Welcome to MI Business Compliance

Thinking about incorporating in Michigan? A corporation can be a powerful structure for businesses that plan to grow, bring on investors, or build a more formal governance framework. When properly formed and maintained, a corporation exists as a separate legal entity—helping protect owners’ personal assets and creating a clear structure for raising capital and transferring ownership.

MI Business Compliance helps Michigan entrepreneurs and business owners form and maintain their corporations without getting buried in paperwork. You can use this guide to incorporate on your own, or you can hire us to prepare and file your documents and keep your records organized year after year.

Note: We’re not a law firm or CPA firm and don’t provide legal or tax advice. We provide document preparation, filing assistance, reminders, and compliance support based on the information you provide.
 

[Get Started – Form My Michigan Corporation]

Forming a corporation isn’t complicated, but there are several important steps where details matter. At a high level, you’ll need to:

1. Designate a resident (registered) agent
2. Choose and clear a corporate name
3. Prepare and file Articles of Incorporation with the State of Michigan
4. Obtain an EIN from the IRS
5. Adopt corporate bylaws
6. Hold an organizational meeting
7. Open a corporate bank account
8. Stay current with state reports and taxes
    

MI Business Compliance can walk you through each step—or handle most of it for you if you’d rather not DIY.

Every Michigan corporation must appoint a resident (registered) agent and maintain a registered office in the state. The agent’s job is to receive:

• Legal documents (such as service of process)
• Official notices from the State of Michigan
   

The resident agent must:

• Have a physical Michigan street address (no P.O. box)
• Be available at that address during normal business hours
   

You or another owner can serve as your own agent, but that means your name and address go into public records and you’re tied to being available during the day. Many corporations prefer to use a professional registered agent to:

• Keep their home addresses off public filings where allowed
• Ensure someone is always available to receive important mail
• Centralize state notices and legal documents in one place
   

MI Business Compliance can serve as your Michigan resident/registered agent, providing a professional address and prompt forwarding plus storage of documents in your portal.

Your Michigan corporation needs a name that:

• Is distinguishable from other entities on file with the state
• Includes a corporate designator such as “Corporation,” “Company,” “Incorporated,” “Limited,” or an abbreviation (e.g., “Inc.,” “Corp.,” “Co.,” “Ltd.”)
• Does not imply you’re offering restricted services (like banking, insurance, or legal services) unless you’re properly licensed and allowed to use those terms
   

Before you commit to a name, it’s smart to:

• Search Michigan’s business entity database for availability
• Check for potential conflicts with federal or state trademarks
• Verify that a matching domain name is available
   

MI Business Compliance can help you check name availability in Michigan as part of your incorporation package.

To officially create your Michigan corporation, you must file Articles of Incorporation with the State of Michigan and pay the required state filing fee. In your Articles, you’ll typically include:

• Corporate name
• Purpose (often broad, like “any lawful business”)
• Number of authorized shares
• Name and address of your resident/registered agent
• Registered office address in Michigan
• Name and address of the incorporator
   

Once the state approves and files your Articles, your corporation legally exists.

With MI Business Compliance:
We gather your information through a simple intake form, prepare your Articles of Incorporation, and file them with the state on your behalf. Once approved, we upload the filed document to your client portal.

Your corporation will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. Think of it as the corporation’s Social Security number. You’ll usually need an EIN to:

• Open a corporate bank account
• Hire employees and run payroll
• File federal and state tax returns
• Apply for certain licenses or permits
   

You can apply directly with the IRS at no cost by submitting Form SS-4 or using the IRS’s online EIN application.

If you prefer, MI Business Compliance can guide you through the EIN process or coordinate it as part of your incorporation package.

Bylaws are your corporation’s internal rulebook. They don’t get filed with the state, but they are critical in defining how your corporation operates. Your bylaws typically cover:

• How the board of directors is structured and elected
• Officer roles (president, treasurer, secretary, etc.) and responsibilities
• How and when shareholder and board meetings are held
• Voting rights and quorum requirements
• Procedures for issuing and transferring stock
• How vacancies are filled and how disputes are handled
   

Having clear, written bylaws helps your corporation demonstrate that it’s a separate legal entity, which supports your limited liability protection.

MI Business Compliance can provide a basic bylaws template that you can adapt with your attorney or advisor as needed.

After your Articles are filed and your bylaws are drafted, you’ll hold an organizational meeting. At this first official corporate meeting, you typically:

• Adopt and approve the bylaws
• Appoint the initial officers
• Issue shares of stock to initial shareholders
• Approve opening a corporate bank account
• Authorize any other key startup actions
   

You should prepare meeting minutes summarizing the decisions made and keep them in your corporate records.

MI Business Compliance can provide templates for resolutions and minutes to help you document these steps.

Your corporation is a separate legal entity and should have its own bank account. This keeps corporate funds separate from personal funds and helps preserve your liability protection.

To open a corporate bank account, banks typically ask for:

• Filed Articles of Incorporation
• A copy of your bylaws
• Your EIN
• A board resolution authorizing a specific person to open and manage the account on the corporation’s behalf
   

We can help you prepare a simple board banking resolution as part of your setup.

After formation, corporations have ongoing obligations, including:

• State reports (annual or periodic statements):
  Michigan corporations generally must file an annual report/statement and pay the related fee to stay in good standing.
• Federal taxes:
  Corporations typically file a separate federal corporate income tax return. In some cases, corporations can elect S-corporation status if they meet the criteria and if it makes sense for their tax situation.
• State-level obligations:
  Depending on your activities, you may also have Michigan business taxes, sales/use tax, and other filing requirements.
   

MI Business Compliance can track your Michigan annual report deadlines and file them for you, and help keep your basic state paperwork on schedule. For tax planning and decisions (such as C-corp vs. S-corp), you’ll want to work with a qualified CPA or tax advisor.

You can absolutely incorporate on your own by working directly with the State of Michigan. Clients choose MI Business Compliance when they want:

We simplify the process into a few online steps:

• You complete a guided intake form
• We prepare and file your Articles of Incorporation
• We help coordinate your resident agent, EIN, and basic setup documents
• You get everything stored in one place
   

Instead of learning each form and process yourself, you can let us handle the details while you focus on launching and growing the business.

As your Michigan resident/registered agent, MI Business Compliance:

• Provides a professional address for official and legal correspondence
• Receives and scans important state and legal documents
• Notifies you promptly when something arrives
• Stores documents securely in your client portal
   

This can help you maintain privacy, avoid missed notices, and keep your records organized.

We give you a central place to store and access:

• Filed Articles of Incorporation
• EIN and basic entity details (once provided)
• Bylaws and key resolutions (if you upload or use our templates)
• Annual report filings and confirmations
• Resident/registered agent information
   

You’re not digging through email chains or random folders—your corporate documents live in one secure portal.

We’re built around Michigan entities and compliance, not a generic 50-state template. That means:

• Our forms, reminders, and timelines reflect Michigan’s rules
• We’re focused on Michigan due dates, state fees, and processes
• We can grow with you as you add additional Michigan entities or need help with annual filings and registered agent service
   

Our process is designed to be straightforward and service-driven:

1. Online Intake
   You complete a short online form with your corporation’s proposed name, owners, contact details, and basic choices (like share structure and resident agent).
    
2. Preparation & Filing
   We prepare your Articles of Incorporation and file them with the State of Michigan. We coordinate resident/registered agent service as needed.
    
3. Setup Documents & Portal Access
   Once the state approves your filing, we upload your filed Articles to your client portal. We can also provide basic templates for bylaws and initial resolutions.
    
4. Ongoing Compliance Support
   If you opt in, we’ll track your Michigan annual report deadlines, send reminders, and handle future filings so your corporation stays in good standing.
    

[Get Started – Form My Michigan Corporation]