{"id":4,"date":"2013-06-03T21:53:33","date_gmt":"2013-06-03T21:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/evergreensmallbusiness.com\/?p=4"},"modified":"2018-11-13T11:20:47","modified_gmt":"2018-11-13T19:20:47","slug":"forming-a-washington-state-llc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/evergreensmallbusiness.com\/forming-a-washington-state-llc\/","title":{"rendered":"Forming a Washington State LLC"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Picture<\/a>
You can easily for a Washington state corporation or LLC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I want to throw out a silly idea about forming a limited liability company in Washington state: You can probably do the work yourself.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the deal: The Washington State\u2019s Secretary of State provides free forms and an online application process you can use to do the setup in a few minutes\u2014and without the help of an online service or an attorney or some well-meaning accountant.<\/p>\n

Preparing the Documents<\/h2>\n

To see how easy you will find it to set up your own LLC, take a peek at the image below, as it shows the first page of the form completed so as to set up an imaginary LLC named \u201cAcme Explosives LLC.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Washington<\/a>
Click image to see sample first page of completed LLC articles document<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Obviously,\u00a0your name and address go into the \u201cName\u201d and \u201cAddress\u201d spaces. And no surprise, but you can\u2019t use a name that\u2019s the same or deceptively similar to another existing LLC\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

Tip:<\/strong> You can use the form here<\/a> to see if there\u2019s another business already using the name that you want.<\/p>\n

The first page of form also provides some check boxes that you use to indicate when you want to form the LLC: immediately or at some future date.<\/p>\n

And the first page of the form provides a set of Tenure check boxes (again, peek at the form) that let you specify whether the LLC will have a perpetual existence or a limited life.<\/p>\n

The second page of the standard LLC formation form (see image below) asks the only tricky question related to the LLC setup: Whether your new LLC will be managed by all of its members, or owners, or by only one or some of its members, who are in this case called managers or manager-members.<\/p>\n

\"Page<\/a>
Click image to see sample second page of LLC articles document<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To indicate how your LLC will be managed, mark the appropriate checkbox in box labeled \u201cManagement of LLC is Vested in One or More Members: Yes or No.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tip:<\/strong> If you have multiple members or managers, ideally you\u2019ll want to have an attorney draft an operating agreement. This operating agreement should describe who the manager is or who the managers are if you\u2019re setting up a manager-managed LLC.<\/p>\n

The second page of the standard LLC formation form also asks for the name, contact information and signature of a person or business the state should contact if it has questions\u2014information you enter into the \u201cRegistered Agent\u201d area.<\/p>\n

And then you need to sign the bottom of second page again as the executor of the filing. And then you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n

Filing the Form<\/h2>\n

After you complete the form (click here<\/a> to grab a free copy), you mail it and a check for either $180 for regular-speed processing or for $230 for expedited-speed processing to:<\/p>\n

Corporations Division
\n801 Capital Way South
\nP.O. Box 40234
\nOlympia WA 98504-0234<\/p>\n

That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n

A few days to a couple of weeks later, you\u2019ll get a letter back indicating your filing has been approved and at that point all you\u2019ll need to do, typically, is apply for an employer identification number from the Internal Revenue Service and then finalize your operating agreement.<\/p>\n

Using the Online LLC Application.<\/h2>\n

Let me mention one other quick point. While you definitely can file a paper application to create your Washington LLC as I describe here, you may want to quickly prepare a draft paper application for reference purposes and then submit the application online.<\/p>\n

The online application process (click here<\/a> to start the application) collects the same basic information as does the paper form. And it is a little more expensive because online LLC applications are automatically expedited. But usually if you use the online LLC application, your LLC is set up the day you apply. Note that the Secretary of State\u2019s website will take a few work days, typically, to show your new LLC.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I want to throw out a silly idea about forming a limited liability company in Washington state: You can probably do the work yourself. Here\u2019s the deal: The Washington State\u2019s Secretary of State provides free forms and an online application process you can use to do the setup in a few minutes\u2014and without the help […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":96,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4,3],"class_list":{"0":"post-4","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-incorporation","8":"tag-incorporation-2","9":"tag-limited-liability-company","10":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nForming a Washington State LLC - Evergreen Small Business<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/evergreensmallbusiness.com\/forming-a-washington-state-llc\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Forming a Washington State LLC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I want to throw out a silly idea about forming a limited liability company in Washington state: You can probably do the work yourself. 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