805 ILCS 10, the Illinois Professional Service Corporation Act, lets licensed professionals practice through a corporation, usually called a professional corporation or PC. The Secretary of State files the articles. A separate regulating authority registers the corporation: for lawyers, the Illinois Supreme Court; usually for others, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation in Illinois (IDFPR) or another State agency. This page is for licensed professionals in the Aurora area, including those trained abroad or with co-owners, family or investors in Canada or India.
Who the Illinois Professional Service Corporation Act covers
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is a professional service? | A personal service that needs a license from the IRS, the U.S. Patent Office or a State agency. |
| Who may organize one? | Individuals licensed in the same service or related services. As initial incorporator, an Illinois attorney may sign. |
| Who may hold stock? | An individual licensed, or otherwise legally authorized, to render the same services. No voting trust and no proxy to an unlicensed person. |
| Which professions may share one corporation? | Section 3.6 lists related groups, but two 2026 Public Acts changed the list differently. Check the current text on ilga.gov. |
| Who is outside this route? | Lawyers register with the Supreme Court. IDFPR's checklist also routes salon, security, design, real estate and public accounting businesses to other applications. |
What it means for a foreign-owned or cross-border business
This page covers Illinois law only. Licensing and visa questions belong to the regulator and an immigration attorney.
| Situation | What the law says | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| A professional trained abroad joins | The test is a license, or other legal authorization, to render the same services. | Whether each owner holds it. |
| A holding company in Canada or India wants the shares | Stock goes only to licensed (or legally authorized) individuals who vote it themselves, so the text does not allow entity or trust shareholders. | Your attorney, before any holding company or trust idea. |
| An owner is a nonresident alien for tax | A PC is a C corporation by default (21% federal; Illinois 7% plus 2.5% replacement tax, 2026). S status bars nonresident alien shareholders. | Residency status (residency tests guide) and dividend withholding (withholding guide). |
The rules and checklist page adds the Frosted-Glass Roster Pass. Compare the Medical Corporation Act and the Business Corporation Act, or read US business entity types and tax forms and our Illinois LLC vs corporation guide.
Official sources
- Illinois General Assembly: Professional Service Corporation Act, 805 ILCS 10
- Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation: Professional Service Corporation
- IDFPR: Professional service corporation application checklist
- Illinois General Assembly: Professional Limited Liability Company Act, 805 ILCS 185
- IRS: S corporations
This page summarizes public guidance in plain language. If anything here differs from the official source, the official source controls.