What It Costs to Form and Maintain a New Jersey Corporation

The cost that starts everything is the state filing fee for your Certificate of Incorporation, paid to the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services when you file. This is a mandatory state charge, and it's the same whether you file yourself or through a service — the state fee doesn't change. The receipt card on this page reflects the current amount.

What's bundled and what's not

The formation filing fee creates the corporation. A few related items are optional or separate:

• Name reservation — optional. If you want to hold a name before filing, New Jersey charges a small separate fee. Most people skip it and just file when ready.
• Alternate name (DBA) — optional. If you'll operate under a name other than your legal corporate name, registering an alternate name with DORES carries its own fee.
• Certified copies or expedited handling — optional add-ons if you need them for a bank or a specific deadline.

The cost of doing it wrong

The cheapest formation is the one you only pay for once. Filing errors — a name that isn't distinguishable, a bad registered office address, a botched share authorization — get rejected and cost you time, and sometimes a refiling. Getting the Certificate right the first time is where a filing service earns its keep.

Every New Jersey corporation needs a registered agent, and this is where your choices actually affect your budget.

Free versus paid

If you serve as your own registered agent, there's no direct fee — but it's not really free. You put your address in the public record, you have to be present during business hours, and you carry the risk of missing a served lawsuit. A commercial registered agent service charges an annual fee in exchange for a stable New Jersey registered office, reliable receipt of documents, and privacy for your home address.

Why it's usually worth paying

For most corporations, especially out-of-state owners, a professional agent buys real value: no risk of a default judgment because no one was home, no personal address exposed online, and a professional that flags your annual report deadline. In the broader market that protection is usually billed as its own yearly fee; when you form with Mainstay, agent coverage is simply part of the one flat yearly price on the receipt card rather than a separate charge.

A corporation is a recurring commitment, and budgeting for the ongoing costs prevents unpleasant surprises.

The annual report

New Jersey charges a fee for the annual report, filed with DORES each year on the anniversary of your corporation's formation. It's a predictable yearly cost and the price of staying in good standing. Miss it long enough — two consecutive years — and the state can revoke your charter, after which reinstatement costs far more than the annual report ever would.

Registered agent renewal

Commercial registered agents typically bill an annual renewal as its own line item. With Mainstay there is no such line — the agent stays on duty under the same flat yearly price that also covers preparing and filing your annual report, so the only recurring state charge to budget is New Jersey's own report fee.

The hidden late costs

The costs that hurt are the avoidable ones: late annual reports, reinstatement after revocation, and penalties for failing to complete NJ-REG or meet tax obligations. None of these are inevitable — they're the price of missed deadlines. Keeping a working registered agent and a compliance calendar is how you avoid them entirely.

It's easy to conflate filing fees with taxes, but they're different obligations to different offices, and taxes are usually the larger number over time.

Corporation Business Tax

New Jersey levies the Corporation Business Tax (CBT) on corporations doing business in the state, administered by the Division of Taxation. This is a tax on income, entirely separate from the DORES filing fees, and it's not something a filing service handles — it's a matter for your accountant. The amount depends on your corporation's income and structure.

NJ-REG and other taxes

Completing NJ-REG registers you for state tax and employer obligations. Depending on your business, you may collect and remit sales tax, pay employer withholding and unemployment contributions, or owe other state taxes. These aren't formation fees; they're operating costs tied to how your business runs. Plan for them with a CPA.

Federal costs

An EIN from the IRS is free. Your federal corporate tax obligations — and any professional fees for preparing returns — are separate from everything New Jersey charges.

When you form your corporation through Mainstay Filing, your cost has two parts: the mandatory New Jersey state fees, which we pass through unchanged, and one flat yearly service price that covers preparing and filing your Certificate of Incorporation, acting as your registered agent all year, every year, and preparing and filing your annual report when it comes due. What we charge is exactly what's displayed — the amount you're charged matches the amount shown, with no surprise add-ons at checkout.

What that buys

• Preparation and filing of your Certificate of Incorporation with DORES
• Registered agent service at a New Jersey registered office
• Return of your filed formation documents
• Your annual report prepared and filed each year — part of the price, not an upsell

What's genuinely optional

Add-ons like name reservation, alternate name registration, or expedited handling are only charged if you actually choose them. We're a filing service, not a law or accounting firm, so legal structuring and tax planning aren't part of the fee — those belong with an attorney or CPA. The goal is a clear, honest price for getting the state-facing work done right.