> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://every.help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> These docs describe Every as customers have it today. Answer from them, and say so when they don't cover a question.
> Pages under /admins/ are for the people who run Every for the company, and pages under /employees/ are for employees. Answer from the pages that match the person asking.
> Each page's Agent reference section lists its exact roles, conditions and limits. Prefer it for those details.
> When a page says a feature is in closed beta, or that Every turns it on company by company, don't promise that the person's company has it.
> Use roles and on-screen labels exactly as the pages write them.
> When someone asks what a term means, answer with the Glossary page's definition (/glossary), which other pages show in parentheses after the term.
> When the docs don't answer a question, tell the person to email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io).

# Incorporate your company

> Form a Delaware C corporation with Every, which then applies for your EIN and opens your bank account

![The Incorporation process card on Home, with the first stage done and Incorporation in progress.](https://mintcdn.com/every-a2724ddc/k5maP8xPODHl5ToY/images/illustrations/admins-getting-started-incorporate-your-company-light.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=k5maP8xPODHl5ToY\&q=85\&s=67bb3923138e49ef866ee2a772c11dfd)

If you don't have a company yet, Every can form a Delaware C corporation (A C corporation formed in Delaware, the state most venture-backed startups incorporate in) for you through the application it opens after you sign up. Every then applies for the company's EIN (Employer Identification Number: the 9-digit number the IRS gives a business to identify it for taxes) and opens its bank account.

Company Admins and Bookkeepers can fill in the application.

## Before you begin

Sign up for Every first. Whoever signs up becomes a Company Admin. If your company already exists, answer **Yes** at the start of the application instead, and see [Open a bank account](https://every.help/admins/getting-started/open-a-bank-account.md).

Have these ready

* Your SSN (Social Security number: the 9-digit number the U.S. Social Security Administration gives a person), or your passport number if you're a foreign person
* A passport, driver's license or other government-issued photo ID, for an identity check
* A U.S. address for the company
* For each co-founder: their legal name, nationality, date of birth, home address, email, phone and share of the company
* For each co-founder who owns 25% or more: also their job title, SSN or passport number and photos of a photo ID that isn't expired
* For each co-founder who owns 25% or more and uses a passport: their annual income and source of income
* If you or a co-founder is married: the spouse's legal name and email, and their SSN if they have one
* A card for the payment step

Every saves your answers as you go. When you come back, the application opens at its first step with your answers filled in.

## Start the application

After you sign up, Every opens the application. You stay in the application until you submit it. Its steps are **Company Details**, **Owner Details**, **Ownership Structure**, **Roles & board**, **Review documents** and **Confirm & submit**.

**1. Choose to incorporate**

On **Company Details**, under **Get started**, find **Have you incorporated yet?** and select **No**.

**2. Confirm you're ready**

For **Have you and your cofounders left your previous jobs?**, select **Yes**. For **Are you sure you are ready to incorporate?**, select **Yes, I am ready to incorporate**.

**Company Details** notes that once you incorporate, you should expect to pay at least \$2,000 per year in taxes and related costs. If you answer **No** to either question, it advises against continuing and you can't go on.

**3. Choose the company type**

Under **Choose company type**, select **Tech Startup (C-Corporation)**. The option for an LLC (Limited liability company: a business that shields its owners from its debts and is taxed through them by default), **Non-Tech SMB (LLC)**, shows **Coming soon** and can't be selected.

**4. Name your company**

In **Desired company name**, enter a name that includes Inc, Incorporated, Corp or Corporation. To check that it's available, select the link under **Search company name** to open Delaware's company name search.

**5. Describe your company**

Choose your **Industry**, then enter your **Website** and a one-sentence **Company description**.

**6. Answer the compliance questions**

Under **Compliance information**, answer the questions about the account's purpose, your source of funds and transaction volume, where your business operates and where its owners live. The countries where it operates must include the United States.

**7. Enter your business address**

Under **Legal business address**, enter a physical U.S. address. If all owners live outside the U.S., the field's note allows a virtual mailbox address instead. A PO box isn't accepted. Then select **Next**.

![The application at Company Details, with No chosen for the incorporation question and its steps listed beside it.](https://mintcdn.com/every-a2724ddc/qvvudeZxc26V6Klz/images/screens/admins-getting-started-incorporate-your-company-light.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=qvvudeZxc26V6Klz\&q=85\&s=be363221391e7e2724fd353de433613c)

## Add owners and stockholders

**Owner Details** is about you. **Ownership Structure** is about everyone else who owns part of the company.

**1. Say if you're an owner**

If you own 25% or more of the company, select **Yes** for **Are you a 25% or greater owner of this company?** and enter your **Ownership percentage**.

**2. Add your details**

Choose your **Job title** and **Nationality**, and enter your **Date of birth** and your home address under **Owner address**.

**3. Add your marital status**

Choose your **Marital status**. If you're married, enter your spouse's legal name, email and SSN if they have one.

**4. Enter your SSN or passport number**

In **ID verification type**, choose **SSN (U.S only)** or **Passport Number (if Foreign Person)**, then enter the number.

**5. Verify your identity**

Under **ID Verification**, select **Get started** and complete the check with your photo ID. Then select **Next**, which stays unavailable until the check is done.

**6. Add your co-founders**

On **Ownership Structure**, select **Add new**, then **Add owner** for each person who owns 25% or more, or **Add stockholder** for each person who owns less. Fill in the sheet and save it, then repeat for each person. Don't add yourself as an owner, and don't add investors.

When you submit, Every gives each owner you add the Company Admin and Employee roles in your company, unless their **Job title** is **I'm not an employee**.

**7. Optional: reserve shares for a future founder**

Select **Add new** → **Add future founder** and enter the share to reserve. Every reserves the shares, but a future founder doesn't count as a current owner.

**8. Continue**

The bar shows how much of the company is allocated and how much is still available, and asks you to allocate all of it. Then select **Next**. You need at least one current owner who owns 25% or more: you, or someone you added with **Add owner**.

![Ownership Structure, with the allocation bar fully allocated and the owners listed below it.](https://mintcdn.com/every-a2724ddc/qvvudeZxc26V6Klz/images/screens/admins-getting-started-incorporate-your-company-ownership-light.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=qvvudeZxc26V6Klz\&q=85\&s=b07c779892d90060d76369f63e994581)

## Choose officers and sign

On **Roles & board**, you choose your company's officers (Someone the board appoints to a formal role in a company, such as CEO, CFO or Secretary) from the people you added and, if you own 25% or more, yourself. You choose the board (The group stockholders elect to oversee a company and make its major decisions) the same way, then sign the company's first documents.

**1. Choose the officers**

Under **Company officers**, choose a **CEO**, **President**, **CFO** and **Secretary**. One person can hold all four.

**2. Choose the board**

Under **Board members**, select **Add board member** and choose who sits on the board. You need at least one member.

**3. Choose who signs Form SS-4**

In **Select a shareholder with a SSN to sign Form SS-4**, choose yourself if you have an SSN, or another shareholder (A person or company that owns shares in a corporation) who has one. Every uses Form SS-4 (The IRS form a business files to apply for an EIN) to get your company's EIN. If the person you choose has no SSN in the application, enter it in **Signatory SSN**.

**4. Sign the Certificate of Incorporation**

On the **Sign the Certificate of Incorporation** card, select **Download** to read the Certificate of Incorporation (The document filed with a state to form a corporation, setting out its name, shares and other basics). Enter your full name, then select **I agree to electronically sign this document**. Signing authorizes Every to file it with the State of Delaware.

**5. Sign the EIN forms**

If you chose yourself to sign Form SS-4, also sign the **Sign Form SS-4 to obtain an EIN number** and **Sign Form 8821 to obtain an EIN number** cards the same way. Then select **Next**.

![Roles & board with CEO, President, CFO and Secretary choices above the board members section.](https://mintcdn.com/every-a2724ddc/19nP2pdcB7HMtcYU/images/screens/admins-getting-started-incorporate-your-company-roles-light.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=19nP2pdcB7HMtcYU\&q=85\&s=09189d678dda30b413ed839887f365ab)

## Review and submit

**Review documents** shows what your application sets up:

| Item | What Every sets up |
| - | - |
| Company | A Delaware C corporation |
| Authorized shares (The most shares a corporation may issue, as set in its Certificate of Incorporation) | 10,000,000 |
| Founder shares | 8,000,000, split among the founders by ownership |
| Future stock plan | 2,000,000 shares reserved for a stock plan you can create later. Every doesn't create the plan |
| Vesting (Earning full ownership of shares or options over time, as long as you stay with the company) | A 12-month cliff (The time someone must stay with a company before the first part of their equity vests) and 48 months of vesting for each founder |

![Review documents, with the company name, the stock summary and each founder's shares and vesting.](https://mintcdn.com/every-a2724ddc/qvvudeZxc26V6Klz/images/screens/admins-getting-started-incorporate-your-company-review-light.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=qvvudeZxc26V6Klz\&q=85\&s=8ce41c2929955703d382360ffeb60e7b)

**1. Check the summary and documents**

Check the cards on **Review documents**. Under **Documents**, select **Download** next to a document to read a preview, such as the bylaws or a founder's stock purchase agreement (Common Stock Purchase Agreement: the contract under which someone buys shares of a company's common stock).

**2. Accept the terms**

Under **Terms & conditions**, select each checkbox, then select **Next**. They include the agreements for your Every business deposit account and debit card.

**3. Choose how to cover the incorporation fee**

On **Confirm & submit**, the **Incorporation fee** covers all government fees and your first year of registered agent (A person or service named to receive legal and government mail for a company in its state) service. Choose **Post about Every Today** or **Post about Every Later** to have it waived for sharing Every on LinkedIn, now or within 6 months. Or choose **Standard fee** to pay it when you submit.

**4. Redeem the offer if you post today**

With **Post about Every Today**, select **Redeem**. In **Redeem the offer**, select **Share on LinkedIn** to post, then select **Confirm**.

**5. Add a card**

Under **Payment method**, enter a card.

**6. Submit**

Check the **Order total**, then select **Confirm & Submit**.

**Confirm & submit** shows the amount of each fee. The **Annual report filing fee** card shows the annual fee for your registered agent, and nothing is due for it today. Every saves your card and charges that fee starting a year after you submit. The note under **Order total** says you can cancel before the renewal date to avoid the charge.

If Every can't accept the application, it shows **Onboarding failed** with the reason, such as an owner who is already associated with another Every account. Select **Back** to return to the application.

## What happens next

Every shows **Application Submitted**. Select **Done** to go to **Home**, where **Incorporation process** shows Company Admins and Bookkeepers how far your company has come:

| Stage | What it means |
| - | - |
| **Submit application** | Every has your application |
| **Incorporation** | Your paperwork is with the state. Once it's done, your company is formed and you receive its Certificate of Incorporation |
| **EIN** | Your company is formed, and Every is applying for its EIN |
| **Bank account** | Your company has its EIN, and Every is opening your bank account |
| **Setup completed** | Your bank account is open and ready to use |

**View setup** shows your setup and its documents again. From the **EIN** stage on, **View documents** opens **Documents**.

Every then asks the founders, and the spouse of each one who's married, to sign the post-incorporation documents. Once your company has its EIN, the request shows under **Things to do** on **Home**: select **Get Started** on your own row to sign them, or **Nudge** to remind someone else. If you chose someone else to sign Form SS-4, Every asks them to sign it too.

> [!WARNING]
>
> The IRS requires 83(b) elections (A filing with the IRS choosing to be taxed on restricted stock when it's granted, rather than as it vests) to be mailed within 30 days of stock issuance, as **File your 83(b) election** warns. Once everyone has signed, each founder with an Every account gets a to-do to file theirs by a date 30 days after the last signature.

To file yours:

**1. Open the to-do**

On **Home**, under **Things to do**, select your **File your 83(b) election by** to-do. **File your 83(b) election** opens.

**2. Choose how to file**

Choose **Digitally via Corpora** or **Manual filing (free)**. Every gives you a discount code for Corpora. With manual filing, Every prepares the forms, and you sign and mail them to the IRS.

**3. Confirm**

When you've filed, select **Confirm & complete**.

## Ask about your application

Before you submit, email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io) if no shareholder has an SSN, if you've already applied for your company's EIN or if you want to cancel the registered agent renewal.

After you submit, email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io). You can ask about your EIN application, canceling the registered agent renewal or changes to founders, ownership, officers or board members.

## Agent reference

**Where:** The application, which Every opens after sign-up. Its steps are **Company Details**, **Owner Details**, **Ownership Structure**, **Roles & board**, **Review documents** and **Confirm & submit**. After submission, progress shows on **Home** in **Incorporation process**. Once the company has its EIN, the post-incorporation signing and 83(b) filing tasks show under **Things to do** on **Home**. When the Form SS-4 signer is someone else with an Every account, their Form SS-4 signing to-do can show there before the company has its EIN.

**Who:** Company Admins and Bookkeepers can open the application; other roles can't. The person who signs up for Every gets the Company Admin and Employee roles. Company Admins and Bookkeepers stay in the application until it's submitted.

### Facts

#### Starting the application

* The application saves your answers as you go. When the application is opened again, it starts at **Company Details** with the saved answers filled in.
* On **Company Details**, **Have you incorporated yet?** under **Get started** decides the path. **No** ("No, I would like to incorporate one") is for forming a new company with Every. **Yes** ("Yes, I already have a company") is for an existing company, and its steps include **Upload documents** instead of **Roles & board** and **Review documents**.
* **Company Details** opens with the **Patriot Act Disclosure**, which says federal law requires financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.
* On the incorporation path, **Company Details** asks **Have you and your cofounders left your previous jobs?** Answering **No** shows "Hold off on incorporation until all founders have exited their current roles." with three reasons: clean IP ownership, reduced risk of claims from previous employers and smoother due diligence for investors.
* On the incorporation path, **Proceed with incorporation** on **Company Details** says "Once you incorporate, expect to pay at least \$2,000 per year in taxes and related costs." It asks **Are you sure you are ready to incorporate?**, with **Yes, I am ready to incorporate** and **No, I will wait until later**.
* With **No** to **Have you and your cofounders left your previous jobs?** or **Are you sure you are ready to incorporate?** on **Company Details**, the step says "We don't recommend continuing this application at this time." and **Next** is unavailable, so the application can't continue.

#### Company type and name

* Under **Choose company type** on **Company Details**, **Tech Startup (C-Corporation)** is meant for tech companies raising venture capital or offering equity to employees.
* **Tech Startup (C-Corporation)** on **Company Details** lists **Form a C Corporation**, **Open a U.S. bank account**, **Issue stock to C Corporation founders**, **File 83(b)** and **Post-Incorporation Documents**.
* **Non-Tech SMB (LLC)** on **Company Details** says **Not supported yet**, shows **Coming soon** and can't be selected. Every accepts only corporations on the incorporation path.
* Every forms the company in Delaware. Signing the Certificate of Incorporation on **Roles & board** authorizes Every to file it with the State of Delaware.
* **Desired company name** on **Company Details** must include Inc, Incorporated, Corp or Corporation (Inc. and Corp. work too). Otherwise the field says "Must have one of the following: Inc, Incorporated, Corp, Corporation".
* The link under **Search company name** on **Company Details** opens Delaware's company name search, to make sure the name is available.
* **Company Details** asks for the **Industry**, the **Website** and a **Company description** in one clear sentence. The **Website** field says that without a website, you can enter [https://google.com](https://google.com).
* Every can't support some industries. Choosing one on **Company Details** shows "Unfortunately we aren't able to support your business".

#### Compliance and address

* **Compliance information** on **Company Details** asks for the **Primary purpose of this account**, the **Primary source of funds for your business**, the **Expected monthly transaction volume for this account**, the countries where the business operates, whether a government authority or financial regulator regulates the business, the **Nature of your U.S. operations** and where you and any owners of more than 25 percent live.
* The countries where the business operates, on **Company Details**, must include the United States, or the application can't continue.
* Under **Compliance information** on **Company Details**, a primary source of funds of Cryptocurrency related activity can't be supported, and the application can't continue with it.
* The note on **Legal business address** asks for a physical United States address, says to use your home address if you have no office, and says virtual addresses are not accepted. When all owners live outside the U.S. on the incorporation path, the note allows a virtual mailbox address instead.
* The **Legal business address** on **Company Details** can't be a PO box.

#### Owner Details

* **Owner Details** is headed "Details for" and your first name, and shows your sign-up email as an **Email address** you can't edit.
* **Owner Details** asks **Are you a 25% or greater owner of this company?** With **Yes**, you enter an **Ownership percentage** of 25 or more.
* **Owner Details** asks for your **Job title**, **Nationality**, **Date of birth** and home address. The **Date of birth** must be at least 16 years ago. The home address under **Owner address** must be a physical address you can verify with a utility bill or lease.
* On the incorporation path, **Marital status** on **Owner Details** is required. With **Married**, you enter **Spouse legal name**, **Spouse SSN** and **Spouse email address**. **Spouse SSN** can be left blank when the spouse has no SSN.
* **ID verification type** on **Owner Details** is **SSN (U.S only)** or **Passport Number (if Foreign Person)**. A passport also needs its **Passport country of issuance**.
* The **ID Verification** card on **Owner Details** asks you to have a passport, a driver's license or another government-issued photo ID ready. **Get started** starts the identity check, and the button then reads **Verification completed**.
* **Next** on **Owner Details** stays unavailable until the identity check is complete.

#### Ownership Structure

* On **Ownership Structure**, **Add new** offers **Add owner** for people who own 25% or more now, **Add stockholder** for people who own less than 25%, and **Add future founder** to reserve shares for a future owner. Fill in and submit the owner or stockholder sheet to save the person in the application.
* On **Ownership Structure**, an owner's share must be at least 25%, a stockholder's share must be less than 25%, and the total can't exceed 100%.
* An owner added on **Ownership Structure** needs a legal name, nationality, date of birth, **Job title**, home address, **Work email address**, **Phone number**, share of the company, an SSN or passport number, and a government-issued photo ID that isn't expired, with its issue and expiration dates and a photo of the **Front of the document**. A photo of the back is needed unless the ID is a passport. An owner who uses a passport also gives an annual income and a source of income.
* A stockholder added on **Ownership Structure** needs a legal name, nationality, date of birth, home address, **Work email address** and **Phone number**, and has no ID check.
* On the incorporation path, marital status is required for each owner and stockholder added on **Ownership Structure**, with the spouse's details when married.
* **Add future founder** on **Ownership Structure** reserves shares for someone who isn't an owner yet. The reservation shows as **Future founders** and doesn't count as a current owner. **Add future founder** is unavailable once a reservation exists.
* **Ownership Structure** says "Do not add investors here."
* On **Ownership Structure**, you appear as **You** when you said you own 25% or more.
* The allocation bar on **Ownership Structure** shows the percentage **Allocated** and **Available**, and asks you to allocate the entire remaining total before continuing.
* **Next** on **Ownership Structure** needs a current owner who holds 25% or more: you, or an owner added with **Add owner**. Stockholders and future founder reservations don't count. Without one, Every says "Add at least one current owner who owns 25% or more of the company before continuing."

#### Roles & board

* Under **Company officers**, **Roles & board** asks for a **CEO**, **President**, **CFO** and **Secretary**, all required. **President**, **CFO** and **Secretary** each say the CEO commonly holds that role too.
* On **Roles & board**, the people you can choose as officers, board members and Form SS-4 signer are the owners and stockholders added on **Ownership Structure**, and you when you said you own 25% or more. Each office offers the same people, so one person can hold several offices.
* **Board members** on **Roles & board** needs at least one member. **Add board member** adds a member, and is unavailable once everyone who can be chosen is on the board.
* **Select a shareholder with a SSN to sign Form SS-4** on **Roles & board** chooses who signs Form SS-4, which Every uses to obtain the company's EIN. Its hover text says to select yourself if you have an SSN, or another shareholder who has one.
* When the Form SS-4 signer chosen on **Roles & board** has no SSN in the application, a **Signatory SSN** field appears, and **Next** can't continue until it's filled in.
* **Sign the Certificate of Incorporation** on **Roles & board** says that signing authorizes Every to file the Certificate of Incorporation with the State of Delaware. Its signature is required for a C corporation.
* When you choose yourself as the Form SS-4 signer on **Roles & board**, you also sign **Sign Form SS-4 to obtain an EIN number** and **Sign Form 8821 to obtain an EIN number**.
* Each signature card on **Roles & board** has **Download** to read the document, a field where you enter your full name and the checkbox **I agree to electronically sign this document**.

#### Review documents

* **Review documents** shows **Company information**, **Stock summary**, **Founder share details**, **Board members and officers**, **Documents** and **Terms & conditions**.
* **Stock summary** on **Review documents** shows **Total Authorized Shares** of 10,000,000, **Reserved for future stock plan** of 2,000,000 and **Founders shares** of 8,000,000. Every authorizes 10,000,000 shares for a company it incorporates, and 8,000,000 of them are founder shares.
* The shares **Reserved for future stock plan** on **Review documents** are for a company stock plan you can create in the future. Every does not create the plan, and reserved shares that stay unused cause no dilution.
* The 8,000,000 founder shares are split among the founders by ownership: each person's shares are 8,000,000 times their ownership percentage.
* **Founder share details** on **Review documents** lists each person with a 12 months cliff and 48 months vesting. Every sets a 12-month cliff and 48 months of vesting for each founder. A future founder reservation is listed as Future Founder with its shares and the same vesting.
* The Common Stock Purchase Agreements that Every prepares price founder shares at \$0.00001 per share.
* Under **Documents** on **Review documents**, **Download** gives a preview of each document: Action by Incorporator, a Common Stock Purchase Agreement for each person, Corporate Bylaws, Organizational Board Action in Lieu of First Meeting Consent, Action by Written Consent of the Stockholders and a Confidential Information and Invention Assignment Agreement for each person.
* **Terms & conditions** on **Review documents** has eight checkboxes, all required. They include the **Every Business Deposit Account Agreement**, the **Every VISA Debit Cardholder Agreement**, an agreement to open a brokerage account and the statement that Every is not a bank and that Thread Bank, Member FDIC, provides the banking services.

#### Confirm & submit

* The **Incorporation fee** on **Confirm & submit** covers all government fees and your first year of registered agent service. Its options are **Post about Every Today**, **Post about Every Later** and **Standard fee**, and **Post about Every Today** is selected when the step opens.
* **Post about Every Today** on **Confirm & submit** waives the one-time incorporation fee for sharing Every on LinkedIn. Before **Confirm & Submit**, select **Redeem**: in **Redeem the offer**, **Share on LinkedIn** opens LinkedIn with a post you can reword, and **Confirm** marks the offer **Redeemed**. Without that, Every asks you to redeem the offer before submitting.
* **Post about Every Later** on **Confirm & submit** says "Still in stealth? Share Every on your LinkedIn within 6 months and get your one-time incorporation fee waived."
* **Standard fee** on **Confirm & submit** is the one-time incorporation fee without posting, and it's the only option that charges the incorporation fee when you submit.
* With **Post about Every Later**, a to-do on **Home** reminds Company Admins to share Every on LinkedIn by a date 6 months after you submit, to keep your incorporation free. Where Every has turned the to-do on for the company, it shows until that date.
* The **Annual report filing fee** card on **Confirm & submit** says a registered agent is a required legal representative that receives official government and legal documents for your business, and that the designation must be renewed each year. It shows the **Annual fee**, nothing **Due today** and the **Renewal date**, a year from today.
* **Payment method** on **Confirm & submit** takes a card. Every saves the card and sets up the registered agent renewal on it, first charged a year after you submit.
* **Order total** on **Confirm & submit** shows the **Subtotal**, any **Discount**, the **Tax** and the **Total due today**. Its note says that by submitting you authorize an auto-renewal charge for Registered Agent service starting on the renewal date, and that you may cancel anytime before that date to avoid the charge.
* **Confirm & Submit** takes the payment details, then submits the application. **Confirm & submit** shows the fee amounts, and these docs don't list them.
* When Every can't submit the application, it shows **Onboarding failed** with the reason, and **Back** returns to the application. The reasons include an owner on **Ownership Structure** who is "already associated with another Every account.", "You should not add yourself as an owner. You should only add the other cofounders in the section.", "You inputted the same SSN/Passport number for two different owners." and "You must add at least one current owner who owns 25% or more of the company before submitting your application." For a duplicate entry, the application asks you to list each person once among officers or owners.

#### After submitting

* When the application is submitted, Every gives each owner added with **Add owner** on **Ownership Structure** the Company Admin and Employee roles in the company, except owners whose **Job title** is **I'm not an employee**.
* After submission, Every shows **Application Submitted**, and **Done** opens **Home**.
* On **Home**, **Incorporation process** shows Company Admins and Bookkeepers the stages of the incorporation, each marked **Completed**, **In progress** or **To-do**:

| Stage in **Incorporation process** | What it means |
| - | - |
| **Submit application** | Every has the application. This stage shows as complete from the start |
| **Incorporation** | The paperwork is with the state. Once it's done, the company is formed and you receive its Certificate of Incorporation |
| **EIN** | The company has its Certificate of Incorporation, and Every is applying for its EIN |
| **Bank account** | The company has its EIN, and Every is opening its bank account |
| **Setup completed** | The bank account is open and ready to use |

* **Incorporation process** on **Home** has **Hide** and **Show** while the incorporation is in progress, and **Dismiss** once setup is complete.
* **View setup** in **Incorporation process** on **Home** shows on the current stage of a C corporation and reopens **Review documents** with the company's setup and documents.
* From the **EIN** stage on, **View documents** in **Incorporation process** on **Home** opens **Documents**, which Company Admins, HR Admins and Bookkeepers can open.
* After submission, Every's team asks the founders, and the spouse of each one who's married, to sign the post-incorporation documents, and sends each signer a signing link. At the same time, the company's starting cap table, **Cap Table at Incorporation**, appears in **Documents** under **Company and Tax Documents** for Company Admins and HR Admins.
* Once the company has its EIN, under **Things to do** on **Home**, a to-do marked **Due now** says how many stockholders have post-incorporation documents to sign. Your own row shows **Get Started**. Each other signer's row shows **Nudge**, which sends that person a reminder with the signing link, and then **Sent**.
* On the post-incorporation signing to-do under **Things to do** on **Home**, **Get Started** on your own row opens **Sign post incorporation documents**. Each person signs the documents for their roles: everyone signs the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, and the CEO or the Secretary signs the Bylaws. **Send** submits the signatures.
* When someone else is the Form SS-4 signer, Every's team asks them to sign Form SS-4 after submission and sends them a signing link. A signer with an Every account also sees "Sign Form SS-4 so we can apply for your EIN number" under **Things to do** on **Home**.
* Once everyone has signed the post-incorporation documents, each founder with an Every account gets a to-do under **Things to do** on **Home** to file their 83(b) election, due 30 days after the last signature.
* **File your 83(b) election**, which opens from the 83(b) to-do under **Things to do** on **Home**, says the IRS requires 83(b) elections to be mailed within 30 days of stock issuance. It offers **Digitally via Corpora**, which comes with a discount code from Every, and **Manual filing (free)**, where Every prepares the forms and you wet sign both copies and mail them to the IRS by Certified Mail within 30 days. **Confirm & complete** marks the election as done.

### Questions people ask

* **Can Every form an LLC for me?** No. On **Company Details**, **Non-Tech SMB (LLC)** shows **Coming soon** and can't be selected, and Every accepts only corporations on the incorporation path. Every forms a Delaware C corporation.
* **What if no shareholder has an SSN?** Email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io) before you submit to ask how to continue. **ID verification type** on **Owner Details** accepts **Passport Number (if Foreign Person)**. On **Roles & board**, **Signatory SSN** appears when the chosen Form SS-4 signer has no SSN in the application, and **Next** can't continue until that field is filled in.
* **What are the 10,000,000, 8,000,000 and 2,000,000 shares?** Every authorizes 10,000,000 shares, splits 8,000,000 of them among the founders by ownership and reserves the rest for a stock plan you can create later. Every doesn't create the plan, and reserved shares that stay unused cause no dilution.
* **What vesting do founders get?** Each founder's shares have a 12-month cliff and 48 months of vesting, as **Founder share details** on **Review documents** shows.
* **Can I add a co-founder later?** Before you submit, you can reserve shares for a future founder: on **Ownership Structure**, select **Add new** → **Add future founder**. To ask about adding a person after you submit, email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io).
* **What is the 83(b) election, and how do I file it?** An 83(b) election asks the IRS to tax restricted stock when it's issued, rather than as it vests. Once everyone has signed the post-incorporation documents, each founder with an Every account gets a to-do to file it by a date 30 days after the last signature, either **Digitally via Corpora** or by **Manual filing (free)**.
* **Where are my incorporation documents?** From the **EIN** stage on, **View documents** in **Incorporation process** on **Home** opens **Documents**. Before you submit, **Download** on **Review documents** gives a preview of each document, and **View setup** on **Home** shows them again after.
* **How much does incorporation cost?** **Confirm & submit** shows the amounts. The incorporation fee covers all government fees and your first year of registered agent service, and **Post about Every Today** or **Post about Every Later** waives it for sharing Every on LinkedIn. The annual registered agent fee is charged to your card starting a year after you submit.
* **I already applied for an EIN. What should I do?** Email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io) before submitting the incorporation application. After submission, email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io) to ask about the EIN application.
* **How do I cancel the registered agent renewal?** Email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io) before or after you submit the application. The note under **Order total** on **Confirm & submit** says you can cancel anytime before the renewal date to avoid the charge.
* **Does the incorporation include a registered agent?** Yes. The incorporation fee covers your first year of registered agent service, and Every charges the annual fee to your card starting a year after you submit, as the note under **Order total** says.
* **Should I incorporate now?** The application advises holding off until all founders have left their current jobs. It also says to expect at least \$2,000 per year in taxes and related costs once you incorporate. With **No** to **Have you and your cofounders left your previous jobs?** or **Are you sure you are ready to incorporate?** on **Company Details**, the application doesn't recommend continuing, and **Next** is unavailable.
* **Who can fill in the application?** Company Admins and Bookkeepers. The person who signs up for Every is a Company Admin.
* **Can I stop and finish the application later?** Yes. Every saves your answers as you go, and the application opens at **Company Details** with them filled in.
* **Why can't I select Next on Owner Details?** The identity check under **ID Verification** isn't complete. Select **Get started** and finish it.
* **Why does Ownership Structure say I need a current owner?** Every needs at least one current owner who owns 25% or more: you, or an owner added with **Add owner**. Stockholders and future founder reservations don't count.
* **Can one person be CEO, President, CFO and Secretary?** Yes. Each office on **Roles & board** offers the same people.
* **Should I add our investors?** No. **Ownership Structure** says "Do not add investors here."
* **Why does my application say Onboarding failed?** Every couldn't accept the submission, and the screen shows why, for example an owner who is already associated with another Every account. **Back** returns to the application.
* **Do I pay anything when I submit with Post about Every Later?** The incorporation fee isn't charged when you submit, and nothing is due for the annual registered agent fee. Every saves your card.

### Not covered here

* How much the incorporation fee and the annual registered agent fee are. **Confirm & submit** shows both amounts.
* How long each stage of **Incorporation process** takes, with or without an SSN.
* How to complete the application when no shareholder has an SSN.
* Whether you can add, remove or change owners, stockholders, officers or board members after you submit.
* How many owners and stockholders one incorporation can include.
* Whether Every charges the incorporation fee when you choose **Post about Every Later** and don't share within 6 months.
* When canceling the registered agent renewal takes effect and whether the company keeps a registered agent afterward.
* Which folder in **Documents** holds the incorporation documents.
* Whether and when Every invites the owners you add to sign in, and which emails Every sends during the incorporation.
* What happens when the identity check on **Owner Details** fails.
* Whether a Standard fee is refunded when the submission fails.

To ask about any of these, email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io).


## Related topics

- [Create an account](https://every.help/admins/getting-started/creating-an-account.md)
- [Open a bank account](https://every.help/admins/getting-started/open-a-bank-account.md)
- [FAQ](https://every.help/admins/getting-started/faq.md)
- [Platform overview](https://every.help/admins/getting-started/platform-overview.md)
- [Join your company](https://every.help/employees/join-your-company.md)


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