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How to Incorporate in Idaho (May 2024 Update)

Meow Technologies, Inc.

Meow Technologies, Inc.

Incorporating your business in Idaho can provide your company with valuable liability protection and tax advantages. Forming an Idaho corporation may seem complicated, but breaking down the process into clear steps makes it much more manageable. This comprehensive guide will walk you through all the requirements for incorporating in Idaho, from choosing your business name to filing your annual report. Read on to learn the ins and outs of creating an Idaho corporation.

Choose a Name for Your Idaho Corporation

Picking a name is the initial move when establishing a corporation in Idaho. You’ll want to choose something memorable that represents your company. However, there are a few rules your corporation's name must follow:

  • It must contain a corporation designator such as “Corporation,” “Incorporated,” “Corp.,” “Inc.,” or “Co.”
  • It cannot be the same as another Idaho business entity or so similar that it would cause confusion. Check name availability on the Secretary of State website.
  • You cannot use words that imply it is a government agency or different business type.

You also have the option to reserve your chosen name in Idaho for 120 days while you complete the rest of the incorporation process.

Once you land on the perfect corporation name, double check that the domain is available before moving forward.

Appoint an Idaho Registered Agent

Idaho law mandates that every corporation has a registered agent. This designated person or company receives important legal and tax documents on behalf of your business.

Your registered agent must have an Idaho address where they can accept service during normal business hours. Many business owners prefer to appoint a registered agent service to keep their personal address private.

File Your Articles of Incorporation

The Articles of Incorporation formally creates your Idaho corporation. Prepare this document and file it with the Secretary of State, either by mail or through their online filing system.

You will need to include the following in your Articles:

  • Business name
  • Registered agent’s name and address
  • Incorporator’s name and address
  • Total number and types of shares

The filing fee is $100. Once the Secretary of State approves your Articles of Incorporation, your Idaho corporation is officially formed.

Draft Your Corporate Bylaws

Bylaws outline the operating rules and procedures for your new corporation. They establish details like when shareholder meetings will be held, voting procedures, electing directors, and more.

While you don’t have to submit your bylaws, creating them upfront helps avoid any conflicts down the road. Work with an attorney or use reputable templates to draft effective corporate bylaws.

Hold an Organizational Meeting

Once you have adopted bylaws, hold your first organizational meeting. During this meeting, you will appoint officers, authorize issuing shares, and record meeting minutes for the first time.

Maintaining thorough minutes provides important evidence that you are complying with Idaho corporation laws and protocols. Keep copies with your other business records.

Obtain Licenses and Permits

Depending on your industry, you may need special business licenses or permits before legally operating in Idaho. Use the Idaho Business Wizard tool to identify any requirements for your county and city.

Common examples include sales tax permits, food service licenses, liquor licenses, and professional certifications.

Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN)

An EIN serves as a tax ID number for your business, similar to a social security number. Apply online through the IRS website or complete Form SS-4.

Having an EIN allows you to open a bank account, hire employees, apply for business loans, and file tax returns.

File Your Annual Report

Corporations in Idaho need to turn in an annual report to the Secretary of State's office before the end of the month when they were incorporated, every single year. You won't have to pay anything if you fill out the form online.

The report requests current names and contact information for your executives, board of directors, and registered agent. If your business does not file one of these reports annually, it could potentially face dissolution by the state.

Meet Ongoing Corporation Requirements

Even after filing all the initial paperwork, you still have ongoing responsibilities to keep your Idaho corporation compliant:

  • Pay annual franchise taxes
  • Hold shareholder and board of director meetings
  • Maintain thorough corporate records
  • Update any changes to directors, officers, or your registered agent

Following Idaho’s corporation laws and statutes preserves your liability protection and tax treatment. Reach out to an attorney or accountant anytime you have questions about staying compliant.

Conclusion

While forming a corporation takes effort upfront, routinely maintaining your company ultimately saves time and prevents business disruptions down the road. Follow this guide to ensure you don’t miss any steps when incorporating your business. Idaho offers an attractive environment for new corporations, especially if you take advantage of available resources for new business owners. With a thorough understanding of Idaho’s regulations, you can confidently register your corporation and hit the ground running.

Meow Technologies is a financial technology company, not a bank or FDIC-depository insured institution. Likewise, Meow Technologies is not an investment adviser and none of the information presented herein should be relied upon as financial advice or a recommendation to make any financial decision nor should it be considered to be tax or legal advice. The information is the opinion of Meow Technologies for educational purposes and may not be suitable for all companies. Products, like the one described herein, are offered through Meow Technologies and are not advisory services which are only offered through Meow Advisory, LLC.** The FDIC’s deposit insurance coverage only protects against the failure of an FDIC-insured bank.**

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*Disclaimer: Meow Advisory LLC is a registered investment adviser. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training.
For accounts opened through Atomic Brokerage LLC: Meow Advisory LLC has an engagement with Atomic Brokerage LLC (“Atomic Brokerage”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC , to bring you the opportunity to open a brokerage account. Brokerage services for customers of Meow Advisory LLC are provided by Atomic Brokerage. For more details about Atomic Brokerage, please see the Form CRS, General Disclosures, and the Privacy Policy. Check the background of Atomic Brokerage on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.
For subadvisory services for accounts opened through Atomic Invest LLC: Meow Advisory LLC has an engagement with Atomic Invest, LLC (“Atomic Invest”), an SEC-registered investment adviser, to bring you the opportunity to open an investment advisory account. Investment advisory services are provided by Atomic Invest. Companies which are engaged by Atomic Invest receive compensation of 0% to 0.85% annualized, payable monthly, based upon assets under management for each referred client who establishes an account with Atomic Invest (i.e., exact payment will differ). Atomic Invest also shares a percentage of compensation received from margin interest and free cash interest earned by customers with Meow Advisory LLC. Meow Advisory LLC is not a client of Atomic Invest, but our engagement with Atomic invest gives us an incentive to refer you to Atomic Invest instead of another investment adviser. This conflict of interest affects our ability to provide you with unbiased, objective information about the services of Atomic Invest. This could mean that the services of another investment adviser with whom we are not engaged could be more appropriate for you than Atomic invest. Advisory services through Atomic Invest are designed to assist clients in achieving a favorable outcome in their investment portfolio. They are not intended to provide tax advice or financial planning with respect to every aspect of a client’s financial situation and do not include investments that clients may hold outside of Atomic Invest. For more details about Atomic Invest, please see the Form CRS, Form ADV Part 2A, the Privacy Policy, and other disclosures. Brokerage services for Atomic Invest are provided by Pershing Advisor Solutions LLC (“PAS”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC.
Neither Atomic Invest nor Atomic Brokerage, nor any of their affiliates, is a bank. Investments in securities are Not FDIC insured, Not Bank Guaranteed, and May Lose Value. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Before investing, consider your investment objectives and the fees and expenses charged by Atomic Brokerage and/or Atomic Invest.
See the Legal Section within the Meow website for additional agreements.

U.K. Gilt pricing quoted net of fees. ~5% U.K. Gilt yield is sourced from Investing.com December 2023 6-month United Kingdom 6-Month Bond Yield. ~5% Treasury Bill yield is sourced from treasurydirect.gov December 2023 12-week U.S. Treasury Bill auction.

**Disclaimer: Meow Technologies is a financial technology company, not a depository, bank or credit union, and your account at Meow is not, itself, an FDIC-insured product.

Meow currently partners with three banking providers. Banking services are provided by Third Coast Bank SSB; Member FDIC, Grasshopper Bank, N.A; Member FDIC, and FirstBank, a Tennessee corporation; Member FDIC.

By opening a Maximum Checking account through Meow and if you choose to receive banking services provided by Grasshopper Bank, N.A, you deposit your funds into a deposit account at Grasshopper Bank, N.A. which sweeps those funds into deposit accounts across a network of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”)-insured banks, for up to the current standard maximum deposit insurance amount (“SMDIA”) of $250,000 per eligible depositor, per destination institution, for each ownership capacity or category, subject to applicable terms and conditions, including Grasshopper's ICS Deposit Placement Agreement. Grasshopper Bank, N.A. uses a third-party vendor and agent to help administer this sweep process. Visit https://www.intrafi.com/network-banks/ for a list of the banks and savings associations with which we/Grasshopper, N.A. have a business relationship for the placement of deposits at destination institutions, and into which your deposits may be placed (subject to applicable terms with you, and any opt-outs by Grasshopper, N.A. or you). The current maximum deposit insurance amount for your funds is up to $125 million in FDIC insurance through the sweep network of Grasshopper Bank, N.A, subject to change at any time with notice from Meow and/or pursuant to applicable law. Terms and restrictions apply. Subject to applicable rate sheet. Interest rate on checking products quoted in Annual Percentage Yield (APY). Interest rates and yields are effective as per the date on the applicable rate sheet. See applicable terms and restrictions and refer to the applicable rate sheets for additional information.

By opening a Maximum Checking account through Meow and if you choose to receive banking services provided by Third Coast Bank SSB, you deposit your funds into a deposit account at Third Coast Bank SSB. If you also hold funds in a sweep program with Third Coast Bank SSB, Third Coast Bank SSB sweeps those funds into deposit accounts across a network of FDIC-insured banks, for up to the current SMDIA of $250,000 per eligible depositor, per receiving bank, for each ownership capacity or category, including any other balances you may hold at that receiving bank directly or indirectly through other intermediaries, including broker-dealers. Third Coast Bank SSB uses a third-party vendor and agent to help administer this sweep process. Visit Third Coast Bank SSB for a list of the banks and savings associations with which we/Third Coast Bank SSB have a business relationship for the placement of deposits at receiving banks, and into which your deposits may be placed (subject to applicable terms with you, and any opt-outs by Third Coast Bank or you). The current maximum deposit insurance amount for your funds is up to $50 Million in FDIC insurance through the sweep network of Third Coast Bank, subject to change at any time with notice from Meow and/or pursuant to applicable law. Terms and restrictions apply. Subject to applicable rate sheet. Interest rate on checking products quoted in Annual Percentage Yield (APY). Interest rates and yields are effective as per the date on the applicable rate sheet. See applicable terms and conditions and refer to the applicable rate sheet for additional information.

By opening a Maximum Checking account through Meow and if you choose to receive banking services provided by FirstBank, a Tennessee corporation, you deposit your funds into a deposit account at FirstBank, which sweeps those funds into deposit accounts across a network of FDIC-insured banks, for up to the current SMDIA of $250,000 per eligible depositor, per destination institution, for each ownership capacity or category, subject to applicable terms and conditions, including FirstBank's ICS Deposit Placement Agreement. FirstBank uses a third-party vendor and agent to help administer this sweep process. Visit IntraFi for a list of the banks and savings associations with which FirstBank has a business relationship for the placement of deposits at destination institutions, and into which your deposits may be placed (subject to applicable terms with you, and any opt-outs by FirstBank or you). The current maximum deposit insurance amount for your funds is up to $125 million in FDIC insurance through the sweep network of FirstBank, subject to change at any time with notice from Meow and/or pursuant to applicable law. Terms and restrictions apply. Subject to applicable rate sheet. Interest rate on checking products quoted in Annual Percentage Yield (APY). Interest rates and yields are effective as per the date on the applicable rate sheet. See applicable terms and restrictions and refer to the applicable rate sheet for additional information.

***FDIC insurance coverage is only available to protect you against the failure of an FDIC-insured bank that holds your deposits (and does not protect you against the failure of Meow or other third party). Your account with Meow and all services provided to you are subject to the Meow Terms of Service (“Account Agreements”) and other applicable terms and no other representations or warranties, express or implied, are provided to you except as expressly set forth in those written Account Agreements. If you have any questions regarding your account, please contact team@meow.com.

FirstBank Funds Availability Notice

FirstBank’s general policy is to allow you to withdraw funds deposited in your account on the first business day after the day we receive your deposit. Funds from electronic deposits will be available on the day we receive the deposit. In some cases, we may delay your ability to withdraw funds beyond the first business day. Then, the funds will generally be available by the SECOND business day after the day of deposit.