Small Business Reading Room


Friday, February 06, 2004

Info on Delaware Entities Now Available Online…

Buyer beware.

The availability of information on Delaware entities through the internet will certainly be convenient in many ways, but there is always something else to consider when things seem too good to be true.

First let’s recognize this as good news.

On Wednesday, February 4, 2004 Governor Ruth Ann Minner announced¹ new e-government programs that are part of her ongoing efforts to bring government services and information to the internet through the Delaware @ Your Service initiative.

Now anyone with access to the internet can obtain basic corporate information such as name availability, corporate file number, filing date and registered agent information for Delaware corporations, all free of charge.

Other services include corporate name reservation, confirmation of the current status and filing history of Delaware corporations for a fee.

You can access the Division of Corporations full range of online services here

The rundown on fees:

Basic information- free of charge

Name availability- free of charge

Name reservation for LLC’s- $75.00 for 120 days

Name reservation for corporations- $10.00 for 30 days contingent upon customer agreement to file a certificate of incorporation within 24 hrs if another customer requests the same name.

Status- $10.00

Detailed information (such as total authorized shares or last 5 filings) - $20.00

So what does all this translate into?

There can be no doubt that by making this information available online, the Division of Corporations which handles hundreds of inquiries a day will be able to boost their productivity level. Let’s not forget that we live in a world of now, and by making this information instantly available on the internet, overall customer satisfaction should also improve.

These are all good things.

On the flip-side, customers may unwittingly and unnecessarily complicate the incorporation process if they reserve their name directly with the Division of Corporations.

Why?

People hire an incorporation firm to create and file their paperwork for them so they eliminate some of the hassle of establishing their entity and to speed up the process.

If an individual reserves their name online with the Division of Corporations, and they want to use an incorporation firm to make their filing, they need to send a letter requesting that the name reservation be released!

Plain and simple, the name reservation blocks the incorporation firm from filing just as it would any other individual.

Also, the Division of Corporations may not immediately release that name reservation for you. There is just no guarantee.

If the purpose of using an incorporator is to eliminate hassle and save time, then this is certainly worth noting!

Some firms, like Delaware Intercorp, Inc., may reserve your name for no charge at all. If you simply call us or send us an e-mail, you not only avoid the above mentioned pitfall, but you save ten bucks as well.

In all, making these new services available online is a great step forward for the Division of Corporations and the State of DE.

Individuals, stockholders, law firms and everyone who uses the new web interface will be well served to look before they leap!

-Russell


¹ read Govenor Minner's press release






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Delaware Intercorp, Inc.
113 Barksdale Professional center
Newark, DE 19711-3258

"For all the best reasons to incorporate,the best place
is Delaware and the best incorporator is
Delaware Intercorp!"

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