Specifically, what additional Articles or other provisions should be stated in Articles of Organization when filling to form an LLC? I reside in the State of Georgia (U.S.) and I'll be the only managing member of my company until others join my organization to grow my company. What specifically should be stated in the Articles of Organization regarding a single person business? I want to ensure I correctly file the Articles of Organization properly when I submit the required forms to the Corporations Division later this month. Would someone from State of Georgia mind sharing their company's Articles of Organization with me as an example? Thanks.
There is a sample set of Articles at the GA Secretary of State site which you can copy: http://sos.georgia.gov/corporations/filing_procedures_llc_2001.pdf . At this site you will also find a link to get your EIN number from the Feds for free. Finally, I suggest that your LLC Operating Agreement is the most important LLC document and it is not filed with the state. The Operating Agreement (like corporate bylaws) defindes how your entity will conduct its business and what the member's responsibilities are to both the LLC and each other. If you have problems with partners down the road, how you resolve these problems should be contained in your operating agreement.
Generally speaking, Articles of Organization incorporate a set of basic rules (often called default provisions) that are prescribed by the state's LLC Act. You only need to include additional provisions in your LLC's Articles of Organization when there is a specific default provision of the Georgia LLC Act that you do not want to apply in your situation. Even then, most default provisions can be altered in the LLC's operating agreement, and do not need to be mentioned in the Articles of Organization. As long as your LLC is a single member LLC, there is probably little need for additional provisions. When you add members, however, you will need to review both your articles of organization and operating agreement to make sure that they contain provisions, where appropriate, to vary the results you would obtain under the Georgia LLC Act to reach the results you want in your own LLC.