How to Incorporate a Business in Mississippi
Learn the steps to incorporate a business in Mississippi: name your corporation, file Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State for a $50 state fee, appoint a registered agent, and get your EIN.
Bizee Editorial Staff
Editorial Team
Mississippi corporation at a glance
Filing fee: $50 (Articles of Incorporation, domestic for-profit corporation)
Processing time: [PROCESSING_TIME]
State agency: Mississippi Secretary of State — Business Services
Annual report due: [PROCESSING_TIME]
State tax rate: [STATE_FEE]
How to incorporate in Mississippi
To incorporate a business in Mississippi, you file Articles of Incorporation online with the Mississippi Secretary of State, pay a $50 state filing fee, and appoint a registered agent with a physical Mississippi address. You'll also need to adopt bylaws, hold an organizational meeting, and get a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS.
Mississippi handles all business entity filings through its online One Stop business portal — paper submissions are no longer accepted. That means you'll need to create an account on the Secretary of State's Business Services portal before you can file anything.
The steps below cover everything from picking a name to registering for state taxes. Most of the process is straightforward, but a few Mississippi-specific requirements — like the mandatory corporate designator in your name and the online-only filing system — catch people off guard.
Step 1: Choose a unique business name
Your corporation's name must be distinguishable from every other business name already on file with the Mississippi Secretary of State. Before you file, search the Secretary of State's online business name database to check availability.
Mississippi law also requires your name to include a corporate designator — one of the following words or abbreviations: Corporation, Incorporated, Company, Limited, Corp., Inc., Co., or Ltd. A name without one of these identifiers won't be accepted for filing. Certain words that imply the business is a bank, insurance company, or other regulated entity are restricted unless you have the required approvals.
If you've found a name you want but aren't ready to file yet, Mississippi law allows you to reserve it in advance by filing a name reservation application with the Secretary of State under Mississippi Code § 79-4-4.02.
Step 2: Appoint a registered agent
Every Mississippi corporation must designate a registered agent — a person or business entity that receives legal documents, state correspondence, and service of process on behalf of your corporation. You must list your registered agent in your Articles of Incorporation, so you need to have one lined up before you file.
The registered agent must have a physical street address in Mississippi — a P.O. box alone doesn't meet the requirement. They also need to be available in person at that address during normal business hours, Monday through Friday.
You can serve as your own registered agent if you're at least 18, live in Mississippi, and have a qualifying physical address. Many business owners use a professional registered agent service instead — it keeps your personal address off public records and ensures someone is always available to accept documents.
Step 3: File your Articles of Incorporation
Filing Articles of Incorporation with the Mississippi Secretary of State is the step that legally creates your corporation. All filings are done online through the Secretary of State's Business Services portal — you'll need to create an account first if you don't already have one.
Your Articles of Incorporation must include your corporation's name (with the required designator), your principal business address, your registered agent's name and Mississippi street address, the number of authorized shares (at least 1 share must be authorized), and the name and address of at least 1 incorporator. The incorporator doesn't have to be an owner or director.
The state filing fee for a domestic for-profit Mississippi corporation is $50, paid at the time of filing.
Step 4: Hold an organizational meeting and adopt bylaws
After the state approves your Articles of Incorporation, your corporation needs to hold an organizational meeting of the incorporators or initial directors. At this meeting, you'll approve your bylaws, elect directors if they weren't named in the Articles, and handle other initial governance actions.
Bylaws are your corporation's internal rulebook — they cover how meetings are run, how directors are elected, and how decisions get made. They're adopted internally and are not filed with the state, but they're a required part of completing your corporation's organization.
Step 5: Get a federal EIN
A federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a 9-digit number the IRS uses to identify your corporation for tax purposes. Most Mississippi corporations need one — it's required if you have employees, file employment or excise tax returns, or operate as a corporation.
You apply for an EIN directly with the IRS — not through the state. The application is free. If your business has a principal place of business in the United States and the responsible party has a valid Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), you can apply online at irs.gov and get your EIN the same day.
Step 6: Register for state taxes and local permits
Once your corporation is formed, you may need to register for state tax accounts with the Mississippi Department of Revenue if your business has taxable activity in the state. If you have employees in Mississippi, you'll also need to register for withholding tax and unemployment insurance accounts.
Local requirements vary by city and county. Many Mississippi municipalities require a trader's license or tax certificate before you open for business. If you're building out or modifying a physical location, check with your local building and planning department about permit requirements. A tax professional can help you figure out which registrations apply to your specific business.
FAQ
The Mississippi Secretary of State charges a $50 state filing fee for Articles of Incorporation for a domestic for-profit corporation. That's the base cost to form the corporation itself. You may also have costs for a registered agent service, obtaining an EIN (free from the IRS), and any local business licenses or permits your city or county requires.
You incorporate in Mississippi by filing Articles of Incorporation online through the Mississippi Secretary of State's Business Services portal and paying the $50 state filing fee. Before you file, you need a unique corporate name that includes a required designator (like Inc. or Corp.), a registered agent with a physical Mississippi address, and at least 1 authorized share listed in the Articles. After approval, hold an organizational meeting, adopt bylaws, and apply for a federal EIN with the IRS.
You start an S corp in Mississippi by first forming a standard corporation with the Mississippi Secretary of State — the same Articles of Incorporation process applies. Once the corporation is formed and you have your EIN, you elect S corp tax status by filing IRS Form 2553 with the Internal Revenue Service. The S corp election is a federal tax designation, not a separate state filing. A tax professional can help you figure out whether S corp status makes sense for your situation and whether you meet the IRS eligibility requirements.
Yes. Every Mississippi corporation must designate a registered agent and list that agent in the Articles of Incorporation. The registered agent must have a physical street address in Mississippi — a P.O. box doesn't qualify — and must be available during normal business hours to accept legal documents. You can serve as your own registered agent if you live in Mississippi and have a qualifying address, or you can use a professional registered agent service.
It depends on how you want the business taxed. Both are formed the same way at the state level — by filing Articles of Incorporation with the Mississippi Secretary of State. The difference is a federal tax election. A C corp is taxed as a separate entity, which can mean the business pays corporate income tax and shareholders also pay tax on dividends. An S corp passes income and losses through to shareholders' personal tax returns, avoiding that double layer of taxation, but S corps have restrictions on the number and type of shareholders. A tax professional can help you figure out which structure fits your situation.
Processing times for Mississippi Articles of Incorporation vary and the Secretary of State's office does not publish a guaranteed standard turnaround. Generally, online filings through the Business Services portal are processed faster than paper filings — and Mississippi no longer accepts paper submissions. Check the Mississippi Secretary of State's website for current processing times, or contact their office directly for an estimate.
Yes. Mississippi corporations need a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. You need one to file corporate tax returns, open a business bank account, and hire employees. You apply directly with the IRS — not through the state — and the application is free. If your business is based in the United States and the responsible party has a valid Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply online at irs.gov and get your EIN the same day.
