Entity Identity
Legal name, formation jurisdiction, EIN, and primary business address so records match formation and tax filings.
A well-constructed Business Corpus Document reduces ambiguity, centralizes required data for filings and audits, and provides a clear signature and retention record that supports enforceability under ESIGN and applicable state laws.
Responsibility typically rests with an authorized officer or designated corporate administrator; when in doubt, route to legal counsel for final approval before execution.
| Field | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Signature Field | Required; enforce date and name fields |
| Authentication | Email or SMS code; use stronger methods for high-risk transactions |
| Conditional Fields | Show or hide sections based on party type |
| Retention Flag | Enable automatic archive and export of PDF/A |
| signNow | DocuSign | Adobe Sign | PandaDoc | HelloSign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $8/user/mo | $15/user/mo | $14/user/mo | $19/user/mo | $15/user/mo |
| Free Trial | 7-day free trial | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan |
| Bulk Send | Yes (available on Business Premium) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Envelope Cap | No cap | 100 envelopes/user/year | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan |
Legal name, formation jurisdiction, EIN, and primary business address so records match formation and tax filings.
Board resolution or officer authorization that confirms the signer has the power to bind the entity.
Clear description of obligations, consideration, effective date, and termination rights to avoid ambiguity during enforcement.
Signed blocks for each party showing full name, title, date, and, where required, notarization or witness statements.
Exhibits, certificates, schedules, and proofs of identity or tax forms that the document references and relies upon.
Audit log capturing signer identity, timestamps, IP addresses, and any authentication steps performed at signing.
Provide W-9 on request; use to prevent backup withholding
Recipient and IRS due by Jan 31
April 15 tax filing deadline
April 15 with automatic extension to Oct 15
Retain 3 years after hire or 1 year after termination
Optica standardized the corpus for investor onboarding to reduce document turnaround.
Martin Properties used the corpus for lease and acquisition packets to ensure signature and notarization conformity.
| Criteria | Business Corpus Document | Standard Service Agreement |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | aggregate records | single transaction |
| Typical Attachments | many exhibits | limited exhibits |
| Notarization Frequency | as required by state | rarely required |
| Best Use Case | recordkeeping and multi-party filings | defining service terms |