Georgia · Corporation
How to Start a Corporation in Georgia
Georgia has a step most states dropped: you put a notice in the newspaper.
See the stepsShort answer
File Articles of Incorporation with the Georgia Secretary of State for $100 online. At checkout that is $170 for Georgia plus $123.75 for our formation, $293.75 before card processing. Your first report, the Initial annual registration, adds $50 within 90 days of incorporation. Then publish a notice of intent to incorporate in your county's legal newspaper, paid to the newspaper. Within 90 days, file the initial annual registration for $50. It is due again every year between January 1 and April 1.
Last checked .How do I incorporate in Georgia, step by step?
Georgia makes every new corporation publish a notice of intent to incorporate in the official legal organ of the county where its registered office will be.
Choose and check the name
Choose a name distinguishable from entities on Georgia's records and search the Secretary of State's business search. A reservation is optional. See the Georgia 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 (domestic profit corporation) with Georgia. The fee at our checkout is $170. 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
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
Register with Georgia Department of Revenue: register a new business for sales tax and withholding through the Georgia Tax Center. 7
File the annual report
Put the first deadline on your calendar before you file anything else. See the Georgia annual report page and the filings below.
How much does it cost to incorporate in Georgia?
| Item | Cost | When |
|---|---|---|
| State fees (what our checkout charges) | $170 | At filing |
| Our formation, bylaws included | $123.75 | At filing |
| Total for the filing | $293.75 | Before card processing |
| With our registered agent for a year (Formation + Registered Agent) | $348.20 | At filing |
| With the Day-One Bundle | $392 | At filing |
| Initial annual registration (first report) | $50 3 | within 90 days of incorporation |
| Annual registration (each year) | $50 5 | between January 1 and April 1 each year |
| First-year total: filing, our formation and the first report | $343.75 | Before card processing |
| Registered agent after the first year | $74.25 a year | Optional |
Card processing is added at checkout and shown before you pay. State fees: the state's published fee for the Articles of Incorporation (domestic profit corporation) is $100; our checkout charges $170 on the state side, and the state's fee schedule does not itemize the other $70. You see it before you pay.
Georgia at a glance
| Question | Georgia |
|---|---|
| Formation filing and state fee | Articles of Incorporation (domestic profit corporation), $100 1 |
| Registered agent | Registered agent at a Georgia street address; a post office box is not sufficient 2 |
| First report after filing | Initial annual registration, $50, due within 90 days of incorporation 3 |
| Newspaper publication | Publish a notice of intent to incorporate in the official legal organ of the county where the initial registered office will be, once a week for two consecutive weeks. 4 |
| Annual report | Annual registration, $50, due between January 1 and April 1 each year 5 |
| Corporate income tax | 4.99% flat 6 |
Do I need a registered agent in Georgia?
Georgia requires a registered office at a street address in the state, and a post office box is not sufficient. 2 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. Georgia registered agent rules.
What goes in the Georgia articles of incorporation?
File Articles of Incorporation online with the Secretary of State, naming the registered agent and a registered office at a Georgia street address.
Which annual reports and franchise taxes will a Georgia corporation owe?
Send the notice and the newspaper's fee to the county's official legal organ by the next business day after filing; the paper sets the price. Then file the initial annual registration within 90 days, listing three principal officers.
- Within 90 days of incorporating, a Georgia profit corporation must file an initial annual registration listing three principal officers, and the fee is $50. 3
- Georgia profit corporations file an annual registration each year between January 1 and April 1, and the fee is $50. 5
- Every Georgia corporation must publish a notice of intent to incorporate in the official legal organ of the county where its registered office will be. 4
- Georgia taxes a C corporation's Georgia taxable net income at a flat 4.99% for tax year 2026. 6
How do I start an S corp in Georgia?
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) 9. Georgia recognizes the federal S election when S status is recognized for Georgia purposes, and then the shareholders rather than the corporation pay the income tax. 8
We file Form 2553 for $165. Run your own numbers in the calculator or read Georgia: S corp or C corp.
Should I form a corporation or an LLC in Georgia?
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 Georgia.
Raising venture money? Investors usually ask for a Delaware C corporation, which you then register in Georgia as a foreign corporation. See how to start a corporation in Delaware.
What do I do after filing in Georgia?
- 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 Georgia corporation
We file it for $123.75 plus the state fee ($170), 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 form a corporation in Georgia?
The online filing fee is $100, plus the newspaper's fee for the publication.
What is the Georgia initial annual registration?
A filing within 90 days of incorporation listing three principal officers, for $50.
When is the Georgia corporation annual registration due?
Each year between January 1 and April 1, for $50.
Can I use a P.O. box for my Georgia registered office?
No. It must be a street address in Georgia.
Sources 9 links, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Georgia charges a $100 filing fee for articles of incorporation filed online with the Secretary of State. georgia.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Georgia requires a registered office at a street address in the state, and a post office box is not sufficient. georgia.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Within 90 days of incorporating, a Georgia profit corporation must file an initial annual registration listing three principal officers, and the fee is $50. georgia.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Every Georgia corporation must publish a notice of intent to incorporate in the official legal organ of the county where its registered office will be. georgia.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Georgia profit corporations file an annual registration each year between January 1 and April 1, and the fee is $50. georgia.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Georgia taxes a C corporation's Georgia taxable net income at a flat 4.99% for tax year 2026. dor.georgia.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- A new Georgia business registers with the Department of Revenue through the Register a New Business page and the Georgia Tax Center. dor.georgia.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Georgia recognizes the federal S election when S status is recognized for Georgia purposes, and then the shareholders rather than the corporation pay the income tax. dor.georgia.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.