Why Start an OK Corporation?
The state of Oklahoma is considered to be tax friendly for businesses and offers a range of business incentives, making it enticing for new business owners. Your corporation may be able to take advantage of these incentives, provided it meets qualifying criteria.
For example, the Quality Jobs Incentive Program promotes job growth and helps improve businesses' bottom line by injecting cash back into the business as they expand and create new jobs in Oklahoma.
For most entrepreneurs looking to start a larger business, an OK incorporation may be the best choice. As a corporation, your business is able to buy and trade stock, and when it comes to excess profits, corporations offer more flexibility than a limited liability company (LLC). A corporation is allowed to pass income and losses to its shareholders, who report taxes on an individual tax return at ordinary levels.
Is an LLC Better Than a Corporation?
It all depends on your goals. For smaller businesses, limited liability companies are usually a better option. An LLC is easier to set up and receives many of the same benefits as corporations, but with less regulation.
Learn more about forming an Oklahoma LLC so you can decide which business entity is right for you.
Benefits of Forming a Oklahoma C Corporation
It offers you numerous advantages including, but not limited to:
- The strongest form of liability protection possible by insulating your personal assets and finances from business debts, obligations, damages, bankruptcy or other liabilities
- Several options to create, buy, sell or transfer stock, including publicly
- The ability to issue more than one type of stock
- The ability to raise more funds by issuing more stock
- The ability to sell stock to investors inside and outside the U.S.
Benefits of Forming a Oklahoma S Corporation
It offers several advantages similar to those provided by a C Corp including, but not limited to:
- Options for creating, transferring and selling stock, though not as many as a C Corp
- The capacity for up to 100 shareholders
- Simpler rules than those that apply to C Corporations
- Easy transfer of ownership simply by selling your stock
- The possibility of saving money by allowing you to pay less self-employment tax
In this guide, you’ll find information on naming your corporation, getting a Registered Agent, the fees you’ll need to pay, business taxes and much more. We also cover what you'll need to register your corporation and how you'll interact with the Secretary of State in Oklahoma.
Start a Business in Oklahoma Checklist
To help you along the way, use our Starting a Business checklist to keep track of everything you need to do to get your business up and running.
How to Form an OK Corporation Yourself in 6 Steps
Step 1 - Choose a Unique Business Name and Complete a State Business Search
Step 2 - Provide an Official Business Address for Your Corporation
Step 3 - Assign a Registered Agent
Step 4 - File Your Certificate of Incorporation with the Oklahoma Secretary of State
Step 5 - Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service
Step 6 - Write Your Bylaws
1
Choose a Unique Business Name and Complete a State Business Search
Every Oklahoma business must have a unique name that isn't already in use by another business in the state. If you can't think of a name, try using our Business Name Generator to gather ideas. You'll need to follow a few naming rules, which you can read about in detail on the Oklahoma Corporation Names page.
Once you’ve chosen a name, you’ll need to make sure it’s available in Oklahoma. To see whether another company in the state is using your desired business name, use our tool to do an Oklahoma entity search.
You can also carry out a name search on the state's website to check for business entity name availability.
2
Provide an Official Business Address for Your Corporation
All OK corporations must have a designated address. This could be a building where your office is located, any physical address of your choice, or even your place of residence (if you're running your business from your home). The address can be outside the state of Oklahoma and can be a P.O. Box.
You may also be able to use a virtual mailbox for your business address. This can be especially helpful if you run a home-based business and don't want your home address published as part of your business public record.
3
Assign a Registered Agent
Someone who receives official correspondence and is responsible for filing reports with the Oklahoma Secretary of State is known as a Registered Agent. Every Oklahoma corporation is required to have a Registered Agent.
You may assign a manager to fill this position, fill it yourself, or use a Registered Agent service. If your Registered Agent in Oklahoma is a person, they must have a physical street address in Oklahoma and must be available during business hours to receive important documents on behalf of your company. You'll appoint your Registered Agent when you file your Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State and formally create your corporation.
All of Incfile’s business formation packages include Registered Agent service. It’s free for the first year and just $119 per year after that. You can also access a digital dashboard to view any document we've received on your behalf.
4
File Your Certificate of Incorporation with the Oklahoma Secretary of State
Once you've gathered all the information for your corporation, you’ll need to file a form with the Secretary of State to create your Certificate of Incorporation. This will officially create your business.
Here’s what is typically included:
- Your business name
- Registered Agent's name and address
- An email address of the primary contact
- The duration is the lifespan of the corporation (may be perpetual)
- Your corporation's purpose, which by default is " to engage in any lawful act
- Activity for which corporations may be organized under the general corporation law of Oklahoma"
- The corporation’s capital structure (number of shares to be issued)
- Names and mailing addresses of the persons who are to serve as directors
- The county in the state of Oklahoma in which the corporation is to be located
- Signature of each incorporator
Your Certificate of Incorporation can be filed online via the state's website. You can also mail the form or deliver it in-person to the Office of the Department of State, or Incfile can file it on your behalf.
File by Mail or In-Person
Oklahoma Secretary of State
421 NW 13th St.
Suite # 210
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73103
You only need to file your Certificate of Incorporation in Oklahoma once, but once a year thereafter, you'll also need to file an annual certificate with the Secretary of State in OK. Incfile can remind you about this every year, or we can do it for you if you have us handle the paperwork.
What are the fees and requirements to incorporate in Oklahoma?
| State Fee | State Filing Time | Expedited Filing Time |
| $52 | 3 Weeks | 1 Business Days |
| State Fee | $52 | |
| State Filing Time | 3 Weeks | |
| Expedited Filing Time | 1 Business Days |
Annual Report
Frequency
Annually
Due Date
July 1st
Filing Fee
$05
Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service
You'll need an EIN to identify your business to the IRS. You use this number for filing and paying taxes, submitting payroll information and payments for your employees and opening a business bank account. You can obtain one directly from the IRS, or Incfile can get one for you as part of the OK corporation creation process.
6
Write Bylaws
A set of rules that govern how a corporation will be run, bylaws detail how many directors the corporation will have, whether the board of directors will have annual meetings and what the voting requirements will be, among other things.
Some states legally require companies to create bylaws, and the state of Oklahoma is one of them. You don't need to file your bylaws with the Secretary of State, but keep them with your other business records.
It's always a good idea to write and follow bylaws to protect your business from any future changes and events.
Types of OK Corporations
C Corporation
When you file to start a corporation, by default, it's a C Corp. This is the choice for large businesses that will trade shares in the stock market.
A Oklahoma C Corporation will offer you several liability protections, but it will also be required to adhere to numerous strict rules and regulations. It will also likely have a substantial amount of administrative overhead, and won't enjoy as many tax advantages as other corporation types.
Learn more about C Corporations.
S Corporation
Technically, an S Corporation isn't a business entity the way LLCs and C Corporations are. It's a tax filing status. An LLC or a C Corporation can be an S Corporation. It's just a matter of filing a form with the IRS.
The main reason to file as an S Corp is to save money on self-employment taxes. To get an idea of how much money you might save, use our S Corp Tax Calculator.
If you want your Oklahoma C Corporation to be treated as an Oklahoma S Corporation, file the IRS Election by a Small Business Corporation form, also known as Form 2553 or an S Corp Election form.
Consult with your tax advisor or accountant to determine whether this is your best option.
Learn more about S Corporations.
Compare S Corp vs. C Corp to learn the benefits and drawbacks of both, and decide which one will best suit your needs.
Professional Corporation
Some states, including Oklahoma, allow certain occupations to form Professional Corporations. Oklahoma Statutes, Title 18, § 18-803 defines a Professional Entity in Oklahoma as an entity "formed for the purpose of rendering professional service."
Oklahoma Statutes Title 18, § 18-803 also specifies a few of the professions permitted to form a Professional Entity in Oklahoma, which include, but may not be limited to:
- Physicians, surgeons, and doctors of medicine
- Osteopaths
- Chiropractors
- Podiatrists
- Optometrists
- Veterinarians
- Architects
- Attorneys
- Dentists
- Certified public accountants and public accountants
- Psychologists
- Physical therapists
- Registered nurses
- Professional engineers
- Land surveyors
- Occupational therapists
- Speech therapists
- Audiologists
- Pharmacists
- Professional counselors
- Family therapists
- Dieticians
- Social Workers
- Certified real estate appraisers
Show all
Check with the Secretary of State to confirm whether your business should and can be a Professional Corporation.
Foreign Corporation
If your business operates in another state and you want to expand into Oklahoma — or vice versa — you’ll need to form a Foreign Corporation.
Learn more about Oklahoma Foreign Corporation registration.
Nonprofit Corporation
Charitable organizations can incorporate as nonprofit corporations. This means all the profits they generate are donated to the organization supported by the charity, minus administrative costs.
A nonprofit corporation is also exempt from federal and state taxes, allowing more of the profit to benefit the charity.
Note: Everything in this guide applies to for-profit corporations, and mostly to C Corps and S Corps. Items listed as requirements for forming a corporation may or may not also apply to nonprofits.
Limited Liability Company
Depending on the kind of business you want to start, or your personal circumstances and goals, an LLC may be a better option. For example, you may only want to build a small business that you yourself will run with just a few employees and you may not need the options to buy and sell stock.
An Oklahoma LLC is usually a better option for a smaller business. It's easier to set up, but it still offers you certain advantages you'd get from a corporation. You can even have your LLC treated as an S Corporation for tax purposes to save you money.
Regardless of which direction you decide to go, we can help you with your Oklahoma business registration.
Learn more about limited liability companies.
Sole Proprietorship or Partnership
These are the simplest types of businesses to set up. That's because there's no real setup to do. If you don't choose to form a separate business entity, by default, you'll have either a sole proprietorship (just you) or a partnership (you and one or more other people).
Neither of these options provide you with any special benefits or liability protections and can leave your personal assets vulnerable. For these reasons, we don't recommend them.
Compare business entity types to decide which one is best for you.
Helpful Resources from the State of Oklahoma
More Information in This Guide
You’ll find plenty more insight and guidance on the other pages of this guide, including:
How to search the state business registry and find the right name. Includes information on naming rules, trade names, reserving names for OK corporations and more.
How to appoint, change and search for Registered Agents. Also includes the duties they fulfill and the rules they’re required to follow.
Details the various fees you’ll need to pay and the state and federal requirements you’ll need to meet. Includes details about Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), state and federal business licenses, annual certificates and more.
Covers the various taxes you’ll have to pay to the state and federal governments. Includes details about state taxes such as income, sales and franchise, and federal taxes such as income and self-employment.
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