Overview
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Region | United States & Canada |
| ISO 3166-1 | US / USA |
| Registry | State Secretary of State (varies) |
| Last updated | 2026-05-06 |
Identifiers
Collect two identifiers from each business customer in United States and submit them as strings on the application body.| API field | Local name | Issuer |
|---|---|---|
businessInfo.taxId | EIN | IRS |
businessInfo.businessEntityId | State CRN / File Number | State Secretary of State (varies) |
Sector regulators
SEC · FinCEN · OCC · FDIC · FRB · NCUA · CFPB · CFTC · NAIC and state insurance departments · NYDFS · FINRA · state MSB
Legal structures
| Local name | Abbreviation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| C-Corporation | C-Corp | Standard stock corporation taxed as a separate entity (Subchapter C, IRC). No shareholder limit. Most common for VC-backed startups, public companies, and foreign-investor vehicles. Delaware predominates for institutional and cross-border use. Equivalent to a US C-Corp. |
| S-Corporation | S-Corp | A state-incorporated corporation (or LLC) that makes a federal tax election under IRC Subchapter S. Limits: ≤100 shareholders, US persons/residents only, one class of stock; not available to foreign shareholders or corporations. Equivalent to a US S-Corp. |
| Public Benefit Corporation | PBC | For-profit corporation pursuing a stated public benefit alongside shareholder returns. Available under DGCL Subchapter XV (Delaware) and most other states. Distinct from “B Corp” certification by B Lab. Equivalent to a US C-Corp. |
| Nonprofit Corporation | 501(c)(3) | State-incorporated nonprofit that may apply to the IRS for federal tax-exempt status under IRC §501(c)(3) or other 501(c) subchapters. Governed by state nonprofit corporation acts. Equivalent to a US Nonprofit Corporation. |
| Professional Corporation | PC | Corporation formed by licensed professionals (physicians, attorneys, accountants, architects, etc.) under state professional corporation statutes. Shareholders must hold the applicable professional license; provides limited liability for business debts but not for personal malpractice. Available in all 50 states. Equivalent to a US C-Corp. |
| Limited Liability Company (multi-member) | LLC | Pass-through (partnership taxation) by default. Members hold membership interests, not shares. Operating Agreement governs internally and is not typically filed publicly. Delaware and Wyoming are popular formation states. Equivalent to a US LLC. |
| Limited Liability Company (single-member) | SMLLC | One-member LLC; disregarded entity by default for federal income tax. Same state formation mechanics as a multi-member LLC. Equivalent to a US SMLLC. |
| Series LLC | Series LLC | Single LLC with separately ring-fenced series, each with distinct assets, liabilities, members, and managers. Available in DE, NV, TX, IL, UT, and select other states. Inter-series liability protection is not universally recognized outside the formation state. Equivalent to a US Series LLC. |
| Professional Limited Liability Company | PLLC | LLC formed by licensed professionals under state professional LLC statutes; members must hold the applicable professional license. Provides limited liability for business debts but generally not for the member’s own malpractice. Available in most states. Equivalent to a US LLC. |
| Limited Partnership | LP | At least one general partner (unlimited personal liability and management authority) and one or more limited partners (liability capped at investment). Common in PE, real estate, and fund structures. Equivalent to a US LP. |
| Limited Liability Partnership | LLP | Partnership where all partners carry limited liability for the partnership’s debts and the malpractice of other partners. Predominantly used by professional service firms (law, accounting, architecture). State availability and scope of liability shield vary. Equivalent to a US LLP. |
| Limited Liability Limited Partnership | LLLP | A limited partnership in which the general partners also receive limited liability protection (analogous to LLP treatment layered onto an LP). Recognized in approximately 28–30 states including Delaware, Florida, Texas, Colorado, and Virginia. Equivalent to a US LP. |
| General Partnership | GP | Two or more persons carrying on business together. Most states require no formal filing; all partners bear unlimited personal liability for partnership obligations. Equivalent to a US General Partnership. |
| Sole Proprietorship | — | A single individual trading without forming a separate legal entity. May operate under the individual’s legal name or a registered DBA (fictitious business name). No separate legal personality; owner bears unlimited personal liability. Equivalent to a US Sole Proprietorship. |
| Cooperative | Co-op | Member-owned entity organized under state cooperative corporation statutes (e.g., agricultural, worker, consumer, or housing cooperatives). Profits distributed as patronage dividends to member-users rather than investors. Taxed under Subchapter T (IRC) for qualifying cooperatives. Equivalent to a US Cooperative. |
| Statutory Trust | DST | Created by filing a Certificate of Trust with the state. Delaware Statutory Trust (12 Del. C. ch. 38) is most prominent — used in structured finance, real estate, and 1031 exchanges. Governed by a trust agreement; trustees hold legal title. Equivalent to a US Statutory/Business Trust. |
How documents combine
For each evidence area, this table shows whether the listed documents are alternatives (any one of) or a bundle (all required). The artifact-by-artifact lookup follows below.| Evidence area | Documents needed |
|---|---|
| Legal Registration | Any one of: Articles of Incorporation · Certificate of Incorporation · Articles of Organization · Certificate of Formation |
| Constitutive Documents | Any one of: Articles of Incorporation · Certificate of Incorporation · Articles of Organization · Certificate of Formation |
| Tax Registration | EIN Confirmation Letter |
| Operating Permit | Any one of: State Business License · Local Business License · Fictitious Business Name Statement |
| Ownership Records | Any one of: Stock Ledger · Capitalization Table |
| Governance Records | Required: (Any one of: Statement of Information · Annual Report · Biennial Statement · Public Information Report) + Bylaws |
| Signing Authority | Any one of: Board Resolution · Unanimous Written Consent · Power of Attorney |
| Address | Any one of: Lease Agreement · Utility Bill · Bank Statement |
| Good Standing | Certificate of Good Standing |
Documents to collect
The physical documents you’ll collect from your customer, with the evidence area each one proves. One document can prove multiple areas — for example, Brazil’s Cartão CNPJ covers both tax and business-registration proof, so it appears once with both areas listed.| Document | Proves |
|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporation (or equivalent formation document — state-specific) | Legal Registration |
| Certificate of Incorporation (Delaware and select states) | Legal Registration, Constitutive Documents |
| Articles of Organization (LLC formation — state-specific) | Legal Registration, Constitutive Documents |
| Certificate of Formation (LP/LLC — Delaware and select states) | Legal Registration, Constitutive Documents |
| Articles of Incorporation | Constitutive Documents |
| EIN Confirmation Letter (IRS CP-575 / 147C) | Tax Registration |
| State Business License | Operating Permit |
| Local / Municipal Business License | Operating Permit |
| Fictitious Business Name Statement | Operating Permit |
| Stock Ledger | Ownership Records |
| Capitalization Table (Cap Table) | Ownership Records |
| Bylaws (private corporate governance document) | Governance Records |
| Statement of Information (California — annual for stock corporations, biennial for LLCs) | Governance Records |
| Annual Report (state officer/director filing — state-specific) | Governance Records |
| Biennial Statement (New York — filed every 2 years) | Governance Records |
| Public Information Report (Texas — annual) | Governance Records |
| Board Resolution (corporate meeting minutes excerpt) | Signing Authority |
| Unanimous Written Consent of Directors | Signing Authority |
| Power of Attorney | Signing Authority |
| Lease Agreement | Address |
| Utility Bill (≤90 days old) | Address |
| Bank Statement (≤90 days old) | Address |
| Certificate of Good Standing / Certificate of Status / Certificate of Existence | Good Standing |
| Sector-Specific License | SEC, FinCEN, OCC, FDIC, FRB, NCUA, CFPB, CFTC, NAIC, state insurance, NYDFS, state MSB licensing, FINRA Registration (SRO for broker-dealers) |
Collection notes
- Legal Registration: Formation document varies by entity type and state (Articles of Incorporation / Certificate of Incorporation / Articles of Organization / Certificate of Formation are mutually exclusive). Collect the one that applies.
- Governance Records: Periodic state filing varies (CA Statement of Information / NY Biennial Statement / TX Public Information Report / generic Annual Report). Collect the filing applicable to the entity’s formation state plus Bylaws.
- Address: Collect a lease (no time bound) OR a utility bill OR a bank statement (utility/bank dated within 90 days). The same document satisfies both registered-address and operating-address checks.
- Good Standing: Per-state instrument issued by the Secretary of State of the state of formation. No statutory expiration, but banks routinely require issuance within 30 days; foreign qualification typically requires 60–90 days. Request a certificate dated within 30–90 days of submission.
Person roles
When you submit a person on the application body, set theirrole to one of Conduit’s canonical BusinessPersonRole values. Use this table to map a local corporate-governance title onto the right canonical role.
| Local role | Canonical API role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Director | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Member of the corporate board; sets policy, appoints officers, exercises fiduciary duties. |
| Officer (CEO, CFO, Secretary, Treasurer, COO) | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Appointed by the board; agent of the corporation with day-to-day operational authority. |
| Manager (LLC) | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Person designated to manage a manager-managed LLC; need not be a member. |
| Managing Member (LLC) | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Member who also serves as the designated manager of a manager-managed LLC. |
| General Partner (LP / LLP) | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Full management authority; unlimited personal liability in an LP; limited liability in LLP for most purposes. |
| Authorized Signatory | LEGAL_REPRESENTATIVE | Person empowered by board resolution, operating agreement, or POA to bind the entity. |
| Person with Substantial Control (FinCEN) | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Senior officers or persons with authority over key decisions or board appointment/removal; no ownership percentage required. |
| Trustee (Statutory Trust) | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Legal title holder and manager of trust assets in a Statutory Trust; often an institutional trustee. |
Notes
- Bylaws and Operating Agreements are private. Not filed with any state registry. Collect directly from the company.
- Certificates of Good Standing have no statutory expiration but go stale fast. Banks routinely require ≤30 days; foreign qualification typically ≤60–90 days. Record issuance date and build a freshness check.
- The IRS does not issue an “EIN certificate.” Accept only CP-575 or 147C. Third-party “EIN certificates” are not IRS documents.
- Corporate Transparency Act scope was narrowed by FinCEN’s interim final rule of 21 March 2025 (published 26 March 2025 at 90 FR 13688). The regulatory definition of “reporting company” was restricted to entities formed under foreign law and registered to do business in a US state; domestic US-formed entities and US persons are no longer subject to the CTA federal reporting regime. Do not request a FinCEN CTA filing from US-formed customers as part of onboarding evidence.
- NY LLC Act §206 publication requirement is fully in force — two newspapers, within 120 days of formation. No legislative reform was enacted through 2026-05. The separate NY LLC Transparency Act (eff. 2026-01-01) applies only to non-US LLCs registered in New York and does not address the publication requirement.