Phase 1 — Formation documents
These exist the moment your business is legally created.
- Articles of Organization (LLC) or Articles of Incorporation (Corp)
- Operating Agreement (LLC) or Bylaws (Corp)
- Initial Resolutions / Founder Consent
- Registered Agent acceptance
- EIN confirmation letter (CP 575) from the IRS
Phase 2 — Tax & compliance
Required for tax filings and federal-level compliance.
- EIN — your federal tax ID
- S-Corp election (Form 2553) if applicable
- BOI Report (Beneficial Ownership Information) — required for most U.S. entities
- State tax registration (sales tax, employer tax, franchise tax)
- Annual report filing reminders for your state
Want optional setup services?
Done-for-you technical setup is available as a separate service.
Phase 3 — Banking & finance
Required to legally separate personal and business funds.
- Business bank account
- Business debit/credit card
- Bookkeeping software (QuickBooks, Wave, or similar)
- Chart of accounts
- Initial capital contribution record
Phase 4 — Operations & contracts
Documents you'll generate as soon as you start serving customers or hiring help.
- Client / customer contract template
- Independent contractor agreement
- Privacy policy and terms of service (for any website or app)
- W-9s collected from contractors
- 1099 / W-2 filing system at year end
Want optional setup services?
Done-for-you technical setup is available as a separate service.
Phase 5 — Records you must keep
The IRS, state agencies, banks, and future investors will ask for these. Keep them organized from day one — a single cloud folder is fine to start.
- Receipts and invoices (7 years)
- Bank and credit card statements (7 years)
- Tax returns and supporting documents (permanently)
- Formation and corporate records (permanently)
- Employment records (4+ years after termination)
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