Form Your Rhode Island S Corporation
Incorporate in the Ocean State and elect S-corp status for pass-through taxation and payroll-tax savings, with online approval in 1-2 business days
Filed in Rhode Island
The Ocean State · RI
- State filing fee$230
- Processing time1-2 business days online; longer by mail
- Our formation feeFree (you pay $100 if you choose a paid plan)
- Annual report$50/year report + $400 min. corporate tax — due Feb 1 - May 1 annually
- State tax rate7% flat corporate income tax
Form your Rhode Island S-Corp — pay only the state filing fee, nothing more.
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Everything to launch your Rhode Island S-Corp
Free formation means you pay only the $230 state filing fee. All core services are included at no extra charge.
Articles of Incorporation filing
We prepare and submit your Articles of Incorporation to the Rhode Island Secretary of State.
Registered agent
Required in Rhode Island — we act as your agent for the first year.
EIN from the IRS
Your federal Tax ID — required to open a US business bank account and file taxes.
Corporate bylaws
Professionally drafted corporate bylaws — defines ownership, voting, and profit splits.
Benefits of forming an S-Corp in Rhode Island
Rhode Island gives an S corporation a compact but dynamic base with access to New England markets and the Boston metro just 50 miles from Providence, plus a deep talent pool from Brown and RISD. Owner-operators benefit from pass-through taxation and payroll-tax savings, though the state's 7% corporate income tax and $400 annual minimum tax still apply to the underlying corporation.
Pass-through taxation avoids the C-corp's entity-level double tax — profits flow to shareholders' personal returns
Self-employment / payroll tax savings on profits taken as distributions beyond a reasonable W-2 salary
Liability protection of a Rhode Island corporation combined with pass-through tax treatment
Online filing with the Rhode Island Secretary of State clears in 1-2 business days
No publication requirement to incorporate in Rhode Island
Access to New England markets and the Greater Boston metro from Providence
Strong healthcare, education, defense, and design industries anchored by Brown and RISD
Affordable to operate compared with neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut
Key features of a Rhode Island S-Corp
- Pass-through taxation with no entity-level federal income tax
- Payroll-tax savings on distributions above a reasonable salary
- Corporate liability shield under Rhode Island law
- $230 incorporation fee; online approval in 1-2 business days
- Restricted to 100 US-resident shareholders and one class of stock
Major industries in Rhode Island
Form your Rhode Island S-Corp in 6 steps
We handle every step while you stay in the loop. Processing takes 1-2 business days online; longer by mail.
- 01
Choose Your Corporation Name
Your name must include a corporate designator such as 'Corporation,' 'Incorporated,' 'Company,' or 'Limited' (or an abbreviation). Check availability through the Rhode Island Secretary of State's business name search.
- 02
Appoint a Registered Agent
Rhode Island requires a registered agent with a physical address in the state to accept legal documents on behalf of your corporation.
- 03
File Articles of Incorporation
Submit your Articles of Incorporation to the Rhode Island Secretary of State to create the corporation. The filing fee is $230 and online filing is available, with approval in 1-2 business days.
- 04
Hold the Organizational Meeting
Adopt bylaws, appoint directors and officers, and issue a single class of stock — the S-corp election requires one class of stock and no more than 100 eligible shareholders.
- 05
Elect S-Corp Status with IRS Form 2553
File IRS Form 2553 to elect S-corporation tax treatment within 75 days of formation (generally by March 15 to apply for the current tax year). All shareholders must be US citizens or residents.
- 06
Obtain an EIN and Run Payroll
Apply for a free EIN from the IRS, then set up payroll so each owner-employee draws a reasonable W-2 salary before taking the rest as distributions.
Rhode Island S-Corp costs at a glance
Kicker formation is free — you pay only the required state fees. No hidden charges.
Rhode Island S-Corp requirements checklist
Everything you need to form and maintain a Rhode Island S-Corp in 2026.
- File Articles of Incorporation with the RI Secretary of State ($230)
- Appoint a registered agent with a physical Rhode Island address
- Adopt bylaws and issue a single class of stock
- Keep shareholders to 100 or fewer, all US citizens or residents
- File IRS Form 2553 within 75 days of formation to elect S-corp status
- Pay each owner-employee a reasonable W-2 salary before distributions
- File the annual report each year during the February 1 - May 1 window ($50)
Filing information
- Formation document
- Articles of Incorporation
- Filing agency
- Rhode Island Secretary of State
- Registered agent
- Required
- Corporate bylaws
- Recommended
- EIN
- Required
- Name reservation fee
- $50 (120 days)
Free formation — pay only the state fee
Kicker formation is free. You pay the $230 Rhode Island state filing fee and nothing more for the Starter plan. Optional plans add registered agent, EIN, corporate bylaws, and compliance.
Starter
- Articles of Incorporation filing
- Name availability check
- Digital document delivery
- Formation status tracking
Booster
- Everything in Starter
- Registered agent (required in Rhode Island)
- EIN / Federal Tax ID
- Expedited processing (1–2 days)
- Corporate bylaws
- Priority support
- Kicker Voice — 3-day free trial
- Kicker Pay — free for 15 days
Founder
- Everything in Booster
- Business mailing address
- Bookkeeping — 3 months free
- Dedicated account manager
- Rush processing
- Kicker Voice — 6-day free trial
- Kicker Pay — free for 30 days
Kicker
- Everything in Founder
- ITIN filing & preparation
- Same-day priority processing
- 2nd year annual filing $0
- Kicker Voice 12-day + Kicker Pay 60 days free
Compare all plans on our pricing page.
Rhode Island S-Corp questions, answered
Common questions about forming an S-Corp in Rhode Island. Can't find an answer? Talk to our team.
How do I form an S corporation in Rhode Island?
There is no separate 'S corporation' filing. You file Articles of Incorporation with the Rhode Island Secretary of State to create a corporation ($230 fee), then file IRS Form 2553 to elect S-corp tax status. Online filings are approved in 1-2 business days.
How much does it cost to start an S corp in Rhode Island?
The state charges $230 to file Articles of Incorporation. After that, expect a $50 annual report fee plus the $400 annual minimum corporate tax. The federal S-corp election (Form 2553) is free.
When do I have to file Form 2553 to elect S-corp status?
File IRS Form 2553 within 75 days of forming your Rhode Island corporation (generally by March 15 to apply for the current tax year). Miss the window and the election usually takes effect the following year unless you qualify for late-election relief.
Who can own a Rhode Island S corporation?
An S corp is limited to 100 shareholders, all of whom must be US citizens or residents, and it may issue only one class of stock. Foreign owners are not eligible — if you have non-resident owners, a standard corporation or LLC is the better fit.
How does the reasonable-salary rule work?
Each owner who works in the business must take a reasonable W-2 salary subject to payroll taxes before drawing additional profits as distributions. The distributions avoid self-employment tax, which is the core S-corp savings, but the IRS expects the salary to reflect fair market pay.
Does Rhode Island tax S corporations?
Profits pass through to shareholders' personal returns for federal purposes, but the Rhode Island corporation is still subject to the state's 7% corporate income tax and a $400 annual minimum tax. Rhode Island's sales tax is 7%.
When is the Rhode Island annual report due?
Corporations must file an annual report with the Secretary of State each year during the February 1 - May 1 window. The fee is $50.
Does my Rhode Island S corp have to file a BOI report?
Under FinCEN's March 2025 interim final rule, US domestic entities and US persons are exempt from Beneficial Ownership Information reporting. Only foreign-formed entities registered to do business in a US state still need to file.
Rhode Island government filing resources
Filing fees for common S-Corp services
Official Rhode Island state charges for the filings you may need after formation — our service fee is separate, and we confirm the current amount before filing.
$50.00 for both business corporations and LLCs (same fee across entity types).
Fee varies by entity type: for-profit/all other entities $10 base + $0.15 per page.
$5 per document by mail or in person.
Form states Filing Fee: $310.00 minimum (varies with authorized shares).
Learn moreForm states Filing Fee: $50.00 ($210 for an increase in authorized shares) - an increase in authorized shares adds a $160 license fee.
Learn moreFiling fee $20.00 stated on Form 640 (RIGL 7-1.2-502 / 7-1.2-1409).
Learn moreS-corp and C-corp are the same Rhode Island entity and follow an identical reinstatement process (S-corp is a federal IRS election, not a separate RI filing).
Learn moreEverything you need to run your Rhode Island S-Corp
Formation is the first step — stay compliant and operational with these services.
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Ready to form your Rhode Island S-Corp?
Formation is free — you pay only the $230 Rhode Island state filing fee. Personal-asset protection, pass-through taxation, and a complete document package, filed in 1-2 business days online; longer by mail.
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