Annual Report Requirements by State

What This Filing Is and Why It Exists

A state's periodic business filing exists to keep the public record current: who your registered agent is, where your business is located, and whether it's still operating. States call it an annual report, a biennial statement, a franchise tax report, or an annual list, depending on the state, but the purpose is the same everywhere. It's the single most common ongoing filing a business owes its formation state, and missing it is the most common reason a compliant business falls out of good standing.

Fees Range From $0 to $500

For LLCs, a sample of state fees shows the range: Montana and Mississippi charge $0 if filed on time, New York charges $9 every two years, Georgia charges $50 a year, and Massachusetts charges $500 a year, according to each state's filing office. The District of Columbia charges $300 every two years. Corporations often file with the same agency on a similar, though not always identical, fee schedule, so confirm your own entity type's fee rather than assuming it matches an LLC's.

Five States Require No Periodic Report From LLCs

Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio and South Carolina don't require LLCs to file any annual or biennial report at all. Delaware is a related but different case: it has no annual report for LLCs, but it still charges a flat $400 annual LLC tax, due by June 1, in its place, according to the Delaware Division of Corporations.

Annual vs. Biennial Filing Cycles

Most states that require a periodic filing collect it every year, but several use a two-year cycle instead, including Alaska, California, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and New York. Which year a business falls into often depends on whether it was formed in an even or odd year, so check your specific state's rule rather than assuming every business in that state files on the same schedule.

Deadlines Follow Different Patterns

Some states use a fixed calendar date that applies to every business regardless of formation date, such as Georgia's January 1 to April 1 window or Texas's May 15 franchise tax deadline. Others use the business's own anniversary month, the calendar month in which it was originally formed, such as Nevada, Virginia and Washington. Confirm which pattern your state uses, since an anniversary-month deadline means your due date differs from another business formed in the same state on a different date.

What Happens if You Miss the Deadline

Consequences build in stages rather than hitting all at once. Florida adds a $400 late fee and administratively dissolves an LLC that hasn't filed by a set date in September. North Dakota adds a $50 late fee and terminates an LLC by operation of law if it doesn't file within six months of the deadline. Other states are lighter on the fee but still risk dissolution over time: Idaho and New Jersey don't publish a specific late-fee amount, but both can begin administrative dissolution for a report that's never filed, according to each state's filing office.

Corporations and Nonprofits Have Their Own Version

Corporations typically owe a periodic report to the same state agency that handles LLC filings, though the form, fee and due date are set separately and aren't always the same as an LLC's in that state. Nonprofit corporations usually owe this same state-level filing in addition to their separate federal reporting to the IRS. Check your specific entity type's requirement rather than assuming it mirrors an LLC's.

Keeping Track Across Entity Types

If you've changed your entity type, registered as a foreign business in another state, or are tracking filings for more than one business, treat each entity and each state as its own deadline. For the LLC-specific version of this requirement in full detail, see LLC annual report requirements by state.

A $0 Fee Doesn't Mean No Filing Is Required

Montana, Mississippi and Minnesota charge nothing for an on-time LLC annual report, but all three still require the filing itself. Skipping it because no fee is due still risks a late penalty or administrative dissolution in most of these states.

Some States Fold the Report Into a Tax Filing

Texas and Delaware combine their recurring compliance obligation with a tax filing or flat tax rather than a traditional report, which means missing it can trigger tax penalties and interest on top of, or instead of, a simple late fee.

Don't Assume Your Corporation's Deadline Matches Your LLC's

If you operate more than one entity in the same state, such as an LLC and a corporation, don't assume they share a due date or fee just because the same agency handles both. Confirm each entity's specific requirement separately.

Reinstatement Almost Always Costs More Than Staying Current

An LLC or corporation that's administratively dissolved for missing this filing typically has to pay back fees for every missed year, plus a separate reinstatement fee, to get reinstated. Treating the deadline as routine maintenance is cheaper than fixing a lapse later.

This Is General Information, Not State-Specific Filing Advice

Fees, forms and deadlines change, and this article summarizes patterns across states rather than the complete, current rule for every state and entity type. Confirm your specific state and entity type's current requirement directly with its filing agency before relying on any number here, and talk to a tax professional about any state tax obligations tied to the filing.