Articles of Incorporation

The document that must be filed with an appropriate government agency, commonly the office of the Secretary of State, if the owners of a business want it to be given legal recognition as a corporation.

Articles of incorporation, sometimes called a certificate of incorporation, must set forth certain information as mandated by statute. Although laws vary from state to state, the purposes of the corporation and the rights and liabilities of shareholders and directors are typical provisions required in the document. Official forms are prescribed in many states.

Once the articles of incorporation are filed with the secretary of state, corporate existence begins. In some jurisdictions, a formal certificate of incorporation attached to a duplicate of the articles must be issued to the applicant before the business will be given legal status as a corporation.

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articles of incorporation n. the basic charter of a corporation which spells out the name, basic purpose, incorporators, amount and types of stock which may be issued, and any special characteristics such as being non-profit. Each state has its own system of approval of articles, prohibits names which are confusingly similar to those of existing corporations (so an incorporator can test the name by applying to reserve the name), sets specific requirements for non-profits (charitable, religious, educational, public service, and so forth), and regulates the issuance of shares of stock. Articles must be signed by the incorporating person or persons or by the first board of directors. Major stock issuances require application to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The starting point for filing and approval of Articles of Incorporation is usually the state's Secretary of State. There will be a fee and, often, a deposit of an estimated first year's taxes. (See: corporation)