Minnesota Business Startup Information Page

Everything you need to know about starting a business in Minnesota

There are many types of Minnesota businesses you can choose to form. Doing business as any one of them has important ramifications on your tax responsibilities, corporate structure and filing requirements. We’ve collected information about the various entity types so that you can register your business in Minnesota with confidence.

What type of Minnesota business is right for you?

Before you register your new Minnesota Business in St. Paul, take a few moments to learn about the different entity types in Minnesota. Here we cover DBAs, short for Doing Business As, as well as common corporate structures such as LLCs, S Corporations and C Corporations.

Filing a Minnesota DBA

In Minnesota, a DBA—or Doing Business As—is called an Assumed Name. An Assumed Name can be formed by a variety of entities: individuals, partners, corporations, limited liability companies, and nonprofits.

Take a look at further information on forming a Minnesota DBA.

Minnesota LLC

A Limited Liability Company provides more protection than an Assumed Name because it is a separate legal entity from its owners, whereas the Sole Proprietor and the Sole Proprietorship are not legally distinct from each other. LLCs are also more complex business structures than Assumed Names.

Learn more about a Minnesota LLC.

Minnesota C Corporation

The default corporation type is a C corporation. A C corporation has a flexible structure, but significant tradeoffs when it comes to taxes.

Take a closer look at the Minnesota C Corporation.

Minnesota S Corporation

An S corporation is known as a pass-through entity with respect to taxes, meaning that gains are reported on the individual owners’ returns. However, there are more organizational constraints with an S corporation than with a C corporation.

Learn about the Minnesota S Corporation.

Minnesota Foreign Corporation

A foreign corporation filing is typically required when a corporation registered in another state begins to do business in Minnesota.

Learn the requirements of a Minnesota Foreign Corporation.

Minnesota Nonprofit Corporation

A corporation in Minnesota can be organized for either a nonprofit or for-profit purpose. A nonprofit corporation may apply for 501c3 status with the IRS and take advantage of certain tax benefits.

Learn more about forming a Minnesota Nonprofit Corporation.