Why founders incorporate
Form your corporation in 3 steps
01
We file with your state
Tell us about your business, your state, and your ownership structure. Takes about five minutes.
02
We prepare your documents
Your Articles of Incorporation and all state-required paperwork, prepared accurately and on time.
03
We file with your state
Everything is submitted to your Secretary of State, and we’ll send you the completed documents when it’s done.
Why founders choose Tailor Brands
Built for founders
A friendly dashboard walks you through formation, EIN, registered agent, and compliance — in plain English, step by step.
Compliant from day one
We track your annual reports, bylaws updates, and filing deadlines so your corporation stays in good standing — without you having to think about it.
More than just paperwork
Bookkeeping, taxes, invoices, business bank account, domain, website, trademark. The whole stack, one login.
C-corp vs. S-corp
Question
C-corp
What it is
A separate legal entity formed at the state level.
How profits are taxed
Twice — corporate income tax, then personal tax on dividends.
Who can be an owner
Anyone — individuals, companies, foreign nationals. No cap.
Classes of stock
Common and preferred. Issue different classes to investors.
Self-employment tax
You’re an employee, paid via W-2 from the company.
Best for
Raising capital, bringing on investors, or pursuing a large exit — especially with foreign owners or multiple share classes.
Question
S-corp
What it is
A federal tax election applies to a corporation or LLC.
How profits are taxed
Once profits pass through to your personal return.
Who can be an owner
U.S. citizens or residents only. Max 100 shareholders.
Classes of stock
Common stock only.
Self-employment tax
Pay yourself a “reasonable salary”; distributions above that aren’t subject to SE tax
Best for
Owner-operators with profits roughly above the $50K–$80K range who want to reduce self-employment tax.
Choose the plan that fits your path
Basic
Lite
$0
*Plus state fees
LLC formation
Invoicing & bookkeeping
Free 30-day trial
Business coaching platform
Form your LLC
Process the LLC within 14
business days
Invoicing & bookkeeping (trial*)
Business and coaching program
Mastery of taxes, compliance, and marketing
On-demand master course
Hands-on activities
Annual compliance: mandatory report filing & updates
Establish operating agreement
Funding search
Online business & branding tools
1-year free domainDIY website/online store8 free logosDigital business cardSocial media post makerBusiness card tools
Popular
Essential
$199
/yr
$199
/yr
*Plus state fees
LLC formation
Legal compliance
1 day expedited processing
Invoicing & bookkeeping
Free 30-day trial
Business coaching program
Funding search
Form your LLC
Process the LLC within 1
business day
Invoicing & bookkeeping (trial*)
Business and coaching program
Mastery of taxes, compliance, and marketing
On-demand master course
Hands-on activities
Annual compliance: mandatory report filing & updates
Establish operating agreement
Funding search
Online business & branding tools
1-year free domainDIY website/online store8 free logosDigital business cardSocial media post makerBusiness card tools
Premium
Elite
$249
/yr
$249
/yr
*Plus state fees
LLC formation
Legal compliance
1 day expedited processing
Invoicing & bookkeeping
Free 30-day trial
Domain
Website
Business coaching program
Funding search
Form your LLC
Process the LLC within 1
business day
Invoicing & bookkeeping (trial*)
Business and coaching program
Mastery of taxes, compliance, and marketing
On-demand master course
Hands-on activities
Annual compliance: mandatory report filing & updates
Establish operating agreement
Funding search
Online business & branding tools
- 1-year free domain
- DIY website/online store
- 8 free logos
- Digital business card
- Social media post maker
- Business card tools
PAYMENT SOLUTIONS
*The bookkeeping & invoicing free trial expires after 30 days, you’ll be charged $30/month. Cancel anytime.
FAQ
Both protect your personal assets from business debts and lawsuits. The big differences are ownership and taxes. LLCs are owned by members and taxed once (pass-through). Corporations are owned by shareholders, can issue stock to investors, and — if you stay a C-corp — are taxed twice (once at the corporate level, once when profits are paid out). Investors generally prefer corporations.
Same legal structure, different tax treatment. C-corporations pay corporate tax on profits, then shareholders pay tax again on dividends. S-corps skip the corporate-level tax — profits pass through to owners’ personal returns. The trade-off: S-corps are capped at 100 U.S.-citizen shareholders and one class of stock, so they’re not an option if you’re planning to raise venture capital.
The S-corp election saves you self-employment tax on the portion of profits you take as distributions instead of salary. The catch: you have to pay yourself a “reasonable salary” first, and you’ll need to run payroll and file an extra tax return. Once those costs are factored in, the math typically starts working around $40,000–$80,000 of annual profit, depending on your industry’s reasonable-salary benchmark. Below that, it’s usually not worth the complexity. Talk to an accountant before electing.
It depends on two things: the plan you choose and your state’s filing fees. Our Lite plan is $0 + state fees. State filing fees range from $50 in Kentucky to $500 in Massachusetts. Most states fall in the $100–$200 range.
Usually 7–10 business days, but it varies by state. Our Essential and Elite plans process your filing within 1 business day on our end — after that, it’s up to your Secretary of State.
No. You can incorporate on your own. A lawyer is worth it if you’re raising capital, splitting ownership in complicated ways, or have unusual circumstances. For most founders, our service plus a tax professional is enough.
Delaware has the most established corporate law in the country, a dedicated business court (the Court of Chancery), and tax advantages for out-of-state revenue. It’s also what venture capitalists expect — almost every VC will require Delaware C-corp status before investing.
Yes. You can either elect S-corp tax status (your LLC stays an LLC, you just file Form 2553) or do a statutory conversion to a C-corp. We can handle either one.
The document that legally creates your corporation. It lists your business name, address, registered agent, and the number of shares you’re authorizing. We prepare and file it for you.
Yes, every state requires it. A registered agent receives legal documents on behalf of your business. We can be your registered agent in all 50 states.