Church Plant Government Startup Guidelines



(this is just for reference)
  1. Have Board of Directors accept Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
  2. 2. Get FEIN from the IRS
  3. File the Articles of Incorporation with the State.
  4. Once the Articles are returned and stamped by the state, go and get a church checking account.

    FOR STEPS 5 AND 6, I WOULD START WORKING ON THEM ASAP, THEY TAKE SOME TIME.
  6. File IRS Form 1023 and Schedule A for IRS 501c3 determination
  7. File any necessary paperwork for tax exemption in your state


I always recommend getting a PO Box for a church plant. It helps separate the church from the founding pastor and new churches tend to move often and it keeps the mail consistent until a building is bought.