Arizona · Corporation
How to Start a Corporation in Arizona
Arizona used to make new corporations buy a newspaper notice. That rule is gone, and the Commission now handles it.
See the stepsShort answer
To start a corporation in Arizona, file Articles of Incorporation with the Arizona Corporation Commission for $60, along with a Certificate of Disclosure. At checkout that is $60 for Arizona plus $123.75 for our formation, $183.75 before card processing. An optional $35 expedite fee speeds it up. Each year you then file the annual report, which is $45 for a for-profit corporation.
Last checked .How do I incorporate in Arizona, step by step?
Arizona dropped the newspaper rule only in Maricopa and Pima counties, where the Commission posts the approval in its own database. Everywhere else you publish the articles yourself.
Choose and check the name
Your name needs a word such as association, bank, company, corporation, limited or incorporated, or an abbreviation. It cannot contain LLC, LC or limited liability company. Search eCorp first. See the Arizona name search guide.
Name a registered agent
Every corporation needs one in the state (the rule). Ours is $74.25 a year.
File articles of incorporation
File the Articles of Incorporation (for-profit) with Arizona. The fee at our checkout is $60. Details are below.
Adopt bylaws
Bylaws are the board's rules: how directors are elected, how meetings run and how officers are chosen. Every corporation we form includes them.
Name directors, officers and issue shares
An Arizona board has one or more directors, and one individual may hold more than one office. 5 Hold an organizational meeting, record it in minutes, and issue stock to the owners.
Get an EIN
The EIN is the corporation's federal tax ID. The IRS issues it free at irs.gov.
Register for state taxes
Before you pay wages, open a payroll withholding account with the state’s tax department, and a sales tax account if you sell taxable goods or services.
File the annual report
Put the first deadline on your calendar before you file anything else. See the Arizona annual report page and the filings below.
How much does it cost to incorporate in Arizona?
| Item | Cost | When |
|---|---|---|
| State fees (what our checkout charges) | $60 | At filing |
| Our formation, bylaws included | $123.75 | At filing |
| Total for the filing | $183.75 | Before card processing |
| With our registered agent for a year (Formation + Registered Agent) | $238.20 | At filing |
| With the Day-One Bundle | $282 | At filing |
| Annual Report (each year) | $45 7 | annually |
| Registered agent after the first year | $74.25 a year | Optional |
Card processing is added at checkout and shown before you pay. Arizona's fees are the same whoever files.
Arizona at a glance
| Question | Arizona |
|---|---|
| Formation filing and state fee | Articles of Incorporation (for-profit), $60 1 |
| Expedited filing | expedited processing $35 2 |
| Name rule | Must contain association, bank, company, corporation, limited or incorporated (or an abbreviation); may not contain limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., L.C., LLC or LC 3 |
| Registered agent | Statutory agent: an individual with a permanent, full-time physical street address in Arizona, or an entity; the corporation cannot be its own statutory agent 4 |
| Directors and officers | At least 1 director; officers: officers described in the bylaws or appointed by the board; one individual may hold more than one office 5 |
| Newspaper publication | Publish the articles within sixty days of approval unless your known place of business is in a county of more than eight hundred thousand people, where the Commission posts the approval in its database instead 6 |
| Annual report | Annual Report, $45, due annually 7 |
| Corporate income tax | 4.9% flat 8 |
Do I need a registered agent in Arizona?
An Arizona statutory agent needs a permanent, full-time physical street address in Arizona, and the corporation cannot be its own agent. 4 You can be your own agent if you have a street address in the state and are there in business hours, but the address goes on the public record. Ours, through our partner Registered Agents Inc, is $74.25 a year, or $178.20 with the formation. Arizona registered agent rules.
What goes in the Arizona articles of incorporation?
File with the Arizona Corporation Commission, with a Certificate of Disclosure. The statutory agent needs a permanent, full-time physical street address in Arizona and cannot be the corporation itself.
Arizona's optional expedite fee is $35 on top of the filing fee. 2
Which annual reports and franchise taxes will a Arizona corporation owe?
Publish the articles in a newspaper within sixty days of approval unless you are in Maricopa or Pima County. Then file the annual report each year.
- Arizona's annual report for a for-profit corporation costs $45 ($80 expedited). 7
- Arizona requires the articles to be published within sixty days of approval, unless the Commission posts the approval in its database instead, which it does only for corporations whose known place of business is in a county of more than eight hundred thousand people. 6
- An Arizona C corporation pays a flat 4.9% of Arizona taxable income (ADOR's 2025 forms). 8
How do I start an S corp in Arizona?
A corporation is a C corporation unless it elects otherwise. An S corp is a tax election, not another kind of entity. The order is plain: form the corporation, get the EIN, then file IRS Form 2553 within 2 months and 15 days after start of the tax year the election takes effect (or any time in the prior tax year) 10. Arizona recognizes the federal S election; S corporations and LLCs that elect S status file Arizona Form 120S. 9
We file Form 2553 for $165. Run your own numbers in the calculator or read Arizona: S corp or C corp.
Should I form a corporation or an LLC in Arizona?
Shares, a board and officers. The usual choice when you plan to raise money from investors or issue stock options.
Fewer formalities and flexible ownership. Often the simpler choice for one owner or a small team.
Compare the two: How to start an LLC in Arizona.
Raising venture money? Investors usually ask for a Delaware C corporation, which you then register in Arizona as a foreign corporation. See how to start a corporation in Delaware.
What do I do after filing in Arizona?
- Adopt the bylaws and hold the first board meeting; write minutes.
- Issue stock to the owners and keep a stock ledger.
- Get the EIN, open a business bank account and keep money separate.
Form your Arizona corporation
We file it for $123.75 plus the state fee ($60), with bylaws included. Add the registered agent for $178.20 in all, or take the Day-One Bundle at $222.
Common questions
How much does it cost to incorporate in Arizona?
$60 for the articles, plus an optional $35 expedite fee.
Does Arizona require publication for a new corporation?
Yes, except in Maricopa and Pima counties. Elsewhere, publish within sixty days of approval.
Can my Arizona corporation be its own statutory agent?
No.
How much is the Arizona corporation annual report?
$45, or $80 expedited.
Sources 10 links, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Arizona charges $60 for for-profit Articles of Incorporation ($95 with expedited processing); a Certificate of Disclosure must be filed with them. azcc.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Arizona's optional expedite fee is $35 on top of the filing fee. azcc.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- An Arizona corporation's name must contain a word such as company, corporation, limited or incorporated, or an abbreviation, and may not suggest an LLC. azcc.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- An Arizona statutory agent needs a permanent, full-time physical street address in Arizona, and the corporation cannot be its own agent. azcc.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- An Arizona board has one or more directors, and one individual may hold more than one office. azleg.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Arizona requires the articles to be published within sixty days of approval, unless the Commission posts the approval in its database instead, which it does only for corporations whose known place of business is in a county of more than eight hundred thousand people. azleg.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Arizona's annual report for a for-profit corporation costs $45 ($80 expedited). azcc.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- An Arizona C corporation pays a flat 4.9% of Arizona taxable income (ADOR's 2025 forms). azdor.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- Arizona recognizes the federal S election; S corporations and LLCs that elect S status file Arizona Form 120S. azdor.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- IRS: Form 2553 instructions irs.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
Last verified Nov 7, 2026.
This page explains the rules; it is not legal or tax advice.