Nevada · Corporation
How to Start a Corporation in Nevada
Nevada's filing fee is small, but the license and list that ride along with it cost far more.
See the stepsShort answer
To start a corporation in Nevada, file Articles of Incorporation with the Nevada Secretary of State. At checkout that is $744 for Nevada plus $123.75 for our formation, $867.75 before card processing. The fee starts at $75 and rises with the value of your authorized shares. At the same time you owe an Initial List of Officers and Directors ($150) and a $500 state business license.
Last checked .How do I incorporate in Nevada, step by step?
Nevada's articles fee starts at $75, but the state business license costs $500 for a corporation and is billed with the initial list and every annual list.
Choose and check the name
Your name must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records. Inc. or Corp. is required only if it looks like a person's name. See the Nevada 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 (NRS 78.035) with Nevada. The fee at our checkout is $744. 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
A Nevada corporation needs at least one director, and it must have a president, a secretary and a treasurer, though one person can hold more than one of those offices. 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 Nevada annual report page and the filings below.
How much does it cost to incorporate in Nevada?
| Item | Cost | When |
|---|---|---|
| State fees (what our checkout charges) | $744 | At filing |
| Our formation, bylaws included | $123.75 | At filing |
| Total for the filing | $867.75 | Before card processing |
| With our registered agent for a year (Formation + Registered Agent) | $922.20 | At filing |
| With the Day-One Bundle | $966 | At filing |
| Annual List of Officers and Directors (each year) | $150 7 | by the last day of the anniversary month of incorporation |
| Nevada State Business License (corporations), minimum (each year) | $500 8 | with the initial list, then with each annual list |
| Registered agent after the first year | $74.25 a year | Optional |
Card processing is added at checkout and shown before you pay. State fees: $75 articles (minimum) + $150 initial list + $500 state business license = $725; the other $19 of the $744 is not itemized on the state's fee schedule.
Nevada at a glance
| Question | Nevada |
|---|---|
| Formation filing and state fee | Articles of Incorporation (NRS 78.035), $75 1 |
| Expedited filing | within 24 hours $125, within 2 hours $500, within 1 hour $1,000 2 |
| Name rule | Must be distinguishable from every other entity name on file; a name that looks like a person's name needs a word such as Inc., Corp., Company or Limited, but no designator is otherwise required 3 |
| Registered agent | Registered agent who resides or is located in Nevada, with a street address for service of process 4 |
| Directors and officers | At least 1 director; officers: president, secretary and treasurer (or equivalent); one person may hold two or more offices 5 |
| First report after filing | Initial List of Officers and Directors, $150, due at the time you file the articles of incorporation 6 |
| Annual report | Annual List of Officers and Directors, $150, due by the last day of the anniversary month of incorporation 7 |
| Franchise or minimum tax | Nevada State Business License (corporations): flat $500 for a corporation organized under NRS chapter 78; renewed each year for $500, due with the initial list, then with each annual list 8 |
| Corporate income tax | 0% flat 9 |
Do I need a registered agent in Nevada?
Every Nevada corporation must have a registered agent who resides or is located in Nevada and has a street address for receiving service of process. 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. Nevada registered agent rules.
What goes in the Nevada articles of incorporation?
File Articles of Incorporation. The fee is $75 when authorized shares total $75,000 or less and rises with higher share value. The registered agent must reside or be located in Nevada. Faster service costs up to $125 for 24 hours, $500 for 2 hours and $1,000 for 1 hour.
Nevada law lets the Secretary of State charge up to one hundred twenty-five dollars for 24-hour service, up to five hundred dollars for service within 2 hours, and up to one thousand dollars for service within 1 hour. 2
Which annual reports and franchise taxes will a Nevada corporation owe?
File the $150 Initial List of Officers and Directors with the articles and pay the $500 license then. The annual list is due by the last day of the month you incorporated.
- Nevada requires an initial list of officers and directors filed with your articles, and it costs $150. 6
- Nevada corporations file an annual list by the last day of the month in which they incorporated, and the fee is $150 when authorized shares total $75,000 or less, rising with higher share value. 7
- A Nevada corporation pays a $500 state business license fee when it files its initial list, and the same $500 to renew the license each year. 8
- Nevada has no corporate income tax. 9
How do I start an S corp in Nevada?
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) 11. Nevada has no corporate income tax and no personal income tax, so there is no state S election to follow; the choice is federal only. 10
We file Form 2553 for $165. Run your own numbers in the calculator or read Nevada: S corp or C corp.
Should I form a corporation or an LLC in Nevada?
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 Nevada.
Raising venture money? Investors usually ask for a Delaware C corporation, which you then register in Nevada as a foreign corporation. See how to start a corporation in Delaware.
What do I do after filing in Nevada?
- 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 Nevada corporation
We file it for $123.75 plus the state fee ($744), 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 Nevada?
The articles fee starts at $75, plus $150 for the initial list and $500 for the state business license.
How many directors does a Nevada corporation need?
At least one, plus a president, a secretary and a treasurer.
What is the Nevada state business license?
$500 with your initial list, renewed for $500 each year.
When is the Nevada annual list due?
By the last day of the month in which you incorporated.
Sources 11 links, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Nevada charges $75 to file articles of incorporation when the shares you authorize total $75,000 or less, and the fee rises in steps as the total value of authorized shares grows. leg.state.nv.us, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Nevada law lets the Secretary of State charge up to one hundred twenty-five dollars for 24-hour service, up to five hundred dollars for service within 2 hours, and up to one thousand dollars for service within 1 hour. leg.state.nv.us, checked Nov 7, 2026
- A Nevada corporate name must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records, and a name that looks like a natural person's name needs an added word such as Incorporated, Inc., Company or Corporation. leg.state.nv.us, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Every Nevada corporation must have a registered agent who resides or is located in Nevada and has a street address for receiving service of process. leg.state.nv.us, checked Nov 7, 2026
- A Nevada corporation needs at least one director, and it must have a president, a secretary and a treasurer, though one person can hold more than one of those offices. leg.state.nv.us, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Nevada requires an initial list of officers and directors filed with your articles, and it costs $150. leg.state.nv.us, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Nevada corporations file an annual list by the last day of the month in which they incorporated, and the fee is $150 when authorized shares total $75,000 or less, rising with higher share value. leg.state.nv.us, checked Nov 7, 2026
- A Nevada corporation pays a $500 state business license fee when it files its initial list, and the same $500 to renew the license each year. leg.state.nv.us, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Nevada has no corporate income tax. goed.nv.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- Nevada has no corporate income tax and no personal income tax, so there is no state S election to follow; the choice is federal only. goed.nv.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.