Want to set up a business entity in Kansas? Do a business entity search first!

Are you thinking about setting up your business? Do you want to file it in Kansas? We at Prestige Auditors recommend that you conduct a Kansas business entity search first before setting up your business in this state. While it sounds like something trivial, it’s actually a deciding factor for the future of your business.

Why would I need to do a KS business entity search?

If you plan on filing a business or a corporation in the state of Kansas, you first need to check the database which the Kansas Secretary of State has available on its website. The reasoning behind this is that you need to figure out the availability of the name which you want to set for your business. In fact, the Kansas Secretary of State not only has a database for searching other business entities and their information, it has a separate one for checking name availability. You can either choose the simple “quick search” option, or you can dig deeper for more detailed information.

Why is checking for name availability this important?

Good question. Your business name is an integral part of your business. It’s your identifier, and you want to make sure that it’s unique, and is set up according to the proper filing guidelines. There are 50,729 businesses registered in the Kansas Secretary of State entity search database. Imagine how confusing it would be for people if all of them had the same name! That’s why you should do some research first, to make sure that other businesses are not registered under the name you are intent to file your business under. This specifically holds true for LLCs, as other business types such as partnerships or sole proprietorships are not required to register their name.

We’d like to point something out here:

There are some things to keep in mind during your KS SOS business search:

• You don’t have to limit your search to just names. If you have the filing number, you can use that. Or, alternatively, you can simply search using keywords, or punch in the information of the registered agent.

This brings us to our next point:

There are different ways for carrying out a Kansas entity search

• Doing a quick search: You can go on the Kansas Business Center website, and simply enter the business name you have in mind in the little white box which should appear on the right side. The results can’t be more than two: either the name is available, or it’s not.
• Digging deeper: For doing a more thorough KS Secretary of State business entity search, you need to hover over the “Business Entity Database” link, and click on it. The link will take you to the page of Kansas Secretary of State business search, where you can view information for a business on file with the Secretary of State KS. This page will allow you to do your search using the business entity name, the business entity ID number, a specific keyword, a resident agent’s full name, and a keyword pertaining to the resident agent.

Possible results:

Your Secretary of State Kansas business search can bring you a bunch of results:

1. If the name you search is in “good standing” and shows “active” on the list, it means that business name is taken. Move on and pick another name.
2. If you see “dissolved,” it means that the name is probably available. Make sure that it’s been at least a year since the dissolution of that entity.
3. You might see “forfeited” and this is also a signal for name availability. It means that the business owner either didn’t file their yearly report, or didn’t pay their yearly fee. If you notice that a year has passed, you can proceed and get that name.
4. Finally, you might end up with…nothing! If your Kansas LLC search or Kansas corporation search produces zero results, it means that the name is not reserved, and is up for grabs!

OK, I found the name. How do I register it?

You don’t really need to!

Huh? What do you mean?

The Kansas SOS business search database clearly states that you don’t have to register a name. Instead, you can reserve one. If a name is available for 120 days and you pay a non-refundable fee of $30 for it, you can reserve it for your business.

Moving forward

Let’s say you’re done with your business Secretary of State business entity search, found the name you were looking for, and now want to create your own business entity.

You can begin by carrying out a business license registration process. Depending on the type of your business, you might require business licensing. The business licensing in Kansas also depends on which city/town/country you’re located in. Some might require it, some won’t. You need to get that information by contacting the city hall, economic developer or the office of the clerk in the area you’re located in.

After you figure that out, you’d need to get an EIN because that’s what the Kansas Department of Revenue requires from businesses in this state. Following this step is the process of registering your business for taxes.

We don’t want to overburden you with too much information, but if you want to go and ask about the tax regulations in detail, you can simply walk over to the Kansas Department of Revenue office which is located at this address:

915 SW Harrison St., Topeka, KS 66612-1588

If you have any more questions regarding doing Kansas business entity search, just shoot them our way at Prestige Auditors and we’ll be happy to answer them for you! We’re always here to help out fellow sellers in every aspect of their business.

Even though this might seem simple, there’s other steps which you need to take for form your business in Kansas and show up in the database when another person decides to do a Kansas business entity search or a Kansas Secretary of State business entity search. You don’t want them to pick the same name as yours now, do you?

We’ve got you covered at Prestige Auditors! You can book a call with us and discuss how to set up your business entity in Kansas, as well as other aspects of your business such as tax exemption, sales tax analysis, audits, ITIN acquisitions, and much more. We also have instructional videos which you can watch to get a better understanding of how businesses are formed and which type would best fit your needs!