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Legal way to move a company out of Michigan


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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 Michigan 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

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Yes
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No
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No
Owes you fiduciary duties under the law ✅
Yes
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Yes
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No*
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Experience ✅
500+
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100%
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Who knows?
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*It is illegal in all states to practice law without a license, and only a licensed attorney can render legal advice to or prepare custom legal documents for clients. LegalZoom®, RocketLawyer®, and similar services are not attorneys nor law firms and cannot perform redomestications.

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Choosing a legal way to move a company out of Michigan without disrupting operations

When owners ask for a legal way to move a company out of Michigan, they are typically seeking two outcomes that are sometimes in tension: (1) a valid change of the entity’s home-state jurisdiction and (2) continuity of the business as an ongoing enterprise. As an attorney and CPA, I evaluate relocation requests through a compliance lens that emphasizes operational stability, documented authority, and a clean record with the relevant state agencies. The goal is not merely to “leave” Michigan, but to do so in a manner that preserves contractual relationships, banking arrangements, and the company’s historical identity.

For most established entities, the most practical lawful method to move a Michigan company to another state is redomestication (also referred to as statutory conversion). Redomestication is designed to transfer the company’s state of domicile while maintaining continuity of the same entity. For owners seeking a streamlined solution, the appropriate next step is to review the process and pricing described at a legal way to move a company out of Michigan via redomestication, and then proceed with the filing strategy that aligns with the company’s facts and compliance posture.

Why Michigan businesses relocate: tax exposure, legal friction, and business-climate concerns

A properly executed legal way to move a company out of Michigan often begins with a frank assessment of why the business should relocate. Many companies conclude that Michigan’s tax environment and administrative burden are not aligned with their long-term strategy, especially when operations and decision-making have shifted elsewhere. Owners frequently underestimate the cumulative cost of annual filings, state-level compliance, and the internal time diverted from revenue-producing activities.

In addition, the legal system and business climate can influence risk analysis, contract enforcement expectations, and dispute posture. Businesses with multi-state customers, remote workforces, or rapidly scaling operations may prefer a jurisdictional home that better matches their current footprint and risk tolerance. However, the relocation must be executed with precision; a misstep can create unnecessary dual-state obligations, inconsistent entity records, and avoidable tax nexus arguments. For entities that have effectively outgrown Michigan as their domicile, a compliant way to move a company out of Michigan using redomestication is frequently the cleanest route.

Redomestication as the preferred legal mechanism to exit Michigan while preserving continuity

Owners frequently assume that the only legal way to move a company out of Michigan is to form a new entity in the destination state, dissolve the Michigan entity, and “start over.” That approach is typically inefficient and can be legally and operationally disruptive. Redomestication, by contrast, is a statutory process intended to relocate an existing entity’s home state while maintaining the company as the same ongoing organization.

Critically, redomestication preserves the company’s federal employer identification number (FEIN) and, in most cases, the company name. From a business standpoint, those features matter. Your FEIN is integral to payroll, banking, vendor onboarding, and tax reporting. Your name and brand equity are tied to marketing, search visibility, and goodwill. A redomestication-focused strategy provides a legally sound way to move a Michigan company to a new state without the unnecessary “re-papering” that often accompanies new entity formation and asset transfers. For a detailed overview of the method and its advantages, see the legal way to move a company out of Michigan described here.

What most owners get wrong: misconceptions that create avoidable liability

One common misconception is that foreign registration is the “safe” answer whenever a company moves. Foreign registration may be appropriate in limited circumstances, but it does not change the company’s domicile; it can also require ongoing compliance and renewals in Michigan, even when the company has functionally exited the state. In practical terms, owners who select foreign registration as their primary relocation strategy often discover that they have not achieved a true exit from Michigan’s administrative and tax orbit.

Another misconception is that dissolution is a harmless administrative step. In reality, dissolution can have ripple effects—contractual, banking, licensing, and tax-related—because dissolving the entity terminates its legal existence. Owners then attempt to “recreate” the business elsewhere, which may trigger contract novations, lender consent requirements, and customer re-onboarding. A carefully planned legal way to move a company out of Michigan should avoid needless disruption. Redomestication is specifically attractive because it is structured to maintain continuity of the entity, thereby reducing the risk of operational interruption.

Procedural and documentation considerations that determine whether the move is truly “legal”

The phrase legal way to move a company out of Michigan is not merely marketing language; it describes an outcome that must be supported by properly authorized actions and correct filings. At minimum, a relocation strategy should align the entity’s governance documents (e.g., operating agreement, bylaws, shareholder agreements) with the statutory conversion steps, and it should be executed with clear written approvals. In practice, that means ensuring that members, managers, directors, or shareholders authorize the conversion using the correct voting threshold and documentation.

Owners should also anticipate practical implementation points that are often overlooked: updating internal records to reflect the new jurisdiction; ensuring the entity’s name is available in the destination state (or addressing conflicts in advance); coordinating with banks and payment processors that track the entity’s domicile; and maintaining clean state records to avoid administrative dissolution or “not in good standing” issues. The objective is to create a defensible record that the company used a lawful process to move its domicile from Michigan, rather than an improvised workaround. A structured approach such as the legal way to move a company out of Michigan through redomestication typically provides that clarity.

Preserving contracts, the FEIN, and the company name: the business case for redomestication

From a legal risk perspective, continuity is not a luxury—it is a control mechanism. When a company changes its domicile through redomestication, it generally remains the same entity, which is precisely why the process is so valuable. Contracts often identify the company by legal name and jurisdiction. If the business dissolves and re-forms, counterparties may insist on amendments, new onboarding, or entirely new agreements. That is time-consuming, expensive, and frequently unnecessary.

Likewise, preserving the FEIN reduces administrative disruption across payroll systems, vendor 1099 reporting, and banking compliance. Maintaining the same name—when available—protects brand equity and marketing continuity. For owners evaluating a legal way to move a company out of Michigan, these features should not be treated as incidental; they are frequently the difference between a smooth transition and months of preventable friction. For a streamlined process that prioritizes continuity, consult a legal way to move a company out of Michigan while keeping your existing entity.

Conclusion: the most defensible way to relocate a Michigan entity is the one that preserves the enterprise

A relocation decision should be executed with the same discipline as any other high-stakes corporate transaction. The business must be able to demonstrate that it used a legal way to move a company out of Michigan supported by proper authority, accurate filings, and a coherent compliance record. Shortcuts—such as dissolving without understanding the consequences or relying on foreign registration to “solve” a domicile problem—frequently create more cost and risk than they eliminate.

Redomestication is persuasive because it aligns legal form with business reality: it relocates the company’s home state while preserving the enterprise, including its FEIN, contracts, and (in most cases) its name. Owners who want a precise, efficient, and continuity-focused outcome should review the legal way to move a company out of Michigan using redomestication and proceed with a structured plan designed to avoid dual-state exposure and operational interruption.


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

Domestication is a distinct legal process from foreign entity registration, merger, or dissolution.

Redomestication™ is generally the most efficient and cost-effective method for relocating a business to a new state, particularly when the company has permanently ceased operations in its original state. It does not involve dissolution. Many people make the mistake of dissolving their company when relying on incomplete or misleading advice.

Unlike foreign entity registration or merger, redomestication™ allows a business to retain its EIN, contracts, credit history, and brand identity—preserving continuity while minimizing tax risks and administrative burdens. It also eliminates the need to maintain dual registrations and tax obligations, potentially saving substantial time and money. By contrast, foreign registration can create ongoing compliance costs in the former state, and mergers often involve unnecessary legal complexity and higher fees.

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.


Comparison of Four Approaches
Redomesticate™Foreign EntityMergeDissolve
Need to Continue Paying & Filing Registration Renewals in Former State ✅
No
❌
Yes
⚠️
Varies
☠️
No, she's dead, Jim.
Stop Paying Taxes in the Former State*✅
Yes
❌
No
⚠️
Varies
☠️
Tax event.*
Initial Complexity ✅
Low
⚠️
Varies
❌
High
❌
High, when done right.
Ongoing Complexity ✅
Very Low
❌
High
❌
High
☠️
None. All gone.
Initial State Filing Costs ✅
Low
⚠️
Varies
❌
High
⚠️
Varies
Timing ✅
Fast
⚠️
Varies
❌
Slow
⚠️
Varies
Legal Fees ✅
Low
⚠️
Varies
❌
$10,000 or more
🔥
Very high to fix.
*While every situation is different and dependent upon tax nexus, redomesticating can be an effective way to reduce or eliminate taxes in a former state in certain circumstances. Ask your CPA for more information. Our firm does not provide tax advice or perform tax work except by separate engagement at an additional charge.

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.


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This is a service of Cummings & Cummings Law located at Bernwood Courtyard at Pelican Landing in Bonita Springs, Florida. We are available at this location and other locations by advanced appointment only.

Chad D. Cummings, CPA, Esq. is admitted as an Attorney and Counselor at Law to The Florida Bar (Bar No. 1038575) and the State Bar of Texas (Bar No. 24134400) and as a Certified Public Accountant by the Florida Division of Certified Public Accounting (CPA No. AC49957) and the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (CPA No. 105825). Lisa A. Cummings is admitted as an Attorney and Counselor at Law to the Oklahoma Bar Association (Bar No. 10866).

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