Buying an aged corporation is not the same transaction as buying an operating business, and it should not be approached the same way. There is no revenue to underwrite, no staff to retain, and usually no assets beyond the entity’s own paperwork. What you are actually buying is a formation date on the public record, a filing history, and whatever standing the entity currently holds with its home state. Everything in this section is built around one working principle: verify the record yourself, in the state’s own system, rather than relying on a seller’s description of it.
How to buy walks through the transaction end to end, from identifying what you actually need an aged entity for through closing the purchase and updating the state and federal record to reflect new ownership. Annual fees by state compares what different states require to keep an entity in good standing year after year, since that ongoing obligation does not stop once you take ownership. Verify before you pay is the single most important page in this section: it explains exactly which facts to confirm directly with the Secretary of State, and why a seller’s representation is not a substitute for that independent check. Seller red flags collects the warning signs that a listing is not what it claims to be, drawn from patterns regulators and reporters have documented in this market. Transfer mechanics covers the paperwork side: resignation and appointment of officers and directors, updated registered agent filings, and the federal steps that follow a change in ownership.
Read in order, these five pages take you from deciding whether an aged entity fits your situation at all, through the verification work that protects you, to the mechanical steps of closing and holding the entity afterward. None of them promise an outcome with a lender, a landlord, or an agency; what they offer is a clear account of what an aged entity is on the record, and what work remains for you to do once you hold it.
In this section
- How to Buy a Shelf Corporation
How to buy a shelf corporation step by step - choosing state, type and age, checking the entity, the purchase agreement, transfer filings and the first 30 days. - Shelf Corporation Annual Fees by State
What ten states charge each year to keep a dormant corporation or LLC in good standing, with late and reinstatement fees, each row linked to the agency. - How to Verify a Shelf Corporation Before You Pay
Due diligence for an aged corporation or LLC - state record, good standing, EIN, UCC liens, seller authority, papers and indemnity, plus 50 state searches. - Shelf Corporation Red Flags and Scams
The warning signs in the aged corporation market - funding promises, Paydex and tradeline packages, fake history, locked inventory and anonymous sellers. - How to Transfer Ownership of a Shelf Corporation
How a shelf corporation or LLC changes hands - share transfer or assignment, officer and agent filings, name changes, the EIN, Form 8822-B and the bank.