How to Incorporate in New Hampshire

Not only does New Hampshire not have an income tax, it also offers a few business incentives to help business get a leg up in their industry. You may be able to take advantage of these incentives, provided your corporation meets certain criteria.

For example, the New Hampshire Research and Development Tax Credit enables businesses to apply for tax credits on new research and development costs they can use toward business taxes paid. The credit can be carried forward for up to five years.

For a lot of entrepreneurs looking to start a larger business, creating a New Hampshire corporation 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.

It all depends on your goals. Limited liability companies are usually better for smaller businesses. An LLC is easier to set up, and you receive many of the same benefits as a corporation, but with less regulation.

Learn more about forming a New Hampshire LLC so you can decide which business entity is right for you.

It offers you numerous advantages including, but not limited to:

It offers several advantages similar to those provided by a C Corp including, but not limited to:

Step 1: Choose a Unique Business Name and Complete a State Business Search

Every New Hampshire business must hold a unique name that isn't already being used by another business in the state. If you’re having difficulty coming up with 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 New Hampshire Corporation Names page.

Once you’ve picked a name, you’ll need to make sure it’s available in New Hampshire. To learn whether another company in the state is using your desired business name, use our tool to do a New Hampshire entity search.

You can also carry out a name search on the NH Secretary of State website.

Step 2: Provide an Official Business Address for Your Corporation

Every New Hampshire corporation must have a designated address. That could be the address of your house (if you’re running the company from your residence), a building where your office is located or any physical address of your preference. The address can be outside the state of New Hampshire and can be a P.O. Box.

You may also be able to use a virtual mailbox for your business address. Bizee can provide you with a New Hampshire virtual mailbox where we'll receive your mail, and scan it for your online review. This can be especially convenient if you run a home-based business and don't want your home address published as part of your business public record.

Step 3: Assign a Registered Agent

Someone who receives official correspondence and is responsible for filing reports with the Secretary of State is known as a Registered Agent. Every New Hampshire corporation is required to have a Registered Agent.

You can fill this position yourself, assign another manager in your business or use a Registered Agent service. If your Registered Agent in New Hampshire is a person, they must have a physical street address in New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State and formally create your business.

All of Bizee’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.

Step 4: File Your Articles of Incorporation with the NH Secretary of State

Once you've gathered all the information for your corporation, you’ll need to file your Articles of Incorporation with the NH Secretary of State. This will officially create your business.

Your Articles of Incorporation can be filed online via the state's digital portal. You can also mail or deliver the form in person to the Office of the Secretary of State, or Bizee can file it on your behalf. The New Hampshire corporation filing fee is $100 (plus a $2 fee for online filing).

You only need to file your New Hampshire Articles of Incorporation once, but every year after, you'll also need to file an annual report with the NH Secretary of State. Bizee 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 New Hampshire?

Annual Report

Step 5: 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 when filing and paying taxes, when submitting payroll information and payments for your employees and for opening a business bank account. You can obtain one directly from the IRS, or Bizee can get one for you as part of the New Hampshire corporation formation process.

Step 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 are, among other things.

Some states require companies to create bylaws and New Hampshire is one of them, however you're not legally required to file them with the Secretary of State in New Hampshire. Regardless of legalities, it's always a good idea to write bylaws to protect your business from any future changes and events.

New Hampshire Corporation Types

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 New Hampshire C Corp 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 business to be treated as a New Hampshire S Corp, 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 New Hampshire, allow certain occupations to form Professional Corporations. The state's Business Organizations Code defines this as a corporation for profit that is authorized to provide 'professional services'.

Check with the NH 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 New Hampshire — or vice versa — you’ll need to form a Foreign Corporation.

Learn more about New Hampshire 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 type of business you want to start, or your personal circumstances and goals, an LLC may be a better option. For example, you may not need the options to buy and sell stock. Or you may simply want to build a small business with a few employees or even just yourself.

A New Hampshire 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 way you decide to go, we can help you with your New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire

More Information in This Guide

You’ll find plenty more insight and guidance on the other pages of this guide, including: