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Which is Best – “Inc.”, “Corp.” or Something Else?

Logo for Quora, the source for a question about Inc. and Corp.

This post is based on and expands upon an answer I provided on Quora. Q. Which company suffix to choose: “Inc.”, “Corp.”, etc? What are the criteria?

Many states – notably including Delaware (General Corporation Law Section 102(a)(1)) but, under most circumstances, excluding California – require that the name of a corporation include a word or abbreviation designating corporate status. Those that are used commonly include Corporation (Corp.), Incorporated (Inc.) and Limited (Ltd.).

The choice is totally a matter of style. This is more a marketing issue than a legal issue.

In my experience, “Inc.” is most popular – typically without a preceding comma, nowadays, for a cleaner look. Indeed, most of my foreign clients say “an Inc.” when they mean “a corporation”!

Related post: What is an Inc. and Why Should I Want One?

Dana H. Shultz, Attorney at Law  +1 510 547-0545  dana [at] danashultz [dot] com
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