More than half of the Fortune 500 companies are incorporated in the great, tiny state of Delaware; but how is this possible? Certainly most of these companies are not based in Deleware, but there are a number of reasons why a company would choose to become a corporation there:
- Delaware is one of the states with the least expensive incorporating fees.
- Whether you are a shareholder, officer, or director, you do not have to be a resident of Delaware.
- Just because your company is incorporated in Delaware, that does not mean you actually have to do business in Delaware, and if you don’t do business there, then you do not have to pay the Delaware state corporate taxes.
- In Delaware, one individual can have all the officer positions and be the only director, which is particularly advantageous to smaller business.
Basically, the laws in Delaware make it cheaper and easier for a company to be legally incorporated there than anywhere else. It is business friendly, plain and simple.