Pennsylvania · Corporation
How to Start a Corporation in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's filing is routine. The newspaper notice is the step people miss.
See the stepsShort answer
To start a corporation in Pennsylvania, file Articles of Incorporation - For Profit (DSCB:15-1306) with the Department of State for $125. At checkout that is $125 for Pennsylvania plus $123.75 for our formation, $248.75 before card processing. Then publish notice in two newspapers. Each year you file an annual report, $7 for business corporations, between January 1 and June 30.
Last checked .How do I incorporate in Pennsylvania, step by step?
Pennsylvania makes filing with the state only half the job. You must also publish notice of your intent to file, or of the filing, in two newspapers of general circulation. That is a separate bill from a separate vendor.
Choose and check the name
Check the Department of State's business entity search first. Your name must be distinguishable from other registered names. See the Pennsylvania 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 - for profit
File the Articles of Incorporation - For Profit (DSCB:15-1306) with Pennsylvania. The fee at our checkout is $125. 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 Pennsylvania board has 1 or more members, and the corporation needs a president, a secretary and a treasurer. 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 Pennsylvania annual report page and the filings below.
How much does it cost to incorporate in Pennsylvania?
| Item | Cost | When |
|---|---|---|
| State fees (what our checkout charges) | $125 | At filing |
| Our formation, bylaws included | $123.75 | At filing |
| Total for the filing | $248.75 | Before card processing |
| With our registered agent for a year (Formation + Registered Agent) | $303.20 | At filing |
| With the Day-One Bundle | $347 | At filing |
| Annual Report (DSCB:15-146) (each year) | $7 7 | between January 1 and June 30 each year, starting in 2025 |
| Registered agent after the first year | $74.25 a year | Optional |
Card processing is added at checkout and shown before you pay. Pennsylvania's fees are the same whoever files.
Pennsylvania at a glance
| Question | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Formation filing and state fee | Articles of Incorporation - For Profit (DSCB:15-1306), $125 1 |
| Expedited filing | same day (received before 10:00 a.m.) $100, 3 hour (received before 2:00 p.m.) $300, 1 hour (received before 4:00 p.m.) $1,000 2 |
| Name rule | Must contain corporation, company, incorporated or limited (or an abbreviation), or association, fund or syndicate 3 |
| Registered agent | Articles must state the street address of a registered office in Pennsylvania (a commercial registered office provider may be named instead) 4 |
| Directors and officers | At least 1 director; officers: president, secretary and treasurer (any number of offices may be held by one person) 5 |
| Newspaper publication | Publish either the intent to file or the filing of the Articles of Incorporation in two newspapers of general circulation, one a legal journal if possible 6 |
| Annual report | Annual Report (DSCB:15-146), $7, due between January 1 and June 30 each year, starting in 2025 7 |
| Corporate income tax | 7.49% flat 8 |
Do I need a registered agent in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania articles must give the street address of the corporation's initial registered office in the state, or name a commercial registered office provider instead. 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. Pennsylvania registered agent rules.
What goes in the Pennsylvania articles of incorporation - for profit?
You can submit the form online at file.dos.pa.gov. Same-day expedite applies if received before 10:00 a.m. Paper expedite requests are not taken by mail.
Which annual reports and franchise taxes will a Pennsylvania corporation owe?
Publish in two newspapers, one a legal journal if possible, and keep the proof.
- Pennsylvania business corporations pay $7 for the annual report, filed between January 1 and June 30. 7
- A new Pennsylvania corporation must publish notice of its intent to file, or of the filing, in two newspapers of general circulation, one a legal journal if possible. 6
- Pennsylvania's corporate net income tax rate is 7.49% for tax year 2026 (January 1 to December 31, 2026), falling each year to 4.99% for 2031 and later. 8
How do I start an S corp in Pennsylvania?
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. Pennsylvania treats any corporation with a valid federal S election as a PA S corporation automatically. 9
We file Form 2553 for $165. Run your own numbers in the calculator or read Pennsylvania: S corp or C corp.
Should I form a corporation or an LLC in Pennsylvania?
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 Pennsylvania.
Raising venture money? Investors usually ask for a Delaware C corporation, which you then register in Pennsylvania as a foreign corporation. See how to start a corporation in Delaware.
What do I do after filing in Pennsylvania?
- 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 Pennsylvania corporation
We file it for $123.75 plus the state fee ($125), 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 Pennsylvania?
$125 to file Articles of Incorporation - For Profit (DSCB:15-1306). Publication is a separate cost paid to the papers.
Does a new Pennsylvania corporation have to publish in a newspaper?
Yes. The newspapers set the price.
What is the Pennsylvania annual report fee?
$7, filed between January 1 and June 30.
Can I expedite a Pennsylvania incorporation filing?
Yes: $100 same-day, $300 for 3-hour and $1,000 for 1-hour service, added to the $125.
Sources 10 links, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Pennsylvania charges $125 to file Articles of Incorporation - For Profit (DSCB:15-1306), and the form can be submitted online. pa.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Pennsylvania's expedited service fees, added to the filing fee, are $100 same-day, $300 for 3-hour and $1,000 for 1-hour service. pa.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- A Pennsylvania business corporation's name must contain corporation, company, incorporated or limited, or an abbreviation, or the word association, fund or syndicate. legis.state.pa.us, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Pennsylvania articles must give the street address of the corporation's initial registered office in the state, or name a commercial registered office provider instead. legis.state.pa.us, checked Nov 7, 2026
- A Pennsylvania board has 1 or more members, and the corporation needs a president, a secretary and a treasurer. legis.state.pa.us, checked Nov 7, 2026
- A new Pennsylvania corporation must publish notice of its intent to file, or of the filing, in two newspapers of general circulation, one a legal journal if possible. pa.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Pennsylvania business corporations pay $7 for the annual report, filed between January 1 and June 30. pa.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Pennsylvania's corporate net income tax rate is 7.49% for tax year 2026 (January 1 to December 31, 2026), falling each year to 4.99% for 2031 and later. pa.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- Pennsylvania treats any corporation with a valid federal S election as a PA S corporation automatically. pa.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.