Maryland corporations benefit from various advantages like personal liability protection, but they also have considerations like more record-keeping requirements. Learn more about how to form a Maryland corporation using our step-by-step guide below. We’ll also walk through some of the nuances of forming a professional corporation, a corporation organized by licensed professionals like lawyers, veterinarians, or dentists.
Your corporation is officially established in Maryland once you register your new business with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. This is done by filing your Articles of Incorporation. However, there are tasks to complete before and after this filing.
Once you’ve determined which corporation offers the best structure for your business — whether you pick a C corporation, professional corporation, or nonprofit corporation — it’s time to pick a name.
Some things to consider when picking a business name:
Make sure that your corporate name is available and distinguishable from other entities. You can use our LLC name search to check availability.
Keep in mind that your corporation’s name must include at least one of the following designators or their abbreviations: “Incorporated” (Inc.), “Corporation” (Corp.), or “Limited” (Ltd.).
Certain words are prohibited or restricted in Maryland, and a business name can’t contain language stating or implying something other than its purpose included in the Articles of Incorporation.
Maryland has a couple unique requirements for naming a professional corporation. For starters, you’ll use a slightly different designator; Maryland law states that you need to use either “professional corporation,” “chartered,” or “professional association.” Their abbreviations “chtd.” or “P.C.” or “P.A.” are acceptable, as well.
Many professional corporations need to include the surname of one or more stockholders in the company name (with a few limited exceptions). You can also request a “Certificate of Authorization for Use of a Corporate Name” from your licensing unit to get permission to use a different name. Essentially, this certificate will help ensure that your name complies with any and all naming regulations in your industry.
Before making the final decision on your company name, visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office website to make sure it isn’t federally trademarked. Trademarks also exist at the state level. To see if the name has any state trademarks, run it through Maryland’s trademark search engine. If you want some legal protection for your name, apply for a state or federal trademark of your own.
You may also be interested in a “doing business as” (DBA) name, referred to as a trade name in Maryland. To register a trade name, mail a Trade Name Application with a $25 fee to Charter Division Department of Assessments and Taxation, 301 W. Preston Street, Room 801, Baltimore, Maryland 21201. You may also file online.
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Having secured your corporation’s name, Maryland requires that each corporation have at least one director on its board. If you’re forming a professional corporation, keep in mind that a majority of your directors need to be licensed in your company’s profession.
When appointing your director(s), you may also want to draft your corporation’s bylaws, which will establish the basic rules for how your corporation functions internally and determine your stock structure. Shareholders fund your corporation and, as owners of your business, will have a say in how it operates.
It’s up to your corporation, not Maryland, to determine the qualifications required of the director(s). While it may be beneficial to appoint a director who is a shareholder (or an “owner”) in your corporation, it’s not required.
Your board of directors will be responsible for overseeing your corporation and electing the officers who manage day-to-day business activities. In addition to its at least one director, Maryland requires a corporation to have at least three officers: a president, a secretary, and a treasurer. If desired, your business may have any number of additional officers.
Once you’ve appointed your director(s), you must choose a Maryland resident agent, commonly referred to as a registered agent in other states.
Every Maryland corporation is required to have a resident agent who agrees to accept legal documents (such as notices of a lawsuit) and important correspondence from the state on the corporation’s behalf. The resident agent is required to be either an adult Maryland citizen or an existing Maryland corporation (your corporation can’t be its own resident agent). The agent must be present during all normal business hours to accept service of process in person.
One of the many services we offer is our registered agent service. When you sign up, we’ll provide you with a registered agent, meaning that there will always be someone available to receive important legal, tax, and other notices from the state.
Not only will this keep you in compliance, but it avoids scenarios where you could be served papers for a lawsuit in front of clients.
Our service also keeps you organized. When you get important documents, we’ll quickly inform you and keep them together in your online “dashboard” so that you can view, download, and/or print them whenever you want. No more digging through piles of papers to try to find misplaced critical documents.
Use our Maryland registered agent service.
You can choose to be your own resident agent, but this may not be wise; you’ll be required to be at the office all day, and you could be served papers for a lawsuit in front of clients.
Now you’re ready to file the Maryland Articles of Incorporation. Different states have different names for this document. While it’s called the Articles of Incorporation in Maryland, it may be referred to as the Certificate of Incorporation in other states. Despite the different terminology, they are essentially the same. Professional corporations file this form, too.
The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation provides downloadable forms you can complete and mail in or submit in person, or you can file your own document online.
The Articles of Incorporation must include the following information:
The filing fee is $120, which includes an organization and capitalization fee. However, the fee can increase if (a) the aggregate par value (the par value multiplied by the number of shares) is more than $100,000 or (b) if more than $5000 shares without par value are authorized. If either of these are true, call the Department of Assessments and Taxation at (410) 767-1340 to find out what the fee will be.
If you’re forming a professional corporation, you’ll need to include with your Articles of Incorporation a statement that the corporation is a professional corporation and that the corporation’s purpose is to render the professional services specified.
If you haven’t already, it’s important to draft your corporate bylaws after filing your Articles of Incorporation to establish the rules of how your corporation will function daily.
Your corporate bylaws will not be filed with the state of Maryland. However, they must be consistent with your Articles of Incorporation and the laws of the state. For professional corporations, bylaws must follow regulations specific to the profession and ensure compliance with state laws governing professional services.
Your corporate bylaws may include things like:
Another important document to draft is a shareholder agreement. In Maryland, they are referred to as stockholders — all who own stock are also partial owners of your corporation. This document outlines the rights and responsibilities of all stockholders and may include:
This agreement can be drafted from a template, but you may want to seek professional assistance. Your shareholder agreement should be kept with your other important corporate records.
One of the requirements for starting a corporation is issuing stock. When you filed your Articles of Incorporation, you stated the number of stock shares that were authorized. Make sure that the number of shares you issue is always less than or equal to this number.
Issuing stock is one of the advantages of forming a corporation. Because it’s necessary to raise funds (“capital”) to launch your business, you can determine how much capital you need and divide this value among stock shares that you issue to your stockholders.
State and local governments may require you to have permits or licenses to operate. Most businesses, such as retailers, are required to have a license. If your business buys or resells goods, you are required to have a trader’s license. Furthermore, you or any professionals you hire may need individual occupational and professional licenses. This step is especially important for professional corporations.
Maryland’s OneStop portal will help you determine what licenses and permits you need at the state level. Depending on where your business is located, you may also need to check with the Clerk of the Circuit Court regarding local licensing requirements. We encourage all business owners to do their due diligence and look at any required licensing and permits at the local, state, and federal levels.
Your corporation will be treated as its own legal entity, separate from you or the people involved. For tax purposes, you will need to apply for a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN), which acts sort of like the corporation’s Social Security number.
To apply for an EIN, visit the IRS website. The process can be completed for free online. Keep track of your EIN because you will need it for future documentation and when filing your business’s tax return.
Remember that corporations must pay their own taxes separately from any taxes paid on stockholder earnings. This must be done at the federal and state levels by submitting the appropriate return each year.
Maryland also has a business personal property tax, which is a tax on your company’s tangible property (like inventory, office furniture, equipment, computers, machinery, and anything else that’s not real estate). If your business owns, leases, or uses personal property in Maryland or if it maintains a trader’s license with a local unit of government in Maryland, you’ll need to file a business personal property tax return along with your annual report, which we’ll cover in the next section.
Maryland has a combined registration application you can use if you need to get a sales and use tax license, start an employee withholding account, or register for a variety of other taxes.
All businesses formed, qualified, or registered to do business in the state must file a Maryland annual report by April 15 of every year unless you request an extension. As of this writing, there is a $300 filing fee.
You can submit your annual report online or mail it to:
Department of Assessments and Taxation
Charter Division
Box 17052
Baltimore, Maryland 21297-1052
The base filing fee for the Articles of Incorporation in Maryland is $120 (unless you meet the criteria we covered in Step 4). You’ll also be required to pay $300 to file your annual report.
Note this does not include any additional fees that may be required for operating your business. Depending on your industry, you might need specific permits or licenses. This base fee does not include ongoing costs to grow your business, like maintaining a website or creating marketing materials.
For a low annual fee, ZenBusiness can provide expert guidance and help reduce the time spent launching your corporation, so you can focus on growing your business.
Due to corporations being treated as their own legal entities, stockholders (owners) are usually not personally liable for business debts. In other words, forming a corporation protects you and your personal assets from many of the risks associated with running a business.
Other advantages include:
There are three main types of corporations in Maryland: C corporations, S corporations, and nonprofit corporations.
C corporations (the default form of corporation) are treated as separate tax entities and must file their own federal and state tax returns. In addition to this, when profits are distributed to the stockholders, the profits are taxed again on the stockholders’ individual tax returns. This is called “double taxation.” While that might seem less than ideal, there are some benefits to this tax structure, including more flexibility in what can be deducted.
S corporations are “pass-through entities,” much like limited liability companies (LLCs). The corporation itself doesn’t pay federal income tax under this system, just the individual stockholders, thus eliminating the double taxation on federal taxes. For state corporate income tax, though, Maryland is a little different in that S corporations must file Form 510, the Pass-Through Entity Income Tax Return. The business itself would not owe any taxes with this form unless it has any members who are nonresidents of Maryland and any nonresident taxable income.
Nonprofit corporations can apply to be exempt from paying federal taxes, provided they stay within the rules for nonprofit activity. If a Maryland nonprofit successfully applies for tax-exempt status with the IRS, it can also then apply to be exempt from paying state income tax. However, anyone drawing a salary from a nonprofit corporation will pay income tax on that salary.
As mentioned earlier, your corporation may also be responsible for paying business personal property tax. However, a nonprofit Maryland corporation can fill out an application to be exempt from this tax.
Navigating the incorporation process can be daunting, but you’re not alone. While we don’t currently offer start-up services for professional corporations, we can help you with our standard business incorporation service. We’ve also got a variety of other services, all here to guide you every step of the way, helping you form your Maryland corporation starting at just $0 plus state fees. Let us simplify the journey for you!
Corporations are more complex structures than other types of businesses and typically require additional paperwork, such as special tax filings and reports on stock transactions.
Like a corporation, a limited liability company (LLC) is a type of business structure that keeps the owners’ assets separate from business assets (i.e., “limits liability”). However, LLCs do not have a board of directors, do not issue shares, and are not recognized outside of the U.S. LLCs are also, by default, only taxed at the individual owner’s level, while corporations are taxed at both the business and personal levels.
To change your corporation’s name in Maryland, you need to file Articles of Amendment for a Maryland Corporation online or by completing and mailing this form and paying the filing fee.
Only one person is required to file the Articles of Incorporation in Maryland.
You can form your Maryland corporation online through the Maryland Business Express filing service.
To dissolve your Maryland corporation, you must file your Articles of Dissolution with a filing fee. This can be done online. Learn more about how to dissolve your Maryland business.
No. The PC is the only entity that covers professionals exclusively, and most licensed professionals need to use the professional corporation structure for their business. Certain other professionals may use other business structures like LLCs or limited partnerships.
Yes, professionals from different fields can form a PC together, but this is true only if the services they provide are similar or closely related to each other.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
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