If you’ve spent any time on this blog or researching how to incorporate your business online, you’ve probably found some terms you weren’t really clear on and had questions. What’s the difference between an LLC and a corporation? What paperwork do I need to file annually? What are Articles of Organization, and do I need them?
Let’s address that last question and talk about the Articles of Organization.
While the LLC and corporation are different, they both provide similar protection and tax benefits. Whether you register an LLC or create a C Corporation you have to fill out an application and submit a fee (though the paperwork varies slightly and the fees may be different from one another).
That paperwork is either called Articles of Incorporation (for Corporations) or Articles of Organization (for Limited Liability Companies). They serve the same purpose but don’t really cross streams.
This means you only need to fill out and submit the Articles of Organization if you plan to file a Limited Liability Company.
If you are incorporating as a C Corporation or an S Corporation you do not need to fill out Articles of Organization. You’d instead complete the Articles of Incorporation.