Ongoing Compliance
Forming your business was step one. Keeping it in good standing is forever. Every LLC, corporation, and nonprofit has recurring state obligations — annual reports, franchise taxes, registered agent renewals, and entity-specific filings — with deadlines that vary by state and penalties that escalate fast. We monitor every deadline, send reminders before anything is due, file your annual reports, and alert you if your good standing status changes — so you never pay a late fee, lose your entity, or miss a critical filing.
What Happens When You Miss a Compliance Deadline
It’s not just a late fee. Non-compliance escalates — and the consequences get worse at every stage.
Late Fees
$25–$200+ per missed filing. Accumulates every year you’re late. Some states charge interest on top of penalties. This is the best-case scenario — most business owners stop here if they catch it early.
Loss of Good Standing
Your entity’s status changes from “Active” to “Not in Good Standing.” You can’t obtain a Certificate of Good Standing — which means you can’t sign certain contracts, get business loans, renew licenses, or foreign qualify in other states.
Administrative Dissolution
The state involuntarily dissolves your entity. Your LLC or corporation ceases to legally exist. You lose the right to use your business name, your liability protection is gone, and contracts signed during dissolution may be unenforceable.
Reinstatement
You can usually reinstate — but you’ll pay all back fees, penalties, and interest accumulated during the dissolution period. Some states charge a reinstatement fee on top ($50–$500). The total can be thousands of dollars for a filing that originally cost $50.
Nonprofits face the harshest penalty: Three consecutive years of missed Form 990 filings triggers automatic revocation of your 501(c)(3) status by the IRS. No warning letter, no grace period. Reinstatement requires re-filing the entire application ($275–$600) and potentially months of waiting. All donations received during revocation are not tax-deductible for donors. 990 filing guide →
What’s Included in Our Compliance Service
We monitor, remind, and file — so you can focus on running your business instead of tracking state deadlines.
Annual Report Filing
We prepare and file your annual report (or biennial report, depending on your state) with the Secretary of State before the deadline. Includes verifying your entity information, updating any changes, and submitting on your behalf. State filing fee is a separate pass-through cost.
Deadline Monitoring & Alerts
We track every compliance deadline for your entity — annual reports, franchise taxes, registered agent renewal, and state-specific requirements. Alerts sent at 90, 60, 30, and 7 days before each deadline. Never be surprised by a due date again.
Good Standing Monitoring
We periodically check your entity’s standing with the state and alert you immediately if anything changes. If your status drops from “Active” to “Not in Good Standing” for any reason — missed filing, unpaid fee, clerical error — you’ll know right away.
Franchise Tax Reminders
States like Delaware, California, and Texas charge annual franchise taxes separate from the annual report. We track these deadlines and send reminders. For Delaware corporations, we also provide guidance on calculating the franchise tax using the most favorable method.
Registered Agent Renewal
If we’re your registered agent, renewal is automatic — no action needed from you. If you use another agent, we track the renewal date and remind you before it lapses. A lapsed registered agent puts your entity out of compliance immediately.
Compliance Dashboard
One view of every deadline, filing status, and compliance requirement for your entity — across all states if you’re registered in multiple. See what’s been filed, what’s coming due, and what needs attention. Download filed reports and confirmation receipts anytime.
Annual Compliance Requirements by State
Every state has different deadlines, fees, and filing requirements. Here’s what the most popular formation states charge.
| State | Annual Report Fee | Due Date | Franchise Tax | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $60 (or $60 per $250K in assets) | Anniversary month | None | Minimum $60, no income tax |
| Delaware (LLC) | $300 | June 1 | $300 (same filing) | Flat $300 annual tax for LLCs |
| Delaware (Corp) | $50 | March 1 | $400+ (varies by shares/assets) | Franchise tax can be $400–$200K+; use Assumed Par Value method |
| Florida | $138.75 | May 1 | None | $400 late fee if filed after May 1 |
| Texas | No annual report | N/A | Franchise tax (May 15) | No report; franchise tax based on revenue ($0 if under $2.47M) |
| California | $20 (LLC Statement of Info) | Anniversary month (biennial) | $800 minimum franchise tax | $800/yr franchise tax applies to all LLCs regardless of income |
| New York | $9 (biennial) | Anniversary month (every 2 years) | None for LLCs | Cheapest report; publication is the expensive part at formation |
| Nevada | $150 (LLC) / $150 + $200 business license (Corp) | Anniversary month | None (LLCs); Commerce Tax if revenue > $4M | No state income tax; annual business license required |
| Georgia | $50 | April 1 | None | Straightforward annual registration |
| Illinois | $75 | Anniversary month | None (repealed 2024) | Franchise tax eliminated effective 2024 |
See All 50 State Requirements →
Delaware franchise tax shock: Delaware calculates corporate franchise tax using two methods — the Authorized Shares Method and the Assumed Par Value Capital Method. The default calculation (Authorized Shares) can produce bills of $10,000–$200,000+ for startups with millions of authorized shares. The Assumed Par Value method almost always produces a lower amount (often the $400 minimum). We guide Delaware corporations through using the correct method. Delaware franchise tax guide →
Compliance Requirements by Entity Type
LLCs have fewer obligations than corporations, and nonprofits have the most. Know what applies to you.
LLC Compliance
- Annual/biennial report: Most states, $0–$300/yr
- Franchise tax: Some states (CA $800, DE $300, TX revenue-based)
- Registered agent: Continuous — must be maintained at all times
- Tax filing: Schedule C (single-member), 1065 (multi-member), or 1120-S (S-Corp elected)
- Meetings: Not required by most states
- Minutes: Not required
Compliance level: Low to moderate
Corporation Compliance
- Annual report: Required in all states, $0–$300/yr
- Franchise tax: Most states — especially Delaware ($400+ for corps)
- Registered agent: Continuous
- Tax filing: Form 1120 (C-Corp) or 1120-S (S-Corp), due March 15 or April 15
- Annual meetings: Board + shareholder meetings required
- Formal minutes: Required for every meeting
- Stock ledger: Must be maintained and updated with every transaction
Compliance level: Moderate to high
Nonprofit Compliance
- Annual report: Most states, $0–$50/yr
- Form 990: Annual IRS filing — 990-N, 990-EZ, or full 990
- State tax exemption renewals: Some states require periodic renewal
- Charitable solicitation: ~40 states require annual renewal ($0–$400/state)
- Board meetings: Quarterly recommended, annual at minimum
- Meeting minutes: Required and reviewed during audits
- Registered agent: Continuous
Compliance level: Highest of all entity types
Compliance Service Pricing
Monitoring, reminders, and annual report filing — one annual fee, no surprises.
Compliance Alerts
Monitoring & reminders only
- Deadline monitoring for your state
- Email alerts at 90, 60, 30, 7 days
- Annual report deadline tracking
- Franchise tax reminders
- Dashboard calendar view
Included with all formation plans & registered agent service
See Plans →Full Compliance
Monitoring + annual report filed
- Everything in Alerts, plus:
- Annual report prepared & filed
- Entity information verified
- Good standing monitoring
- Filed confirmation to dashboard
- Multi-state tracking (if applicable)
Nonprofit Compliance
Full compliance + 990 reminders
- Everything in Full Compliance, plus:
- Form 990 deadline tracking
- State tax exemption renewal tracking
- Charitable solicitation deadline alerts
- Auto-revocation prevention monitoring
- 990-N e-postcard reminder (if applicable)
State filing fees are pass-through costs — we don’t mark them up. You’ll see the exact state fee before we file. Our $99 service fee covers the preparation, verification, filing, and year-round monitoring. If your state charges $50 for the annual report, your total is $149. Check your state’s fee →
What Is an Annual Report?
It’s simpler than it sounds — but missing it has outsized consequences.
An annual report (called a “statement of information” in California, “annual registration” in Georgia, or “periodic report” in some states) is a filing that confirms your business information with the Secretary of State. It’s not a financial statement or a tax return — it’s a simple update confirming your entity’s current name, address, registered agent, members/officers, and other basic information.
Most annual reports take 10–15 minutes to complete and cost $0–$300. The filing is usually available online through the Secretary of State’s website. Some states require reports annually; others biennially (every 2 years). A few states (like Texas) don’t require an annual report at all — they use franchise tax filings instead.
Despite being simple, annual reports are the most commonly missed compliance obligation for small businesses. Most states don’t send reminders. The due date varies by state — some use a fixed calendar date (Florida: May 1, Georgia: April 1), others use your formation anniversary month. If you don’t know your deadline, you’re likely to miss it.
What the Annual Report Asks
- Entity name: Confirm or update your legal business name
- Principal address: Where your business operates
- Mailing address: Where correspondence should be sent
- Registered agent: Confirm your agent name and address
- Members/managers (LLC): Names and addresses of current members or managers
- Officers/directors (Corp): Names and addresses of current officers and directors
- Nature of business: Brief description (often just a NAICS code)
That’s it. No financial data, no tax information, no complex documentation. Yet missing this simple form leads to thousands of dollars in penalties and potential dissolution every year.
Multi-State Compliance
Registered in more than one state? Your compliance obligations multiply.
🏢 The Problem
If your LLC is formed in Wyoming and foreign-qualified in California, you have compliance obligations in both states — different deadlines, different fees, different filing requirements. Add a third state and the complexity triples. Most multi-state businesses discover they’ve missed a filing in one state when they try to renew a license or close a deal that requires a Certificate of Good Standing.
Example: Wyoming LLC foreign-qualified in California and Texas.
Wyoming: $60 annual report (anniversary month). California: $20 biennial report (anniversary) + $800 franchise tax (April 15). Texas: No report, franchise tax (May 15). Three states, three different deadlines, three different amounts. Miss any one and you lose good standing in that state.
✅ Our Solution
Our compliance dashboard tracks every deadline across all states where your entity is registered. One view shows everything — what’s been filed, what’s coming due, and what needs attention.
- Unified dashboard: All states, all deadlines, one view
- Per-state alerts: Independent reminders for each state’s deadline
- Annual reports filed: We file in every state where you’re registered
- Franchise tax reminders: State-specific calculations and deadlines
- Good standing monitoring: Checked in every state, alerts if anything changes
- Pricing: $99/year covers your home state. Additional states: $49/state/year
Already Out of Compliance? We Can Help
If you’ve missed filings and your entity has lost good standing — or been administratively dissolved — we can help you get back on track. The reinstatement process varies by state, but generally involves filing all missed annual reports, paying accumulated back fees and penalties, and submitting a reinstatement application.
The sooner you act, the less expensive it is. Late fees compound annually in most states, and some states impose additional penalties the longer your entity remains dissolved. Once reinstated, your entity is treated as if it was never dissolved in most jurisdictions — but the period of dissolution may affect contract enforceability and liability protection during that window.
We handle the entire reinstatement process: determining what’s owed, preparing all back filings, submitting the reinstatement application, paying the fees on your behalf, and confirming good standing is restored. One flat fee plus whatever the state charges in back fees and penalties.
Reinstatement Service
Get back in good standing
- Determine what’s owed to the state
- Prepare & file all missed reports
- Submit reinstatement application
- Pay state fees on your behalf
- Confirm good standing restored
- Set up ongoing compliance going forward
Sample Compliance Calendar: What a Year Looks Like
Here’s what ongoing compliance looks like for a typical Wyoming LLC with S-Corp election, operating from a home office in California.
Items in green are handled or tracked by our compliance service. Tax filings (in blue) are handled by your CPA.
What Our Customers Say
“I completely forgot about my Florida annual report. Got the 60-day reminder from BusinessFormations, clicked approve, and they filed it that week. Without the alert, I would have paid the $400 late fee. The service already paid for itself.”— Dan M., E-Commerce (Florida LLC)
“Three rental property LLCs in two states. Keeping track of all the deadlines was a nightmare before this. Now I get one dashboard showing every filing for every entity. Annual reports filed automatically. Total game-changer for real estate investors.”— Stephanie V., Real Estate Investor (Wyoming + Texas LLCs)
“Our nonprofit almost lost its 501(c)(3) status — we’d missed two years of 990 filings and didn’t even know. Switched to their nonprofit compliance plan and they caught the problem, helped us file the overdue 990s, and now track every deadline. Never again.”— Pastor James W., Community Church (Georgia 501(c)(3))
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ongoing compliance for a business?
Ongoing compliance is the set of recurring obligations your LLC, corporation, or nonprofit must fulfill to remain in good standing with the state. This includes annual report filings, franchise tax payments, registered agent maintenance, and entity-specific requirements like board meetings (corporations) or 990 filings (nonprofits). Missing these obligations leads to late fees, loss of good standing, and eventually involuntary dissolution.
What is an annual report?
An annual report is a simple filing that confirms your business’s current information with the Secretary of State — name, address, registered agent, and members/officers. It’s not a financial statement. Most take 10–15 minutes and cost $0–$300. Due dates vary by state (some use a fixed date like May 1; others use your formation anniversary). Missing it triggers late fees and can lead to dissolution. Annual report guide →
Does my state send reminders before annual report deadlines?
Some states send a courtesy notice to your registered agent; many don’t. And even states that send notices don’t guarantee delivery — if your registered agent info is outdated or your mail isn’t forwarded, you may never receive it. Our service sends alerts at 90, 60, 30, and 7 days before every deadline, regardless of whether the state sends reminders.
What happens if I miss my annual report?
The consequences escalate in stages: (1) Late fee ($25–$200+) immediately. (2) Loss of good standing after a grace period (varies by state). (3) Administrative dissolution if you remain non-compliant for an extended period (typically 1–3 years). (4) Reinstatement requires filing all back reports, paying accumulated fees and penalties, and submitting a reinstatement application. The total cost can be thousands of dollars for what started as a $50 filing.
What is a franchise tax?
A franchise tax is a state-level tax for the privilege of doing business in that state — it’s separate from income tax and separate from the annual report. Not all states charge one. The most notable: Delaware ($300 for LLCs, $400+ for corps), California ($800 minimum for all LLCs), and Texas (based on revenue, $0 if under ~$2.47M). Our service tracks franchise tax deadlines alongside your other obligations.
I have multiple LLCs. Does the service cover all of them?
Yes. Each entity is tracked separately in your dashboard with its own compliance calendar and deadlines. Your first entity is $99/year. Additional entities registered in the same state are $79/year each. Entities in different states follow multi-state pricing ($49/additional state). You see everything in one unified dashboard.
My business was dissolved by the state. Can you reinstate it?
In most cases, yes. Reinstatement involves filing all missed reports, paying accumulated fees and penalties, and submitting a reinstatement application. We handle the entire process for $149 plus whatever the state charges in back fees. The sooner you reinstate, the less expensive it is — fees compound annually in most states. Reinstatement guide →
Does compliance monitoring come with formation?
Yes — compliance alerts (deadline monitoring and email reminders) are included with all formation plans and with our registered agent service at no extra cost. Full compliance (which includes annual report filing and good standing monitoring) is $99/year. Nonprofit compliance (which adds 990 tracking and solicitation renewal tracking) is $149/year.
What’s the difference between compliance alerts and full compliance?
Compliance alerts ($0, included): we monitor your deadlines and send reminders, but you file the reports yourself. Full compliance ($99/year): we monitor, remind, AND file your annual report on your behalf. We also monitor your good standing status and alert you if anything changes. Full compliance is the “set it and forget it” option.
Do you file taxes for my business?
No — we handle state compliance filings (annual reports, registered agent, good standing), not federal or state tax returns. Tax filing (Form 1040, 1065, 1120, 1120-S, 990) should be handled by your CPA or tax professional. We do track tax-related deadlines (franchise taxes, estimated payment dates) and send reminders, but the actual tax preparation and filing is your CPA’s responsibility.
Never Miss a Compliance Deadline
Annual reports filed, good standing monitored, franchise taxes tracked, deadlines managed — all 50 states, one dashboard, one annual fee. Stop worrying about state filings and focus on your business.
Alerts free with formation • Full compliance $99/yr • Nonprofit compliance $149/yr
