Formal registration of companies has many immediate benefits for the companies and for business owners and employees. Legal entities can outlive their founders. Resources are pooled as several shareholders join forces to start a company. Formally registered companies have access to services and institutions from courts to banks as well as to new markets. And their employees can benefit from protections provided by the law. An additional benefit comes with limited liability companies. These limit the financial liability of company owners to their investments, so personal assets of the owners are not put at risk. Where governments make registration easy, more entrepreneurs start businesses in the formal sector, creating more good jobs and generating more revenue for the government.
Below is a summary of the bureaucratic and legal hurdles faced by entrepreneurs wishing to incorporate and register a new firm in the United State of America. It examines the procedures, time and cost involved in launching a commercial or industrial firm with up to 50 employees and start-up capital of 10 times the economy's per-capita gross national income.
This information was collected from World Bank: Doing Business
| No. | Procedure | Time to Complete | Associated Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserve the company's business name (optional), file the company's articles of organization and adopt the company's operating agreement | 1 day | USD 275 (USD 200 filing fee, USD 75 expedited service fee) |
| 2 | Apply for federal identification number (EIN) for tax and employer purposes | 1 day | no charge |
| 3 | Register to collect State sales tax | 1 day | no charge |
| 4 | Register as an employer with the Unemployment Insurance Division of the state Department of Labor | 1 day | no charge |
| 5 | Arrange for workers' compensation insurance and disability insurance | 1 day | no charge |
| 6 | Arrange for publication and submit certificate and affidavits of publication | 1 day | USD 400 |