Corporate compliance · Corporation · All 50 states
Raising money or issuing stock? A person on our team checks your name, prepares your Articles of Incorporation and files them in any of the 50 states. Every package includes EIN preparation. Pro adds bylaws and your first year of registered agent service.
Lobi Space is not a law firm and does not give legal advice; we prepare and file documents at your direction.
Name availability check · Articles of Incorporation filed · EIN preparation · Documents delivered to your portal
A C corporation is a company owned by shareholders and run by a board of directors. It is taxed on its own profits, and shareholders pay tax again on dividends they receive.
See How to Form a Corporation in Illinois: What the Articles of Incorporation Actually Ask.
Most small businesses start as an LLC because the paperwork is lighter. A corporation makes sense when you plan to raise money from outside investors or issue stock. If you are unsure, tell us your plan and we will walk you through it.
| C Corp | LLC | S Corp | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A corporation, taxed on its own | A business you register with the state | A federal tax election, not an entity type |
| Taxes | Corporate tax on profits, then tax on dividends | Profits pass straight to your tax return | Profits pass through; owners who work take a salary |
| Owners | Shareholders, with room for outside investors | Members | Up to 100 shareholders, US citizens or residents, one class of stock |
| How you get it | File Articles of Incorporation | File Articles of Organization | Form an LLC or corporation, then file Form 2553 |
Your LLC or corporation filed in any state, with your EIN, by a team you can call.
Included
Everything in Starter, plus the documents your bank asks for and a registered agent.
Included
Everything in Pro, plus your first annual report filed and the documents to run the company.
Included
Forming outside Illinois? We file there through our partner network, from $145 plus state fees. Tell us the state and we confirm what your package includes there before anything is filed.
Need the numbers side by side? Compare formation plans, or see every filing service and price.
All 50 states
Illinois is handled in house by our Chicago team. Every other state is filed through our partner network, at the same clear prices. State fees are passed through at cost and confirmed before we file.
Weighing privacy? Anonymous LLC in 2026: What Changed When FinCEN Dropped BOI Reporting.
Step by step
Your name must be unique in the state where you file. We check it with the state before filing.
Every state requires an agent with a street address in that state. In Illinois, we can be that agent from our Chicago office.
They go to the state's business filing office. We prepare them and file them at your direction.
Bylaws set how your corporation runs. Pro and Premium include bylaws and initial corporate documents.
The IRS issues your EIN for free, and every package includes EIN preparation. With it and your stamped Articles, you can open a business bank account.
Costs
What you pay once, what repeats, and what is optional. State fees are itemized in your quote before anything is filed.
The franchise tax repeats every year with your annual report: The Illinois Annual Report: Deadlines, Fees, and the Franchise Tax Nobody Explains.
| Item | Cost | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Lobi filing service | From $145 | One time |
| State filing fee | Passed through at cost. Illinois: $175, including the minimum initial franchise tax | One time |
| Expedited processing | Extra state fee, where offered | Optional |
| Annual report and franchise tax | Set by your state | Every year |
| Registered agent | $95 a year per entity, per state. First year included with Pro and Premium | Every year |
Our packages are Starter $145, Pro $195 and Premium $275, one time. State filing fees are separate and passed through at cost, itemized in your quote before anything is filed. In Illinois the state charges $175 for a corporation, including the minimum initial franchise tax.
All 50. Illinois is handled in house by our Chicago team. Every other state is filed through our partner network, at the same clear prices.
Most small businesses start as an LLC because the paperwork is lighter and the profits pass straight to your tax return. A corporation makes sense when you plan to raise money from outside investors or issue stock. We file both. If you are unsure, tell us your plan and we will walk you through it.
Yes, if it qualifies. S Corp is a tax election, not an entity type. We can prepare Form 2553 so the IRS treats your corporation as an S Corp. Ask your accountant whether it is worth it at your income level.
Every package includes EIN preparation. Pro adds corporate bylaws and initial corporate documents, plus the first year of registered agent service in the state you file in, then $95 a year. Premium adds your first annual report filed for you, customizable legal documents and business resources.
Every state requires one with a street address in that state. It does not have to be us. Our registered agent service is $95 per entity, per state, per year, and Pro and Premium include the first year.
We check availability with the state before anything is filed. If your first choice is taken, we use the second name you gave us or come back to you with options. Nothing gets filed under a name you did not approve.
No. Lobi Space is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. We prepare and file documents at your direction.
Lobi Space is not a law firm, and no one on our staff, including our notary public, is an attorney licensed to practice law in Illinois. We prepare and file formation documents only at your direction, using the information you give us. We cannot give legal or tax advice, tell you which entity type to choose, or review your situation the way a lawyer would. For those decisions, talk to an Illinois attorney or a CPA.
Notice from our notary public (Illinois law, 5 ILCS 312/3-103)
I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY LICENSED TO PRACTICE LAW IN ILLINOIS. I AM NOT ALLOWED TO DRAFT LEGAL DOCUMENTS OR RECORDS, NOR MAY I GIVE LEGAL ADVICE ON ANY MATTER, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, MATTERS OF IMMIGRATION, OR ACCEPT OR CHARGE FEES FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THOSE ACTIVITIES.
Guides
Filing articles of incorporation in Illinois takes about twenty minutes. The form asks eight things, and one is a tax decision disguised as a paperwork question.
Plenty of Illinois companies killed by the Secretary of State were not failing. One report went unfiled, a notice went to an address nobody checks, and months later the state dissolved them. The filing costs $75.
Every LLC needs one. Here is what a registered agent actually does, what it costs, and why using your home address is a bad trade.
From $145 plus state filing fees. Every package includes EIN preparation. Pro adds bylaws and your first year of registered agent service.
Lobi Space is not a law firm and does not give legal advice; we prepare and file documents at your direction.
