Arkansas

Foreign registration · Form 21

Arkansas Corporation Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Arkansas that wants to do business in Wisconsin files Form 21, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin also wants Arkansas's Certificate of Good Standing ($25), dated within 60 days. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services using your Arkansas records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Arkansas vs Wisconsin: the paperwork

	Arkansas formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	Arkansas Certificate of Good Standing	Form 21, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$25	$100 at order
How it is handled	Arkansas: online, ready to print right after purchase	Filed on Wisconsin's paper form
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	sos.arkansas.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Corporation Franchise Tax Report, $150, every year	Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report, $65, every year
Due	May 1	March 31 each year after qualification
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your Arkansas registered agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

How Arkansas companies register with Wisconsin

Order the Arkansas certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($25) is ordered from Arkansas separately; it is not part of our Wisconsin order. An instant Arkansas certificate reaches Wisconsin only hours old, well inside the limit of 60 days.
We prepare and file Form 21
It names us as your Wisconsin registered agent, with your Arkansas name and formation date and the certificate attached. Arkansas issues the certificate instantly, so the Wisconsin filing can go in the same day. After approval, your Arkansas corporation is registered with Wisconsin.

Wisconsin costs for Arkansas companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$100
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Arkansas	$25
Our service, with a year of Wisconsin registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Arkansas certificate included	$324

Wisconsin's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Your Arkansas name and Wisconsin's rules

We check your exact Arkansas name against Wisconsin's records before filing.

Agents: Wisconsin and Arkansas

Arkansas and Wisconsin both call it a registered agent. Wisconsin papers come to us; Arkansas's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Arkansas and Wisconsin

Each year your corporation files Arkansas's Annual Corporation Franchise Tax Report ($150) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Arkansas plus Wisconsin comes to $364 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Arkansas to Wisconsin

An LLC formed in Arkansas files Form 521 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come Arkansas's Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report ($150) and Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($80). See the LLC filing.

Questions Arkansas owners ask about Wisconsin

Does my Arkansas company need to register in Wisconsin?

Yes, once an Arkansas business operates there; Wisconsin does not count a one-off deal finished within 30 days.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Wisconsin issues one to Arkansas corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register an Arkansas corporation in Wisconsin?

$299 at checkout plus $25 to Arkansas for the Certificate of Good Standing, $324 in all (checkout is $100 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Arkansas's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Wisconsin wants it ($25), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Arkansas and Wisconsin?

$364 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $150 to Arkansas and $65 to Wisconsin for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

Wisconsin can charge an Arkansas company up to $65 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

Yes: the Arkansas registered agent stays, and ours covers Wisconsin for year one.

Can I form a new Wisconsin corporation instead?

Yes, but Arkansas keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps Arkansas's Annual Corporation Franchise Tax Report.

Official sources

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