**GAO-06-377SP**                      Published: Apr 07, 2006. Publicly Released: Apr 07, 2006.                  

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## Highlights

This document presents selected results of GAO's Web-based Survey of State Officials Responsible for Company Formations. The purpose of this survey was to collect information on the process for forming a corporation or limited liability company in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and the kinds of information states collect during this process. We also asked state officials about the number of companies formed in their state and their opinions on the benefits and costs of filing company formation and periodic reporting documents electronically and collecting additional information. We sent this survey to the directors of the divisions in secretary of state offices (or their equivalents) that are responsible for company formations in each state. We received 51 completed surveys for a response rate of 100 percent. A more detailed discussion of our scope and methodology is contained in our report Company Formations: Minimal Ownership Information Is Collected and Available GAO-06-376 (Washington, D.C.: April 7, 2006). We administered this survey from October 2005 to February 2006 in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.

## Supplemental Material

                  - Background Information
                  - Instructions for Viewing This Survey
                  - Table of Contents

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## Topics

Business Regulation and Consumer Protection

Crime preventionCrimesData collectionstate relationsLaw enforcementReporting requirementsBusinessBusiness recordsLimited partnershipsPublic officials