Requirements to Register a Business in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania is home to a wide range of business types, from corporations and limited-liability companies to partnerships and sole proprietorships. Corporations must file articles of incorporation, while the state requires others to file registration or certificate of organization documents. The nature of the business will often dictate its type, as well as tax and legal aspects, so entrepreneurs should choose carefully and consult accountants and lawyers as necessary.
- Choosing an acceptable business name goes beyond finding something catchy and going with it. All names of new enterprises must be unique enough so that consumers and other businesses would not confuse it with an existing name. Pennsylvania's Corporation Bureau hosts a helpful resource that allows free name searches online. For those wishing to use a moniker other than their legal name, they can file a fictitious name registration.
- Businesses choosing to register within the state must possess an address within its borders. Whichever is chosen, it must be properly zoned to house the business type. The zoning board for the city or township in which the business chooses to register will be able to confirm correct usage. Businesses welcoming consumers and other clients on a daily basis, for example, are unlikely to be approved for addresses within residential neighborhoods. The business's registered agent must be listed within the state's borders to receive all applicable documents.
- Once the business type, name and address have been appropriately chosen and cleared, Pennsylvania requires new businesses to register for the payment of business taxes. Companies accomplish this by filing form PA-100, which can be completed online or downloaded for paper filing. This is a key step that completes the initial registration requirements.