West Virginia 501c3 Corporations: Tax Exempt Organizations Non Profit

West Virginia Non Profit Incorporation

Non profit organizations are companies that provide services to the public. Under West Virginia State Law, these non profit corporations cannot pay profits or dividends to directors or officers.

Forming a Non Profit Organization in West Virginia

Forming a non profit organization in West Virginia will require several procedures including:

• Choosing a name for your charitable organization - The name you choose must be distinguishable from any other West Virginia registered business name and must end with “Corporation”, “Incorporation”, “Limited” or its abbreviation “Corp”, “Inc” or “Ltd”

• Preparing and filing articles of incorporation and paying an initial filing fee of $125 - The articles of incorporation must contain the specific language of the IRS (to obtain tax-exempt status), the name of the corporation, its purpose and state if the corporation will have directors. It must also contain the name, address and verified signature of the initial incorporator and the name and physical address of the registered agent.

Other formation procedures will require appointing a Board of Directors to draft corporation bylaws and the policies that will govern the daily operations of the organization. Applicants must also register with the State Tax Department, apply for Employer ID Number (EIN) and publish a notice of intent to incorporate in at least two local newspapers. The corporation must also request tax-exempt recognition from the IRS

For more information

• Non profit overview
• Is a 501c3 right for you?