What is Redomestication and How Does It Work to Move an LLC to Another State
Redomestication is the legal process of moving an LLC or corporation to a new state while preserving the entity's identity, federal tax identification number (EIN), existing contracts, and banking relationships. Unlike dissolution and re-formation, which creates a new business entity, redomestication changes where your company is domiciled without turning it into a second job. Cummings & Cummings Law handles redomestication as a remote-first service completed entirely online, with all documents prepared and filed by an attorney and CPA working together.
How Redomestication Differs From Other State Transfer Methods
Redomestication is distinct from foreign registration and merger, both common alternatives when moving a business across state lines. Foreign registration allows an LLC to operate in a new state while remaining domiciled in its original state, meaning the company maintains its home state status but registers to do business elsewhere. A merger, by contrast, combines the LLC with an existing entity in the new state, which can trigger new tax elections and complicate credit history. Redomestication instead transfers the company's domicile itself, so the business entity remains the same legal entity but with a new home state. This preservation of identity is the key difference that allows the EIN, contracts, and banking relationships to stay intact without interruption.
What Stays the Same When You Redomesticate
The core value of redomestication lies in what does not change. Your federal EIN remains the same, eliminating the need to notify the IRS of a new tax identification number and preventing disruption to payroll, tax filings, and vendor relationships. Existing contracts with clients, vendors, and service providers remain valid without requiring renegotiation or amendment. Bank accounts, credit lines, and the company's credit history continue uninterrupted under the same entity. Tax elections also carry forward, preserving any special tax treatment the LLC may have elected. Because the business entity itself does not change, there is no downtime in operations, no need to update every third party about a new legal entity, and no risk of losing continuity in relationships that depend on the original entity name and EIN.
The Redomestication Process and Timeline
Cummings & Cummings Law describes redomestication as brain surgery on your business, not a paperwork exercise. The firm handles the process remotely using DocuSign signatures and email updates, with no snail mail or waiting. You provide the required information and signatures, and the firm takes it from there. The service is completed online in under five minutes to initiate, though the full legal filing and processing by the state occurs afterward. All documents are prepared and filed by an attorney and CPA together, combining legal expertise with tax continuity planning. The firm notes it performs more redomestications than any other law firm and has completed over 500 such transactions.
When Redomestication Makes Sense for Your Business
Redomestication suits business owners who are relocating, consolidating operations in a new state, or seeking tax planning benefits without disrupting the business itself. The process is most valuable for companies with established banking relationships, existing contracts, and credit history they want to preserve. Owners concerned about state tax liability may use the firm's free interactive tax savings calculator to compare all 50 states and see illustrative one year and five year tax savings based on their business income. However, the firm is explicit that it will tell you if the redomestication process does not fit your company, meaning not every relocation scenario is appropriate for this method. The firm works exclusively with clients who view legal counsel as a capital investment to be optimized, not as an operating expense to be minimized.
What to Expect From Attorney and CPA Collaboration
Cummings & Cummings Law combines attorney and CPA expertise in ways that general legal document services cannot replicate. The firm's founder holds credentials including CPA, Esq., M.S.T., LL.M., and CMA designations, reflecting deep integration of tax and legal knowledge. This dual perspective means redomestication planning accounts for both the legal requirements of the new state and the tax implications for your business. The firm provides a Redomestication Closing and Tax Continuity Packet upon completion, documenting the transition and tax treatment. The specific contents and structure of this packet are not detailed on the public page, but the emphasis on tax continuity reflects the firm's approach to ensuring the move does not trigger unexpected tax consequences.