How to move a corporation out of Montana

---

Start Your Redomestication Now

The Redomestication Process in a Nutshell

1. Enter your biz name HERE.

Then click "get exact price" and follow the steps.

Takes less than five minutes.

Submit payment securely online then sit back and relax.

24-48 hours

2. We prepare the legal docs.

Our dually-licensed attorney+CPA prepares the legal documents and sends them to you via DocuSign.

You sign. We take it from there.

Same Day

3. We submit the legal filings to the states.

We monitor the status closely, respond to inquiries from their offices, and send you weekly updates.

No extra charge. 100% success rate.

1-3 months

4. Approved! ✅

We send you a checklist of go-forward obligations and simple steps for your tax pro to follow.

120% money-back guarantee if we do not succeed.

Did you know? The average business that moves to a state without state-level income tax saves over $12,500 in taxes per year.

Still have questions? Schedule a free meeting with our attorney and CPA.

Redomestication, also known as redomiciling, refers to the lesser-known legal process of transferring or moving the "home state" of an existing Corporation, partnership, or LLC, from Montana to a new state. It means keeping your existing company name, credit, and federal employer identification number (FEIN) without wasting time and money creating a new business entity, applying for foreign registration, or moving assets between companies.
— Prof. Chad D. Cummings, Esq., CPA

Start Your Redomestication Now

How to move a corporation out of Montana without disrupting operations

Clients often ask how to move a corporation out of Montana while preserving continuity, avoiding unnecessary tax friction, and minimizing administrative rework. In most well-planned cases, the preferred mechanism is redomestication (also referred to as statutory conversion), because it changes the corporation’s home state without creating a new entity, rewriting core agreements, or forcing operational downtime.

The practical objective is straightforward: relocate the corporation’s legal domicile from Montana to a new state while keeping the legal and commercial identity of the same enterprise. When properly executed, the corporation continues under the same federal employer identification number (FEIN) and typically maintains its name, contracts, and business relationships—features that are frequently lost or compromised in mergers, dissolutions, and other workarounds.

For owners who want a precise roadmap for moving a Montana corporation to a new state, the best starting point is a clear overview of the process and legal requirements. Review how to move a Montana corporation to a new state through redomestication and then confirm, with counsel, that the intended destination state and the Montana entity type are eligible for the statutory process.

Why business owners decide to exit Montana: tax, legal, and operational considerations

There are legitimate reasons corporate decision-makers explore how to move a corporation out of Montana. These reasons often include a desire to reduce ongoing compliance burdens, align the company with a more favorable business climate, or position the entity in a jurisdiction that better supports the company’s financing, contracting, or growth strategy.

From a planning perspective, the key is to separate business objectives from legal mechanics. A corporation may wish to shift its governance framework, modernize its statutory environment, or reduce exposure to administrative complexity. Those goals can be accomplished through redomestication without taking on the collateral consequences of forming a new corporation, transferring assets, or renegotiating third-party agreements.

Owners should also be cautious about a common misconception: that relocating operations alone changes the corporation’s home state. It does not. Even when a company’s people, customers, and day-to-day activity leave Montana, the corporation can remain legally domiciled there unless the entity completes a formal legal move. In that scenario, the company risks dual compliance responsibilities and the ongoing costs that tend to follow.

Redomestication: the most direct legal answer to moving a corporation out of Montana

For most corporations seeking how to move a corporation out of Montana efficiently, redomestication is the most direct legal solution because it transfers domicile while maintaining entity continuity. In plain terms, the corporation does not “start over.” Instead, it changes the state whose corporate statute governs its existence, while keeping the same underlying business.

This continuity is precisely why redomestication is superior to many alternatives. Where a merger may require complex structuring, board resolutions across multiple entities, and potentially extensive documentation, redomestication is designed to be a single, coherent statutory pathway. It is also materially different from dissolution and reincorporation, which can trigger avoidable operational disruption and preventable tax and contractual issues.

To understand how moving a corporation from Montana works when handled as a statutory conversion, consult the redomestication process for moving a corporation out of Montana. That resource explains why this method is generally the least intrusive and most cost-effective route when the business has permanently ceased operations in Montana.

The three continuity advantages that make redomestication the preferred mechanism

When evaluating how to move a corporation out of Montana, sophisticated owners focus on continuity. Redomestication is designed to preserve the corporation’s legal and commercial identity, which is not merely a convenience; it is often central to maintaining revenue, financing access, and vendor confidence.

First, the corporation typically keeps the same FEIN. That matters because a new FEIN can trigger cascading operational tasks: payroll account changes, banking updates, vendor onboarding resets, and unnecessary friction with tax reporting systems. Maintaining the FEIN is a primary reason redomestication is favored over dissolving and forming a new corporation.

Second, contracts and credit history are generally preserved. Many client agreements, financing documents, payment processor accounts, and vendor arrangements are sensitive to entity changes. A poorly planned “move” can result in assignment requirements, consent demands, or contract defaults. Third, the corporation can often retain its name, which protects branding and avoids the reputational confusion that accompanies forced name changes.

Procedural and documentation issues: what must be handled correctly

There is a reason “do-it-yourself” guidance frequently fails when the objective is how to move a corporation out of Montana. The statutory steps may appear simple, but the success of the project depends on correctly sequencing corporate approvals, preparing jurisdiction-specific conversion materials, and ensuring the filings align with both states’ statutory requirements.

At a minimum, owners should expect to address corporate governance approvals (including board and shareholder actions where required), entity-specific documentation, and state filing requirements on both sides of the transaction. The corporation’s internal records should also be reviewed for constraints that can affect the move, including shareholder agreements, investor rights, debt covenants, and contractual provisions that restrict changes in domicile or require notice.

In addition, practical compliance steps should not be ignored. Even though redomestication preserves continuity, the corporation may still need to update registered agent arrangements, business licenses, and internal policies to match the destination state. Proper planning avoids the common error of completing a state filing while neglecting the operational “follow-through” that preserves compliance and reduces the risk of future disputes.

Why foreign registration is often a costly detour when leaving Montana

When a business owner asks how to move a corporation out of Montana, they are often advised—incorrectly—to simply register as a foreign corporation in the new state. That approach may allow the company to operate elsewhere, but it frequently fails to accomplish the primary purpose: changing the corporation’s home state and eliminating ongoing Montana obligations where operations have permanently ceased.

Foreign registration can create a long-term compliance burden. The corporation may be required to maintain filings, fees, and administrative responsibilities in Montana, even when there is no meaningful business activity there. This dual footprint is not merely inconvenient; it can create confusion about governance law, litigation venue, and the company’s ongoing compliance calendar.

By contrast, redomestication is structured to relocate the domicile itself, not merely to obtain permission to operate elsewhere. For corporations with a genuine and permanent relocation plan, the cleaner approach is typically to complete the statutory move rather than maintain dual status indefinitely.

Why a merger or dissolution is typically the wrong tool for moving a corporation out of Montana

Mergers and dissolutions are sometimes proposed as ways to accomplish how to move a corporation out of Montana. In practice, these alternatives often introduce complexity that is disproportionate to the goal and can inadvertently create legal and tax consequences that redomestication is designed to avoid.

A merger generally requires the creation or use of a second entity, additional governance steps, and a more elaborate documentation package. It can also complicate contracting: counterparties may treat a merger as a significant legal event, triggering consent rights or re-underwriting by lenders, landlords, and key vendors. Meanwhile, dissolution and reincorporation risks far more severe disruption, including the possibility of losing the corporation’s name, credit profile, and institutional history.

In short, if the intent is a straightforward domicile change, the “heavy” transactional tools usually create unnecessary risk. Owners seeking to move their Montana corporation to a new state with continuity should strongly consider redomestication as the primary option and use mergers or dissolutions only when counsel determines there is a compelling reason to do so.

Common misconceptions that create expensive mistakes

Several recurring misconceptions cause owners to mishandle how to move a corporation out of Montana. One of the most damaging is the assumption that forming a new corporation in the destination state is harmless. Even when that approach “works,” it can force the company into extensive asset transfers, contract assignments, banking changes, payroll updates, and customer confusion—all of which consume time and create points of failure.

Another misconception is that a corporation can simply stop filing in Montana once operations leave. If the corporation remains domiciled in Montana, it may still be expected to comply with Montana administrative requirements, and failure to do so can create compounding problems—particularly if the company later seeks financing, sells the business, or becomes involved in litigation where corporate status is scrutinized.

Finally, some owners believe that any online service can “handle” this type of relocation. Redomestication is a legal process that requires proper documentation and jurisdiction-specific execution. Using non-attorney services for legal work invites preventable delays and failed filings, and it can be significantly more expensive to correct mistakes than to complete the process correctly from the outset.

Conclusion: the disciplined approach to moving a corporation out of Montana

For owners evaluating how to move a corporation out of Montana, the guiding principle should be continuity with control: a method that preserves the corporation’s FEIN, contracts, and operational identity while lawfully changing the company’s domicile. Redomestication is expressly built for that purpose and, in most circumstances, is the most efficient and cost-effective mechanism available.

The appropriate next step is to confirm eligibility, identify the destination state, and ensure the corporation’s governance and contracts are reviewed before filings are submitted. A properly managed redomestication can reduce administrative burden, avoid dual compliance, and provide a clear legal foundation for the company’s next phase of growth outside Montana.

To proceed with a reliable pathway for relocating a Montana corporation, begin with guidance on moving a corporation out of Montana via redomestication and implement the process with professional oversight to protect the corporation’s legal and financial continuity.

Start Your Redomestication Now

Domestication vs. Foreign Registration vs. Merger vs. Dissolution: A Comparison

Domestication is, in many circumstances, far preferable to registering an LLC or corporation as a foreign entity, especially where the LLC or corporation has permanently moved its operations and will not be returning to the prior state in the near future.

Some attorneys, unfortunately, confuse their clients by recommending a foreign entity registration in the new state, or worse, a merger, where a redomestication™ would have accomplished the goals of moving their business to a new state efficiently and effectively.

The top seven benefits of moving your company (LLC, corporation, or partnership) to a new state via redomestication™ to transfer your business include:

1. Maintaining your existing federal employer identification number, eliminating the tax headaches of forming a new company or transferring assets between companies (and inadvertently triggering a hefty tax bill from the IRS) when you move your business to a new state;
2. Keeping your existing business credit history and track record, safeguarding your reputation with clients, vendors, and creditors when moving your LLC or corporation to a new state;
3. Continuing your existing business name (in almost every case), protecting your most important assets when moving your company to a new state: your brand, reputation, and time you have already invested in search engine optimization;
4. Maintaining your existing contracts with customers and vendors because moving your business to a new state via redomestication™ does not create a new company: it maintains your existing company, saving you dozens (or even hundreds) of hours re-writing (and re-negotiating) contracts and changing banks;
5. Eliminating the need to continue paying registration fees and taxes in your prior state (assuming you have discontinued your operations there and have permanently relocated to a new state), potentially saving you tens of thousands of dollars (or more) in state taxes every quarter when you move your business to a new state;
6. Avoiding unnecessary IRS scrutiny because moving your LLC or corporation to a new state via redomestication™ is a tax-free transaction under the Internal Revenue Code; and
7. Reducing the amount of time you spend on administrative filings, saving you untold hours annually, by moving your company to a new state.

Before taking the "penny wise and pound foolish" approach of foreign entity registration or spending countless hours and exorbitant legal fees (and possibly taxes) on a merger or merger-gone-wrong to move your company to a new state, ensure you understand your options.

In most circumstances, redomestication™ (and not a foreign entity registration or costly and complicated merger) is the best route to achieve a change in company domicile to a new state.

Start Your Redomestication Now