How to File LLC Annual Reports Online with the NC Department of the Secretary of State 

Thank you for your comment. The General Assembly set the fees years ago. All fees go to the General Fund for disposition by the General Assembly. Of course, many corporations are small businesses, and many LLCs are actually quite large. You may wish to contact your state representative and state senator and let them know your thoughts on fee differences.

I use capital one business card for the fee is that good ?

This video did not support all the form boxes that I encountered while trying to submit my report. Please update this video and provide more explanation for principal addresses, mailing address, commercial/noncommercial entity, etc telling where/how it will appear on the site.

I totally agree! Like everything in this state it's money racket. Trying to keep the little man/woman/veteran down when we're just trying to start a business. SMH

The Annual Report is the source that citizens, banks, and other businesses use to officially determine that a business is in good standing. It enables people to know how to reach the business in a formal way. All 50 states require Annual Reports. North Carolina's General Assembly sets the fee amount and filing requirements. These laws direct the Secretary of State to implement those requirements. One hundred percent of the Annual Report fee goes to the General Fund of North Carolina, from which the General Assembly annually decides where the funds will be spent.

​​​@@NCSecState how do I change my business address

I agree. This should be a 1 year filing (Annual Report). Not 5 months of the company’s creation, in my case.

@@NCSecState WRONG ! I have never had to pay an annual fee to SC for my LLCs based there -20+ years

Yeah it’s a bunch of BS so the government can take even more money

Thank you for your question. It is one we get asked a lot. Actually, there are many other states which require annual reports. The Annual Report is an important statement that declares the business is continuing to operate and that makes sure banks, businesses and others have accurate contact information about North Carolina businesses. Without the Annual Report requirement, the business registry and contact information very quickly would become stale and of little value -- like trying to use a phone book published in 1990. The Secretary of State works very hard to make sure that this registry is the very best of its kind in the nation - accurate, timely and available to all. Other states (like Delaware) charge the public for access to the information North Carolina's Secretary of State provides for free. Businesses and consumers rely on the accuracy of this data when making business decisions or in the event there is a dispute and service of process must be executed. As for the filing fee, the General Assembly sets all fees that the Department charges for all filings. All of the funds collected are immediately deposited into the state’s General Fund, which is managed by the General Assembly. We hope this information is helpful to you.

I agree with you 100%. Call it a Privilege Tax, I suppose.

@@NCSecState When we go to the doctor and they ask if all our contact & insurance info is the same, they do not charge us $200 to check the YES box.

@@NCSecState In another post you state ALL 50 states charge a fee. That is not correct.

Glad it helped! Best of luck with your business!

Thank you for your question. The General Fund is the fund that the General Assembly manages. Those elected state officials (Senate and House members) make the laws, set the fees and taxes, and decide how the money is spent. The Secretary of State is responsible for implementing the laws that the General Assembly adopts. In this case, the General Assembly sets the fees for annual reports, and also directs that all the fees collected go to the General Fund. The Secretary of State keeps none of that money. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall is very interested in helping businesses just starting out, and without any support from the General Assembly has been putting together a comprehensive list of free and reduced fee resources that are available to help new businesses succeed. These resources include courses, grant funding, and low interest lenders. Right now Secretary Marshall has created a list for 78 counties, and that list is searchable by county. She intends to have completed the list for all 100 counties by the end of this year. Click on www.sosnc.gov/rise to see if the list for your county has been created and, if so, what resources might be helpful to you. Any changes to the amounts collected and how they are spent must come from the General Assembly. You may wish to share your views with your elected NC House and Senate members. The Office of State Controller publishes monthly General Fund reports on their website at www.osc.nc.gov/public-information/reports/general-fund-monthly-reports. Because you are interested, the precise definition of the General Fund is as follows: “The general fund is made up of tax revenues (non-transportation) such as individual income tax, sales tax, corporate tax, franchise tax, insurance premium tax and a number of smaller tax revenue sources. In addition, the general fund includes non-tax revenues such as income from the Treasurer’s investments, fees received from the court system, miscellaneous fees charged for state services, and Medicaid disproportionate share receipts.” (See www.osbm.nc.gov/budget/budget-manual/budget-glossary). We hope this information is helpful to you.

my accountant said to stay as a DBA until you're really making significant income and PROFIT.

Same I just started my LLC with tailor brands it sucked having to pay $400 and not even starting my business yet or making products !!

By the way, the online submission process for dissolving an LCC in North Carolina is terrible. Finding where to submit the document isn't intuitive and the PDF they supply contains editable text boxes for everything except signature. If your Articles of Dissolution get rejected for any reason (as mine did), you're instructed NOT to resubmit the document online, but send them "manually" instead. This is maddening!!

​@@kulvero85321Yeap that's NC for you.

@@user-kx4fo6gm7r If you stay as a DBA, you don't have to file an annual report?

We are pleased you found the tutorial helpful. Best wishes for success with your business!

We are very pleased you found the tutorial helpful. Best wishes to you and your family and friends during the current crisis.

We are pleased you found our tutorial helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 1, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM.

Thank you for your kind comments. We are pleased you found our tutorial helpful. In case you are interested, we have lots of information on our website designed to help small businesses succeed, including: • a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); • information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); • a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, • a searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful, and we send our best wishes to you for success with your business! If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

Thank you for your question. While state law requires all LLCs to file their annual reports beginning April 15th of the year FOLLOWNG their creation (and every year thereafter) irrespective of whether they transact business, there is no formal provision for an extension. However, there is no late fee either if an LLC doesn't file by the 15th. The annual report is considered delinquent 30 days after the due date. We can't send any Notice of Grounds of Administrative Dissolution prior to that date and we won't be filing them all at the same time. Those notices will all go out through late spring, summer and fall. We will not be able to tell you when your Notice of Grounds will go out, but you will have 60 days in which to file the annual report once you do receive your Notice or the company will be administratively dissolved. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1) a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2) information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3) a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, 4) a searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of this information helpful, and we send our best wishes to you for success with your business! If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

Dear Mr. Winn, Thank you for your query. If you no longer wish to operate as an LLC, the correct method for doing this is to file Articles of Dissolution (Form L-07) with our office. See the information on our website at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/closing_nc_business. There is a $30.00 application fee plus $3.00 electronic filing fee if you wish to file electronically. If you then wish to operate as a sole proprietor, you would need to contact your county's Register of Deeds Office and file an assumed business name certificate. For more information on this process, please visit the website of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina at edpnc.com/start-or-grow-a-business/start-a-business/. We hope this information is helpful to you. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

Glad you found this helpful!

The General Assembly sets the Annual Report fees and requirements, and all the collected fees go to the General Fund that the General Assembly manages.

I agree with your OMG. I established my LLC but have not made much due to folks just starting to come back from the pandemic to substantiate having to pay $200 just file how less I made.

I paid 200.00 each year this year is 500!!! Why and how.. I'm a very very small growing business this type of money I will be out of business. Is there any resources that can help?

Thank you for your question. North Carolina law requires certain business entities (including business corporations and limited liability companies) to file annual reports in order to operate lawfully in North Carolina, regardless of whether they transact any business. The General Assembly sets the Annual Report fees and requirements, and all the collected fees go to the General Fund that the General Assembly manages. The annual report does not require disclosure of any financial information about the company. It simply is an important declaration that the business is continuing to operate, thereby ensuring that banks, businesses and others have accurate contact information for that business. It also allows the business owner to keep the name of the business. Without the Annual Report requirement, the business registry and contact information very quickly would become stale and of little value -- like trying to use a phone book published in 1990. The Secretary of State works very hard to make sure that this registry is the very best of its kind in the nation - accurate, timely and available to all. Other states (like Delaware) charge the public for access to the information North Carolina's Secretary of State provides for free. As long as the business owner files an annual report (or amends one that was filed earlier in the year), and provides accurate contact information for company officials and registered agent, then the business may remain in good standing. If a business fails to file its annual report, and the business owner does not dissolve the company voluntarily, the Department is required by law to dissolve the company administratively. However, this is not an immediate process and the Department provides business owners ample opportunity to stop this process. We hope this information is helpful to you. If you have any further problems or questions about your annual report, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or email your questions to arinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

Theft@@NCSecState

@@NCSecState operate lawfully in North Carolina, regardless of whether they transact any business. That doesn't make any sense. Without transactions, there is no operation.

If your LLC was created in 2023, your report would be for 2024.

They hit me with $400...smh

We are pleased you found the tutorial helpful!

Not a stupid question at all! An LLC’s first annual report is due on April 15th of the year following the creation year and every year thereafter on or before April 15th. So, assuming your LLC was created on or before December 31, 2023, your 2024 annual report is due on or before April 15, 2024. If your LLC was created on or after January 1, 2024, the first annual report is due on or before April 15, 2025. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1) a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2) information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3) a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, 4) a searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful. If you have further questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or email your questions to corpinfo@sosnc.gov. We send our best wishes to you for success with your business! Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

@@NCSecState In the video at min 7:41 it shows the report is for the Calendar Year 2017, and at min 7:45 the date file is 1/10/2018. This contradict what the video says in min 2:45 (she said she chose report year 2017 since the LLC was formed in 2016). The date file in the report in min 7:45 should be 1/10/2017 (not 2018), right?

@@alsouid8350 An LLC's annual report is due by April 15th of the year FOLLOWING its creation for the current year and every year thereafter. In the example in our video, the LLC was formed in 2016, so the 2017 report was due by April 15, 2017. The 2018 report was due by April 15, 2018, and so on. If your company was formed last year (2023), your 2024 annual report is due today. If, however, your company was created in 2022, and you forgot to file your 2023 report by April 15, 2023, it is still due by today. You would simply file another annual report, but this time it would be dated 2023. We hope this clears up your confusion. If you have further questions about your annual report, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at arinfo@sosnc.gov.

@@NCSecState my question was never answered. In the video and given example, why at min 7:45 the date file was 1/10/2018 and not 1/10/2017 for this example of 2017 report creation?

@@alsouid8350 You are viewing the video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_A0OEWIN1gw.htmlsi=LmoY9ZcUsVVinTVy., which provides instructions on how to file an LLC annual report online. The 2:45 minute location is providing instruction on which calendar year is being filed for. LLC’s are required to file an annual report on or before April 15th of each calendar year following the year of creation. The example in the video is a company which created of record on September 20, 2016, which is indicated at location 1:44 of the video which lists the only document filed is the creation document. This indicates that the first annual report will be for calendar year 2017. The 7:41 minute location is an image of the document to be filed. It also indicates the calendar year for this filing is 2017. The 7:45 minute location is also an image of the document to be filed, but with a view of the signature section and the date filed. The date this document was submitted and filed online was 1/10/2018. This date has nothing to do with the calendar year of the document. If you have any additional questions, please call our customer service unit at 919-814-5400 ext. 3 for Business Registration.

Exactly what I want to know

Good question

Thank you for your question. The “Registered Agent” is a person who is totally outside the scope of management or ownership of the company UNLESS that same person is also listed as a company official. The registered agent's sole duty is to receive notices and/or demands upon the company and to forward them to the principal office. The registered agent is considered a service of process contact. This person must reside in NC and have a physical NC address. Because the Registered Agent’s physical address must be listed in the Articles of Organization and Annual Report, AND because these are public documents, some business owners prefer to contract with a private company to act as their Registered Agent rather than disclose their physical address. That is a personal choice each business makes. Consequently, unless you contract with a third party to act as your registered agent, you would list yourself and your physical street address, unless you have a business location having a physical street address.

@@smile4dadream152 See our response.

@@brandonunderwood8924 See our response.

There may be two reasons why you do not see a monitor icon: 1) Your business is organized as a sole proprietorship, general partnership, nonprofit, limited partnership or as a professional entity (it's legal name ends with PA, PC, or PLLC) and is therefore not required to file an annual report; or 2) An annual report is not yet due for your business. If you have any questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 1, during normal business hours. Please be patient if you are put on hold. This is our busiest time of the year.

Thanks for this answer. We had the same situation.

yes, i am a PLLC, so that explains it, thank you.

How a business can change its name depends on which type of entity it was formed as. There are some rules and limitations on names, and you should review the information on our website starting at www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/how_to_name_your_business. If the company is a limited liability company (LLC), then the business owner would file Form L-17, Amendment of Articles of Organization along with the $50.00 filing fee. If the company is a business corporation, then the owner would file Form B-02, Articles of Amendment along with the $50.00 filing fee. The forms can be found at www.sosnc.gov/forms/by_title/_Business_Registration_Business_Entities_Common. Select the appropriate business entity from the "For Which Forms" drop down. Form B-02 is found under "Business Corporations" and Form L-17 is found within the "Limited Liability Companies" listing of forms. Make sure to complete the form and save it to your computer. To submit either form electronically, search for your business at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services, log into your website account and follow the directions for submitting a filing for an existing entity. If you have any problems, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or send your questions via email to corpinfo@sosnc.gov. When sending an email, please be sure to fully identity yourself, your company, your email address and a daytime telephone number where you can be reached if necessary. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1) a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2) information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3) a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, 4) a searchable database of local resource providers, including funders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/rural_rise/index). We hope you will find all of these resources helpful, and we send our best wishes to you for success with your business! Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

A Limited Liability Company is NOT taxed on its income. Members are taxed on the income of the LLC unless they elect to be taxed as a corporation. We suggest you speak with your accountant and/or tax attorney for further guidance.

Thank you for your question. If your business was created on or before December 31, 2021, your annual report is due by April 15, 2022.

How do you determine the fees? My fees are more than doubled?

That is correct. State law (NCGS § 57D-2-24(b)) states, in part, "The first annual report of a limited liability company is due to be delivered to the Secretary of State by April 15 of the year following...the calendar year in which the LLC's articles of organization or articles of organization and conversion filed by the Secretary of State become effective..." Consequently, if your company was formed in 2020, your first annual report was due by April 15, 2021. It will not be considered late, however, if you file by June 15th. The Annual Report is the source that citizens, banks, and other businesses use to officially determine that a business is in good standing. It enables people to know how to reach the business in a formal way. All 50 states require Annual Reports. North Carolina's General Assembly sets the fee amount and filing requirements. These laws direct the Secretary of State to implement those requirements. One hundred percent of the Annual Report fee goes to the General Fund of North Carolina, from which the General Assembly annually decides where the funds will be spent.

An LLC is required to file an annual report on or before April 15th (April 17th this year) in the calendar year following the creation year, and every year thereafter. Consequently, if your company was formed in 2022, you would file your 2023 annual report on or before April 17, 2023. The annual report may be filed electronically, or a pre-populated annual report may be downloaded online and mailed to the NC SOSNC's Office. Filers opting to mail the annual report will find the address listed on the footer of the report. The annual report fee for a limited liability company is $200.00. The fee is statutorily-mandated and cannot be waived or paid in installments. We hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or email your questions to arinfo@sosnc.gov.

There may be some slight confusion. If you are talking about filing tax quarterly reports, that is a question you will need to direct to the NC Department of Revenue (www.ncdor.gov/contact-us). With regard to annual reports filed with the Secretary of State's Office, a business's annual report has nothing to do with sales. If your business entity is required to file an annual report, it must do so for each year for as long as it wishes to remain in business. If your annual report was due on April 15th, it will not be considered delinquent until after June 15th. Annual reports can be filed online by starting at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/annual_report. We hope this clarifies things. Good luck!

@@NCSecState .... YES INDEED! Thanks, and stay Corona Free.

@@spanthewiz8112 And you as well!

Have you already filed an application for Certificate of Authority (Form, L-09 on our website www.sosnc.gov/forms)? If so, then, yes, you do need to file an annual report with us. See the instructions on our website at (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/annual_report. If you haven't applied for a Certificate of Authority (COA), you will need to do that before any annual reports are due. If you have not applied for a COA, you may wish to contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 1, first.

Yes you may.

@@NCSecState thank you!

We apologize for the delay in processing your annual report. Please email us your name, your business entity's name, and your daytime contact information and we'll have a representative reach out. Please email this information to us at socialmedia@sosnc.gov. We will be happy to be of assistance.

Dear Ms. Farber, Thank you for your note. If you search your company’s name on our website at www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Business_Registration, click the yellow “Annual Report” button next to the entity's name. You will then get a listing of all the annual reports and the creation filing for the company. The first four numbers in the document ID indicate the year filed. You can also click the PDF of each filing to see the dates of each document. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1) a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2) information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3) a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, 4) a searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful, and we send our best wishes to you for success with your business! If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

It will state in the online process if a report is due. In my case, the business was established in 2021 and no reports were due. I would login to the website and see if it prompts you to file. www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Annual_Report

i got the same thing created 3/29/2021. I had none due

Whether you conduct any business activities is irrelevant with regard to the annual reporting requirement. If your business is subject to annual reporting (see our entity comparison chart at www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/comparison_chart) AND it was formed on or before 12/31/2021, your annual report is due by April 18, 2022. If it is subject to annual reporting AND it was formed on or after 1/1/2022, your annual report is not due until April 15, 2023. If you have any further questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 2. As this is our busiest time of year, you might have better success emailing your questions to arinfo@sosnc.gov.

@@NCSecState Thank you so much!!

You should be able to go to www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Annual_Report and search for your business. Once you have located your business, click the yellow "Annual Report" button and follow the prompts. If you have additional questions or problems, contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or email your questions to arinfo@sosnc.gov. Due to higher than normal call volume, emailing your questions might get a quicker response. Please be sure to fully identify your business entity and provide your name and daytime contact information in your email and briefly describe the problem(s) you are having. We hope this information will be helpful.

Thanks you for your question. Please see the information on our website at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/closing_nc_business. You may file Form L-07 ($30.00) either electronically (recommended) or by mail. To file electronically, simply search your company at www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Business_Registration, then click the document icon that has a "+" symbol on it and log into your account. In the "Filing Type search box, choose "Withdrawal/Dissolution" and follow the prompts. If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Best wishes.

As a Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC), your business is not required to file an annual report. That is why you do not have a monitor icon. See our entity comparison chart at www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/comparison_chart. PLLCs are the last entity listed.

@@NCSecState what about limited liability company? (LLC)

@@cocinaconanaleidifilipense4170 Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) are required to file annual reports every year, typically by April 15th.

@@NCSecState still can not find annual report

@@jbldds33 There seems to be two entities associated with your name, one of which is an LLC (for which an annual report is due), and the other is a PLLC. Under NC law, PLLCs are not required to file annual reports. If this is the entity you are searching, then that is why you are not finding an annual report. If you have further questions about your annual report, please contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 1, or email them at arinfo@sosnc.gov.

Thank you for your query. Regardless of whether they operate under an assumed business name (i.e., DBA), all LLCs are required to file annual reports under North Carolina law. If you have any further questions about filing an annual report, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at arinfo@sosnc.gov.

What type of business entity is your company? If your company is organized as a sole proprietorship, a general partnership, a non-profit corporation, a limited partnership, or a professional limited liability corporation, you are not required to file an annual report and you would not see the icons. See the information at www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/comparison_chart. However, if this is not the case, please send your name, your company's name and your daytime contact information to socialmedia@sosnc.gov and we will ask a representative to contact you.

Please email us at socialmedia@sosnc.gov with the name of your entity, your name, and daytime telephone number and we will pass this information along to our Business Registration Division for review and response. We will be glad to be of assistance.

Thank you for your question. Under NC law, a Professional Limited Liability Company is NOT required to file an annual report. That is why the monitor icon does not appear on your business record. Our "Business Structure Comparison Chart" might be of interest to you. Please find it at www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/comparison_chart.

Please email your daytime telephone number to Ms. Cheri Myers, Director of Business Registration, at cmyers@sosnc.gov, and she will contact you tomorrow.

The first annual report is due on April 15th of the year following the creation year and every year thereafter on or before April 15th. The annual report may either be filed electronically 24/7 in real-time or a pre-populated annual report may be downloaded online and mailed to the NC Secretary of State’s Office. The address to mail the annual report is listed on the footer of the report. The annual report fee for a limited liability company is $200.00. If filed electronically, there is a $3.00 transaction fee. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1) a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2) information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3) a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, 4) a searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful, and we send our best wishes to you for success with your business! If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov.

Yes. Mail them to NC Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division, PO Box 29622, Raleigh, NC 27626-0622.

There is no penalty or late fee for filing the annual report late, but we can begin to send out Notices of Grounds for Administrative Dissolution to those business entities that have not filed their annual reports by 6/15/2021. Thus, it's important that businesses file their annual reports by 6/15/2021 if they want to avoid receiving a Notice of Grounds for Administrative Dissolution. If that happens, we have another tutorial that tells businesses what they need to do then. See ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Om1RAXNa8Xg.html.

Dear Mr. Donovan, Thank you for your question. In order to provide the most accurate response, we need to know the name of your business. Rather than responding here, please direct your response to us at socialmedia@sosnc.gov. When responding, please also include your name (some users on this platform have different screen names) and your daytime contact information in case a representative needs to contact you directly. Again, thank you for your question. We will be glad to be of assistance to you. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

While we understand the hesitancy that some may have about online filing, we strongly encourage it in this case because it is quicker and easier, and it minimizes delays caused by human error. The report is considered filed when submitted, and the business owner gets immediate confirmation that it has been filed. Furthermore, our online registry is immediately updated so anyone checking it will see that the business is in current-active status. By contrast, it is taking between 14-21 business days from date of receipt for us to process paper reports. This processing lag time is only likely to get longer as we are entering our busiest time of the year. However, if you are comfortable with these delays and still wish to file a report by paper, the instructions for doing so can be found on our website at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/filing_a_paper_annual_report. We accept personal or business checks as well as money orders. Please make it payable to NC Department of Secretary of State. We hope this information is helpful to you. If you have questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at arinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

We will need to query our IT folks. Please email us your name, company name and daytime telephone number to socialmedia@sosnc.gov. We'll be happy to look into this for you.

Did you complete the payment process or did you stop at that point because you couldn't see the image?

@@NCSecState i stopped at that point because on the videos it showed the actual report paper and I didn’t have that section so I haven’t made the payment

@@ashleygarcia7866 Our IT folks have not been able to replicate your problem. Is it possible for you to try filing from a laptop or computer? If you run into any problems, please take a screenshot and email it to us at socialmedia@sosnc.gov. We will then pass it along to our IT folks. We apologize for any inconvenience.

See the information on our website at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/annual_report.

If your company is registered as one of the types of companies required to file an annual report (see the chart at www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/comparison_chart), the company is considered to be a commercial entity.

Thank you!

Please email us the name of your business, your name and daytime contact information. Please email this information to socialmedia@sosnc.gov. We will ask a representative of our Business Registration Division to look into this and respond to you.

It appears you may have received a misleading mailing to file your annual report or order a certificate of existence. See the information on our website at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/alerts. We suggest that you read the solicitation, and if it says it is a solicitation and/or not connected with a government agency, you can throw it away. If you are uncomfortable doing that, take an image of the mailing and email it to us at socialmedia@sosnc.gov with your name and daytime contact information and we will have someone from our Business Registration Division contact you directly. Thank you for being vigilant!

Send your name, your business' name and your daytime contact information to socialmedia@sosnc.gov and we will ask a representative to look into this matter for you.

Yes. Annual reports for LLCs are due by April 15th of each year after the year of creation. You created your company in 2023, so your first annual report is due by April 15, 2024. See the information on our website at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/annual_report_due_dates. The Annual Report is an important statement that declares the business is continuing to operate and that makes sure banks, businesses and others have accurate contact information about North Carolina businesses. Without the Annual Report requirement, the business registry and contact information very quickly would become stale and of little value. It is important to remember: Showing business activity is not required for a business to remain in good standing. As long as the business owner files an annual report (or amends one that was filed earlier in the year), and provides accurate contact information for company officials and registered agent, then it may remain in good standing. The annual report does not require disclosure of any financial information about the company. We hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions about annual reporting requirements, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at arinfo@sosnc.gov.

@@NCSecState what if my mc inactive and want to dissolve LLC ? Do I still need to do annual report?

An LLC is required to file an annual report on or before April 15th in the calendar year following the creation year and every year thereafter.

Yes. The annual report is required as long as the entity is in existence. An annual report is not a financial statement. The annual report lets businesses update information on file with us so we can make it available to the public.

We apologize for your frustrations. Yes, our videos are slightly dated. We are working to update them. In the meantime, go to www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/annual_report and click the yellow "File Business Annual Report HERE!" button. Enter your company's name in the search box and click "Search." If your company is required to file an annual report, there will be a yellow "Annual Report" button. Click it and follow the prompts. If you have further problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration at (919) 814-5400, Option 1, or email your questions to arinfo@sosnc.gov. If emailing, please be sure to include your name, your company's name and your daytime telephone number. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1) a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2) information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3) a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/email_notification_subscriptions); and, 4) a searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful and send our best wishes to you for success with your business! Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

If your business was formed on or before 12/31/2021, your first annual report will be due April 15, 2022. If it was formed on or after 1/1/2022, your first annual report won't be due until April 15, 2023.

Thank you for your question. Depending on the type of business entity you created, you may not need to amend anything. If you created a business corporation or a limited liability partnership (LLP) in 2020, AND filed an annual report for fiscal year end 12/31/2020, the report should be your 2020 annual report. If you created a limited liability company (LLC), as referenced in this video, AND it was created in 2020, the first annual report would be for 2021, filed by April 15, 2021. But in order to answer your question more specifically, we need to know the name of your company. Please email us your name, company name, and daytime contact information. Send it to us at socialmedia@sosnc.gov.

@@NCSecState Thank you for your assistance and email information. Is there another way to follow up if I have not received a response within a few weeks?

Please IM CONFUSED. I CREATE MY LLC 12/20/2023. DO I HAVE TO PAY ANNUAL REPORT 2024?

@@lindavalentina2692 Yes. Annual reports for LLCs are due by April 15th of each year after the year of creation. You created your company in 2023, so your first annual report is due by April 15, 2024. See the information on our website at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/annual_report_due_dates. The Annual Report is an important statement that declares the business is continuing to operate and that makes sure banks, businesses and others have accurate contact information about North Carolina businesses. Without the Annual Report requirement, the business registry and contact information very quickly would become stale and of little value. It is important to remember: Showing business activity is not required for a business to remain in good standing. As long as the business owner files an annual report (or amends one that was filed earlier in the year), and provides accurate contact information for company officials and registered agent, then it may remain in good standing. The annual report does not require disclosure of any financial information about the company. We hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions about annual reporting requirements, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at arinfo@sosnc.gov.

Thank you for your query. We will attempt a response, but we invite you to contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 2, and speak with a representative who can better assess your situation and offer more specific information. They are available between the hours of 8 am - 5 pm (Eastern), Monday-Friday (excluding holidays). You state you registered your business with us in January 2022 and have since moved to Florida. You did not state when that moved occurred, whether you withdrew your registration from North Carolina, whether you filed with Florida to convert to a Florida registration, or whether you wish to have dual registration. With that said, if you did not dissolve your North Carolina company, or convert to a Florida registration, prior to April 18, 2022, you must still file your 2023 annual report with us on or before April 17, 2023 (start here: www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Annual_Report). Whether you owe any report to Florida is a question best posed to the Florida Secretary of State's Office (see dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/). If you did dissolve your North Carolina company, or filed to convert to a Florida company prior to April 18, 2022, you would owe an annual report to Florida but not to North Carolina. If you wish to retain registration in North Carolina but merely do business in Florida, you would apply to the Florida Secretary of State's office for a Certificate of Authority to transact business in Florida. Going this route, however, will mean that you will need to keep both registrations active. Finally, you can file Form BE-16, Articles of Conversion ($50.00 fee) with our office to move the domesticity of the company from North Carolina to Florida. You would also have to file the document required by Florida to convert from NC to FL company. You would then only need to keep the FL company active. You would not be required to file the annual report with us if your company's status is still Converted on our records. We hope this information will be helpful. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

@North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State Thank you for your reply. I moved to FL late Nov 2022 and based on what's written, conversation seems best. I will call the office next week. Enjoy your weekend.

2021 because it is the report of the year 2021.

I am in the same situation. I just called the SOSNC office to confirm and they told me to select 2022. Now I’m confused. Which one is it?

@@evanclark8448 If you formed your company before 12/31/2021, the report that was due on 4/18/2022 is for the year 2021. The report that will be due in April 2023 will be for the year 2022. It's just like filing your annual tax return.

@@NCSecState… 2:30 The information in the video, and the information in your comment, do not match. The video states to select the current year you are filing, NOT for the previous year like you do for your taxes. Perhaps I missed something. Can you please clarify?

@@romanticdonkey468 BINGO

All questions relating to your company's tax liability should be directed to the IRS (for federal tax questions) and/or the NC Department of Revenue (for state tax questions). You mentioned that you closed your business after only a few months. Remember, your business is only officially "closed" when it has either been administratively dissolved by our Department or you have filed Articles of Dissolution. If you haven't filed your Articles of Dissolution, you will need to do so. It is Form L-07 and can be found on our website at www.sosnc.gov/forms/by_title/_Business_Registration_Business_Entities_Common. Select "Limited Liability Companies" in the righthand search box. The fee is $30.00. These can be filed through our website. Information on that process can be found at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services. We hope this is helpful to you.

@@NCSecState I did file for dissolution and it has been approved. Can you please direct me on what to do now

@@anjalishroff3693 If your business has been officially dissolved (and you can check that by searching your business on our website at www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Business_Registration), then there is nothing more you need to do with our department. Our agency has nothing to do with taxes. You should consult your CPA, tax attorney, the NC Department of Revenue and/or the IRS to determine what, if any, tax obligation you may have.

North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State how do I send back signatures

North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State can y’all email me on how to do that nyshanrakeez@gmail.com

We are pleased you found this tutorial helpful. We encourage all filers to file their annual reports through our website at www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Annual_Report. If you have questions about filing your annual report, you may contact our office at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or email your questions to arinfo@sosnc.gov. Best wishes!

No, North Carolina law requires you to have a registered agent. Under North Carolina law, the address for a business's registered agent must be an actual street address, not a post office box or a shipping store box address. This is necessary so that service of process or some other demand notice upon the company can be executed. It is a suggestion that people not use their home address because this information is a public record. Some people do not wish to list their home address for that reason. If this is a concern for you, there are companies, including virtual ones, you may contract with to act as your registered agent.

Changing your address is not quite as simple as going into your account and making a typographical change. State law requires transparency in business records, which means changes in address for either the principal office or registered agent, or changes in company officials, must be publicly available. Which form you file will depend on the business structure your company is formed under and what information is to be changed. For companies organized as a business corporation, Limited Liability Company or Limited Liability Partnership, the simplest way to change your address is by filing or amending their annual report. This can be done online at www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Business_Registration. However, since you indicated your company is formed as a Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC), it is exempt from having to file an annual report. In this case, you would file Form BE-17 ($10.00), Designation Statement of Change of Principal Office and Registered Agent Name/Office to change the address of either or both the principal office and/or registered agent. If you only need to change the registered agent's address, you may file Form BE-06 ($5.00). You may either submit your amendment and fee via regular mail using the address on the bottom of the form or use our PDF Upload Portal at www.sosnc.gov/Online_Services/Account/Sign_In?ReturnUrl=%2Fonline_services%2Fbusiness_registration%2Fflow_upload_a_filing. We hope this information is helpful. If you have any further questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or you may email your questions to corpinfo@sosnc.gov.

thank you! @@NCSecState

If filing your annual report, the answer is yes.

hey, what did you select for the title being that you are the owner

The appropriate method of notifying our office with regard to any changes that must be made to a corporation’s officers or a LLC’s company officials would be either to file an Annual Report, if it is due, or amend an Annual Report if the current year’s Annual Report has already been filed. We encourage you to do this online. Simply go to www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration and click the yellow box on the right hand side entitled “File Business Annual Report HERE!”. If no annual report is due because the company is newly formed, file Form L-17, Amendment of Articles of Organization (www.sosnc.gov/FormL17), with our office to remove an officer or company official. (A notarized statement of dissociation is required when removing an officer or company official.) That form can also be filed to add a new officer or company official. The Articles of Amendment must be signed by one of the entity’s current officers or company officials. Please ensure that the new officer or company official’s address is included in the Amendment of Articles of Organization. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1) a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2) information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3) a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, 4) a searchable database of local resource providers, including funders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/rural_rise/index). We hope you will find all of these resources helpful. If you have further questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or email your questions to corpinfo@sosnc.gov. We send our best wishes to you for success with your business! Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

@@NCSecState the link for L-17 isn't working

We encourage you to start with the information on our website at www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business. We also have a library of video tutorials listed at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/Video_Library. If you have further questions, you may contact our office at (919) 814-5400, Option 1, or email your questions to corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Best wishes for success!

I’m on site and there’s nothing saying how to file For a new llc

@@jimmybagz1ify The whole page (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business) walks you through the various steps. Click the "Get Started" buttons.

Thank you for your question. The short answer is "no." Showing business activity is not required for a business to remain in good standing. As long as the business owner files an annual report (or amends one that was filed earlier in the year), and provides accurate contact information for company officials and registered agent, then it may remain in good standing. The annual report does not require disclosure of any financial information about the company. We hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions about annual reporting requirements, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at arinfo@sosnc.gov.

Changing your address is not quite as simple as going into your account and making a typographical change. State law requires transparency in business records, which means changes in address for either the principal office or registered agent, or changes in company officials, must be publicly available. Which form you file will depend on the business structure your company is formed under and what information is to be changed. If your business is organized as a business corporation, Limited Liability Company or Limited Liability Partnership, AND you have already filed your annual report that is due on April 17th, the simplest way to change your address is by filing an amended annual report. You would do this by filing online by searching your entity name (go to www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Business_Registration) and clicking to file an annual report/amend an annual report. If one is not currently due, the amendment option is available. If your business is organized as a business corporation, Limited Liability Company or Limited Liability Partnership, AND you have NOT already filed your annual report due this year, then you would make the changes on your annual report. You would submit the annual report using our Annual Report Wizard at www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Annual_Report. If your company was recently formed (i.e., on or after January 1st of the current calendar year), your annual report would not be due until April 15th of next year. In this case, you would file Form BE-17 ($10.00), Designation Statement of Change of Principal Office and Registered Agent Name/Office to change the address of either or both the principal office and/or registered agent. If you only need to change the registered agent's address, you may file Form BE-06 ($5.00). You may submit your amendment using our PDF Upload Portal at www.sosnc.gov/Online_Services/Account/Sign_In?ReturnUrl=%2Fonline_services%2Fbusiness_registration%2Fflow_upload_a_filing. If the company is a nonprofit or limited partnership -- companies which are not required by law to file an annual report -- use form BE-17 or BE-06 as stated above. We hope this information is helpful. If you have any further questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or you may email your questions to corpinfo@sosnc.gov.

I’d love to know this answer also.

I would say call them to verify. I created in 2022 as well and filed an annual report last year, 2023 and have to do one this year as well.