Banks, payment platforms, clients and your own tax office will all ask for some of your company's documents, and they tend to ask for the same few. Here's each one, who issues it and when you'll need it.
What every company has
A corporation has bylaws instead of an operating agreement, along with the incorporator's action, the first board consent, the stock ledger, the founders' share certificates or book entries, and any 83(b) elections.
What you can get when someone asks
- A certificate of good standing from the state, confirming the company exists and is up to date with its filings. Wyoming issues one free online, and Delaware charges $50. Banks abroad and some platforms want one dated within the last few months.
- A certified copy of the filed articles, from the state, for when a stamped copy isn't enough. Premium includes certified copies.
- An apostille, added by the Secretary of State to a certified document so authorities in other Hague Convention countries accept it. A bank or company registry at home may ask for one on the articles or a good-standing certificate, and you can order one from us.
- A 147C letter from the IRS, confirming the EIN if the CP 575 is lost. You request it by phone, and it's sent by fax or post.
- A certificate of incumbency, signed by the company's manager or an officer, listing who holds which position. Some banks abroad ask for one.
Keeping them in one place
Each document goes into your documents when it arrives, with the certificate and the EIN letter at the top, so the current versions are in one place when a bank asks. Keep any paper originals too. The IRS issues the CP 575 only once, so scan it the day it arrives.
What a bank actually checks
That the company's legal name is spelled the same everywhere, the EIN matches the IRS letter, the addresses agree, and the owner's name on the operating agreement matches the passport. When a bank declines for a reason other than your country, a mismatch between two documents is a common cause, so read everything through once before you apply.