Can You Register A Company To A Po Box Virginia

Business Registration in Virginia for an LLC or Corporation

Business registration in Virginia is a snap when you follow our step-past-step guide or let MyCompanyWorks register your VA business for yous. Read beneath to find out why tens of thousands of companies have trusted MyCompanyWorks since 2001.

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12 Steps to Business Registration in Virginia

Virginia Business Facts and Environment

Virginia Business organisation Facts

Virginia was named for Elizabeth I, England's "Virgin Queen." Its nickname is the Mother of States. It's also known as The Former Dominion and the Female parent of Presidents. All three nicknames are linked to Virginia's position as one of the oldest settlements in the US, and i of the starting time states to join the United states.

Virginia, oddly enough, is the birthplace of both college fraternities and streaking. The commencement-e'er recorded person to streak across a campus was George William Crump, in 1804.

According to estimates, anywhere from 50 to 70 percent of all Internet traffic flows through data centers situated in Northern Virginia. These facilities occupy millions of square feet in the upper area of the state.

Tobacco is Virginia's major cash crop and many of the people who alive here earn their living from the tobacco industry.

Top industries in Virginia include architectural and engineering services, banking and lending, computer programming and systems design, nutrient products, and shipbuilding. Several major military machine centers call Virginia domicile, and over 20 dissimilar bases are peppered throughout the land.

Major Companies in Virginia

Information technology's no surprise that the US Army is the largest business concern in Virginia. Other corporate heavy hitters are Dollar Tree, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, DXC Technology, Northrop Grumman, Bechtel, and Majuscule One.

Virginia Startup Environment

There are lots of incentives for both startups and existing businesses in Virginia With a state corporate income tax charge per unit among the lowest in the nation at 6%, Virginia'south business-friendly policies are attractive for startups. Business incubators are gaining traction across the country, and local universities have recently seen increased enrollment in entrepreneurship classes. Further, Virginia's economy is evolving from an agricultural core to a technological and manufacturing one – an excellent atmosphere for founders with innovative ideas. Arlington is likewise a hub for cutting-edge startups.

Footstep i: Choose the Right Business Registration in Virginia

The 3 most pop options for minor businesses are the Virginia LLC, Corporation, or DBA. Click here to acquire more about business entities.

Virginia LLC – LLC is a common abridgement for the Limited Liability Company business type. A Virginia LLC registration offers liability protection to owners and does non require a business concern tax return. Rather, income and expenses are reported on owners' personal revenue enhancement returns. The LLC has become increasingly popular over the years since it's the simplest business organization type to form and manage. Almanac filing costs tin can exist higher than corporations, but overall this option offers personal liability protection and laissez passer-through revenue enhancement, reducing the amount of paperwork required to continue your business in good standing.

Virginia DBA – abbreviation for "Doing Business As". A DBA has a few different names, including Trade Name, Fictitious Name, or Assumed Business Proper name. DBAs permit sole-proprietors, LLCs, and Corporations to perform business nether a name that is carve up from personal names and other business organisation functions.

Note: Filing a Virginia DBA does not offer liability protection or business organisation revenue enhancement benefits. It's simply a way to separate a business organization from your personal name or other businesses functioning under the same LLC or Corporation.

Virginia Corporation – Registering your business organization as a corporation offers limited personal liability and pass-through taxation for Due south-corps. Shareholders, Directors, and Officers are appointed to manage corporations. The Corporation entity type is more than complex to manage than a LLC or DBA, if you lot intend to have a lot of employees or raise business capital, the Virginia Corporation might be the platonic choice. If you're operating equally a professional person, such as a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or accountant, y'all're required to form a Professional person Corporation. Requirements announced on our Virginia Corporation gild course in the business purpose section.

Stride 2: Choose an Effective Virginia Business organisation Name

Believe it or non, marketing your business starts with a proper noun that plainly defines the nature of your business. Your business proper noun becomes the company's identity, so it's critical to spend some fourth dimension thinking about how you want to exist known by the public. An constructive Virginia business name and logo tell consumers what you lot're selling without making them guess. Follow these steps to generate a timeless name that will grow with your business.

Best Practices for Choosing an Constructive Virginia Business Name

You tin have fun with family friends when y'all're considering the right business name. Write down all the words that ascertain your visitor's products or services. Then apply those words to string together dissimilar names. Y'all'll want to avoid names that are hard to spell or call up. Too, keep in mind your products and services may change over time, so avoid picking names that are limited to your original offerings.

Scan the Internet and Virginia Country Sites

You can preclude a lot of confusion with other businesses, tax, and legal problems past checking the Internet for alien concern names. Even if you're assault a particular name, it's all-time to pick another name if you find that it's already in employ. Marketing a unique business name is much easier than competing with existing businesses. Cheque business organisation websites for your town/city, county, and state to clear local conflicts. You'll as well want to search Google and other search engines to run across if your Virginia concern name is available. This is peculiarly important for online businesses and nationwide or international companies.

Search USPTO for Virginia Trademark Conflicts

You tin can run potential business organisation names through the Us Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) site to further foreclose conflicts. Be sure to check different spellings and variations of your business organisation proper noun, as trademark searches can exist circuitous and render many results. You lot tin can pay a trademark company to do a name search for you, but they charge high fees. In our experience, yous tin can articulate your own unique business name by checking government sites and search engines for conflicts.

Ready to annals a business organisation in VA? Our online business registration service will help yous become started today!

Step 3: How to Register a Business in Virginia

Each state has its ain requirements for registering a business concern. Now that yous've called a business concern structure and picked your business organisation proper name, here are the requirements to register your business concern in Virginia.

How to form an LLC in Virginia

Hire a professional person Registered Amanuensis.
File the "Articles of Arrangement" with the Virginia State Corporation Commission. These may be filed online or past mail. In both cases, the filing fee is $100. OPTIONAL: Elect S-Corporation condition with the IRS by filing IRS Course 2553. Yep, even an LLC can choose to be taxed as an S-Corporation (or even a C-Corporation).

TIP: Speak to your tax advisor well-nigh this important issue considering information technology adds complication to your LLC most people would rather avert.

Agree an Organizational Meeting to accept contributions from the members, issue Fellow member Certificates, adopt the visitor Operating Agreement, and more. IMPORTANT: A formal operating agreement defines your visitor's policies and directs certain functions, such as adding or removing LLC members and selling the business. All Virginia registration packages come with a free operating agreement template.

How to Incorporate in Virginia

File the "Articles of Incorporation" with the Virginia Country Corporation Commission. These may be filed online at the Virginia New Entity Formation website, or by mail. The filing fee is $100.
Hire a professional Registered Agent. All Virginia business are required to register an official agent to receive of import government and tax notices. You can exist your own registered agent, merely y'all must be available during regular business hours to receive notices. OPTIONAL: Corporations can elect Due south-Corporation status with the IRS by filing IRS Form 2553. Click hither to larn more about S-Corporations.
All corporations should hold an organisation meeting to appoint shareholders, directors, officers, distribute initial shares and determine each possessor'southward responsibilities.

Considerations when Incorporating or forming an LLC in Virginia

A Registered Agent is required for every Virginia Corporation and LLC. The chosen registered agent must have a physical street address in Virginia. A professional Registered Agent who will provide their address and forward any important documents to you lot. This is convenient if you lot have to move, since you won't take to file forms or pay fees, (just update your address with your agent).

How to File a DBA in Virginia

In Virginia, information technology is a crime to operate with a fictitious business name without filing for a DBA. This could result in a penalty of upwards to $2,500, upwardly to one year in prison house, or both.

Check your business proper name through the Commonwealth of Virginia State Corporation Commission Entity Search.
If you are a corporation, LLC, or LLP, you must obtain an Assumed/Fictitious Proper noun Filing in a Virginia Circuit Court, and then file a document with the Clerk'southward Role of the Committee.
Asking DBA filing forms from the county where you lot volition run your business organization.
File the forms with the County. You volition need to submit a completed grade and the required filing fee to the local circuit court clerk's part. Some counties may require the form to exist notarized and published.

Our Tax partners can help you make up one's mind which Virginia business organization structure is right for your visitor.

Ready to register a concern in Virginia? Showtime your Virginia LLC, Corporation or DBA with MyCompanyWorks online filing services.

Learn more about how we tin can form a Virginia Corporation or LLC for you lot
Read our verified reviews and 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Contact our friendly support team if y'all have whatsoever questions

Step 4: Utilise for a Federal Employer Identification Number

All LLCs and Corporations that hire employees must have an Employer Identification Number, which is assigned past the IRS. DBAs are not required to have an EIN, but if you lot don't accept i, you lot'll be forced to apply your personal Social Security number on business organisation, tax, and legal documents. Using an EIN can help prevent identity theft, so we recommend applying for i.

You can apply online for an EIN with the IRS or via IRS Grade SS-iv.

TIP: EINs are available with all our Virginia formation packages.

Footstep v: Open Virginia Business Bank and Credit Accounts

It may not seem important, but keeping your personal and concern expenses split is critical if you want to avoid tax and legal issues. When used correctly, a business concern depository financial institution account and concern credit accounts will assist you lot keep business matters carve up from personal matters. Concern credit cards volition assist y'all brainstorm to build your company's credit profile (corporation or LLC required). With good credit, a company can qualify for larger loans and lines of credit. You can either work with a bank where you already have a relationship or attain out to banks that specialize in business accounts. Requirements vary, but in general, yous'll probably need filed germination paperwork, an Employer Identification Number, and a business organization resolution that authorizes your company to open up the business relationship (signed past the owners, members, officers, or directors, etc.).

TIP: Click here to view a listing of our recommended banks in our Vendor Network.

Meridian Business Banks in Virginia

Co-operative Cyberbanking and Trust Visitor
Carter Depository financial institution & Trust
First Citizens Bank & Trust
SunTrust Banking concern
TowneBank
Wells Fargo

TIP: All Virginia concern packages include a gratis banking solution.

Step 6: Establish Filing and Accounting Systems

Yous can prevent a lot of time to come hassles if y'all ready up a paper or digital filing system and bookkeeping software. If yous have the money y'all can hire someone to handle these tasks for you. All Virginia businesses are responsible for taxes, so keeping track from the start of business volition help you make proper calculations and timely payments.

Most business documents should be stored for three years. This includes a listing of all owners and addresses, copies of all formation documents, financial statements, annual reports, amendments, or changes to the company. All Tax and Corporate Filings should be stored for at least seven years, if yous're filing regular tax returns. Businesses that don't file timely tax returns are always subject to audit, so you'll demand to keep your records indefinitely. View our "Bookkeeping & Fiscal Management" section for help with setting upwards an accounting system and purchasing accounting software.

Our preferred vendors for Accountants, Accounting Software, and Bookkeepers tin can also help and offer exclusive pricing and discounts to MyCompanyWorks clients.

Stride 7: Utilize for Virginia Licenses and Permits

All Virginia businesses volition demand to apply for at least a country business license, but your type of business concern may as well crave local and county licensing or permits also. You can check with local and country government authorities for all the requirements, or you can gild a Business concern Licence Compliance package to salve time and money.

Step 8: Hire Employees If Needed

Once you have your Employer Identification Number (EIN) and business organisation licenses and permits, yous can start the interview and hiring process. Yous tin post online ads on social media or employment websites like Indeed.com for gratuitous. You'll also need to set upwardly a payroll system or hire a service to manage payroll for you lot. Read our Employees and Payroll guide to go started. Our recommended Payroll Providers can help you get payroll up and running quickly.

Pace 9: Utilise for Virginia Business Insurance

You can check with a local insurance amanuensis or search for business concern insurance providers online. Most VA businesses are required to conduct full general liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance if they use workers. You may likewise want to carry a business policy with owner'due south insurance to farther protect assets. Any of our recommended insurance providers can answer your questions and help you apply.

Step ten: Develop a Organization to Run Your Business

Y'all may be responsible for well-nigh or even all of the piece of work when you lot first your company. As y'all grow, you'll need to railroad train others to manage tasks and run parts of your business organisation. Every business concern should take a system to procedure orders, pay bills, pay employees, pay taxes, maintain recurring tasks. By writing procedures and documenting processes, you could put someone to work rapidly when you're away or out sick, or when you demand to railroad train someone to have over. Our Manage Your Company guide will help you set up business systems and organize your processes.

Step 11: Brand and Marketplace Your Virginia Business

Marketing is disquisitional to every successful business. It's non plenty to just build your business concern and expect for customers. Your business organization should have a unique logo to go with your business name. It's also a skillful idea to set up social media accounts where you can mail promotions and concenter sales. Creating a marketing program for your products and services will help you target the ideal customer and track your progress. Need help? Our Marketing & Sales guide has useful tips and links to helpful tools and resources.

Step 12: Recurring Virginia Business Requirements

DBA:At that place are no additional requirements for DBAs in Virginia.

LLC: Virginia LLCs are required to file an annual written report on or before the terminal mean solar day of their ceremony calendar month. The filing fee is $50.

Corporation:Virginia corporations are required to file an annual report on or before the terminal twenty-four hours of the anniversary month of incorporation. The filing fee is $100.

Corporations are also required to keep the following items inside their corporate records at their main place of business:

Articles of incorporation and amendments
Bylaws and amendments
Minutes from shareholder and managing director meetings
A record of all actions taken by shareholders and/or on the behalf of the corporation.
Written communications to shareholders over a three-year menstruation
An alphabetical list of all shareholder names, including names and addresses, number and class of shares held by each.
The corporation's almost recent annual report.
Resolutions adopted past directors related to classes or series of shares and their rights, preferences, and limitations.

Franchise Taxes:A franchise tax is imposed on the net capital of all banks and trust companies. Other businesses do non need to pay a franchise tax.

Click here to view our MyCompanyWorks Premium™ service which can automate most of your ongoing compliance tasks.

Ready to get-go a business in Virginia?

Our Virginia filing team will assist you get started as quickly as possible.

Virginia Secretarial assistant of the Commonwealth

P.O. Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23218
804-786-2441

Virginia Land Corporation Commission

Virginia Taxation & Labor Departments

Virginia Department of Revenue
Virginia Section of Labor and Industry

Virginia Land Startup Resources

Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP)
Yes Richmond
Academy of Virginia Entrepreneurship Portal
Northern Virginia Engineering science Council
Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator
Hampton Roads Small Business Web Portal
Virginia Business organisation Incubation Association

1. Virginia Small Business organisation Administration

Pocket-size Business organization Administration (SBA) Virginia State District Office

U.s. Small Business Assistants

two. SCORE Mentors

SCORE Virginia

SCORE is an excellent hub of active and retired business people who volunteer to back up startup businesses. Connecting with a local SCORE mentor can aid to avoid pitfalls that are common amid startup businesses.

Virginia Business Portal
Virginia Small Concern Evolution Center
Virginia Chore Link Employer Portal
Tax Data For Virginia Businesses

3. Virginia State Legal Statutes:

Virginia Business organization Corporation Act
Virginia State Express Liability Companies – the specific act that applies to Virginia State LLCs.
Virginia Country Businesses and Professions – includes regulations on topics such as business organization and professions codes.

4. Virginia Land Chambers of Commerce

5. Virginia Angel Investors

List of Angel Investors in Virginia

half dozen. Virginia Concern News

Virginia Business
Inside Concern – The Hampton Roads Business organization Periodical
Richmond Times-Dispatch

7. Virginia State Small Business Development Heart

Virginia Small Business organization Development Center

eight. Virginia Light-green Initiative