Indiana · Corporation
How to Start a Corporation in Indiana
Indiana asks for a report only every other year, and your fee changes with how you file.
See the stepsShort answer
To start a corporation in Indiana, file Articles of Incorporation (State Form 4159) with the Secretary of State. At checkout that is $98 for Indiana plus $123.75 for our formation, $221.75 before card processing. The fee is $75 filed electronically or $100 filed any other way. Then file a Business Entity Report every two years: the statute sets $20 electronically and $50 on paper.
Last checked .How do I incorporate in Indiana, step by step?
Indiana's quirk is the calendar. A corporation files its Business Entity Report every two years, not every year, and the fee depends on whether you file electronically or on paper. Electronic is the cheaper route both times, so pick it up front.
Choose and check the name
An Indiana corporation's name must include the word Corporation, Incorporated, Limited or Company, or an abbreviation of one. Confirm no one else holds the name, then enter it exactly on the articles. See the Indiana 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, domestic corporation
File the Articles of Incorporation, Domestic Corporation (State Form 4159) with Indiana. The fee at our checkout is $98. 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 Indiana Department of Revenue: register through INBiz for a Registered Retail Merchant Certificate (sales tax) and withholding. 6
File the annual report
Put the first deadline on your calendar before you file anything else. See the Indiana annual report page and the filings below.
How much does it cost to incorporate in Indiana?
| Item | Cost | When |
|---|---|---|
| State fees (what our checkout charges) | $98 | At filing |
| Our formation, bylaws included | $123.75 | At filing |
| Total for the filing | $221.75 | Before card processing |
| With our registered agent for a year (Formation + Registered Agent) | $276.20 | At filing |
| With the Day-One Bundle | $320 | At filing |
| Biennial Business Entity Report (every two years) | $20 4 | every other year, in the anniversary month of the business forming |
| 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 Corporation (State Form 4159) is $75; our checkout charges $98 on the state side, and the state's fee schedule does not itemize the other $23. You see it before you pay.
Indiana at a glance
| Question | Indiana |
|---|---|
| Formation filing and state fee | Articles of Incorporation, Domestic Corporation (State Form 4159), $75 1 |
| Name rule | Must include the word Corporation, Incorporated, Limited, Company or an abbreviation 2 |
| Registered agent | Must continuously maintain a registered agent and registered office in Indiana; the office must be a street address (no PO box without a rural route); the entity cannot be its own agent; one agent only 3 |
| Annual report | Biennial Business Entity Report, $20, due every other year, in the anniversary month of the business forming (every two years) 4 |
| Corporate income tax | 4.9% flat 5 |
Do I need a registered agent in Indiana?
An Indiana corporation must continuously maintain a registered agent and a registered office in Indiana, the office must be a street address, and the corporation cannot serve as its own registered agent. 3 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. Indiana registered agent rules.
What goes in the Indiana articles of incorporation, domestic corporation?
The document is Articles of Incorporation, Domestic Corporation, State Form 4159, filed with the Secretary of State. The articles cover the corporation's name and principal office, its authorized shares and the other items on the form. You must keep a registered agent and a registered office, which must be a street address, and the corporation cannot be its own registered agent.
Which annual reports and franchise taxes will a Indiana corporation owe?
File the Business Entity Report every two years, in the anniversary month of the business forming. If you sell goods, register with the Department of Revenue through INBiz to collect sales tax and get a Registered Retail Merchant Certificate.
How do I start an S corp in Indiana?
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) 8. Indiana exempts S corporations from its corporate income tax, except on passive income and built-in gains. 7
We file Form 2553 for $165. Run your own numbers in the calculator or read Indiana: S corp or C corp.
Should I form a corporation or an LLC in Indiana?
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 Indiana.
Raising venture money? Investors usually ask for a Delaware C corporation, which you then register in Indiana as a foreign corporation. See how to start a corporation in Delaware.
What do I do after filing in Indiana?
- 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 Indiana corporation
We file it for $123.75 plus the state fee ($98), 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 Indiana?
$75 filed electronically or $100 filed in any other manner, per the Indiana Code.
How often does an Indiana corporation file a report?
Every two years. The fee is $20 electronically or $50 on paper.
When is the Indiana Business Entity Report due?
Every other year in the anniversary month of the business forming.
What must an Indiana corporation's name include?
The word Corporation, Incorporated, Limited or Company, or an abbreviation of one of them.
Sources 8 links, checked Nov 7, 2026
- In Indiana you file Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State for $75 filed electronically or $100 filed any other way. iga.in.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- An Indiana corporation's name must include the word Corporation, Incorporated, Limited or Company, or an abbreviation of one. forms.in.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- An Indiana corporation must continuously maintain a registered agent and a registered office in Indiana, the office must be a street address, and the corporation cannot serve as its own registered agent. in.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Indiana corporations file a Business Entity Report every two years, and the statute sets the fee at $20 filed electronically and $50 filed on paper. iga.in.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Indiana taxes C corporation adjusted gross income at a flat 4.9% (the rate in the 2025 booklet; no 2026 change found). forms.in.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- An Indiana business that sells goods registers with the Department of Revenue through INBiz to collect sales tax and get a Registered Retail Merchant Certificate. in.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Indiana exempts S corporations from its corporate income tax, except on passive income and built-in gains. forms.in.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.