to get a certified copy of the document. We always recommend getting a certified copy for your records. If you need the document processed quickly we can do a 24-hour turnaround. The Secretary of State also has a 1-2 week turnaround. Call us for more details at 916-480-1225.
Apply for your EIN Number
Now that your LLC-1 Form has been filed, you will want to apply for your EIN number. EIN stands for Employer Identification Number. You can apply for this number by clicking here. This link will take you to the IRS’s website and you can fill out the application online. It’s a pretty straight forward application. If you have questions about how your LLC should be taxed you should ask your tax professional.
Next Steps to Forming an LLC in California
You will need to file a Statement of Information with the California Secretary of State. The Secretary of State allows businesses to do this online. Click here to read more about filing this Statement of Information online. You have 90 days to get this filed.
Operating Agreement
It is always a good idea to have an Operating Agreement for your LLC. You can find sample Operating Agreements online. If there are multiple LLC Members it is suggested that an attorney draft up the Operating Agreement.
These are the basic steps for forming an LLC in California. We offer 24-hour processing on LLC formations. We deliver documents daily at 2pm to the California Secretary of State in Sacramento. As long as your payment and documents have been received we will deliver them the same business day.
