Attention Corporations and LLC’s: Annual Reports for 2017 are Due

It is now time for all registered Florida corporations and limited liability companies (LLC’s) to file their Annual Report with the State of Florida.  To maintain an “active status” with the Department of State, corporations and LLC’s must file an Annual Report with the Florida Division of Corporations by May 1st.

The Annual Report is not a financial statement; its purpose is to confirm or make any necessary updates to basic information about the company on the Division of Corporations records.  Business entities must file an Annual Report even if no changes need to be made to the company’s information.

Through the Annual Report process, you can:

  • Add, delete or change the names and/or addresses of the company’s principals
  • Change the company’s registered agent and registered office address
  • Change the company’s principal office address and mailing address
  • Add or update your company’s Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)

You cannot change the company’s name through the Annual Report process.  You must file an amendment with the Division of Corporations to change a company name, and the name change amendment cannot be done online.

The State of Florida will not send you a notice in the mail reminding you to file your Annual Report.  The only notice the state will send is an email to the email address the Division of Corporations has on file for you.  The email comes from the Florida Department of State and the subject of the email is “Official 2017 Annual Report Notice for:  [your company name].”  There is a link in the email that takes you directly to the state’s official website at sunbiz.org.

All Annual Reports must be filed online.  To file, go to sunbiz.org.  Make sure the page displayed on your computer says “An official State of Florida website“ at the top of the page.  Under the tab that says “Filing Services,” click on the box that says “Annual Report.”  From this page, you can either file your Annual Report or view step-by-step instructions on how to file.

To complete your Annual Report, you will need the following:

  • Your company’s document number.  This is a number that was assigned to your company by the Division of Corporations when you first created your business entity. It will be in the email notice you should have already received from the Division of Corporations, or you can find your company’s document number by going to sunbiz.org and clicking on “Look up a Business” and searching by your company’s name.
  • Your company’s Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN), if applicable.
  • A valid email address that is regularly monitored.
  • A major credit card.

For corporations, the cost to file an Annual Report is $150, if filed by May 1st.  For LLC’s, the filing fee is $138.75, if filed by May 1st.  Payment can be made online using Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover, and Visa and MasterCard debit cards are also accepted.

If the Annual Report is filed after May 1st, the state assesses a mandatory $400 late fee which cannot be waived, even if you did not receive your email reminder from the state.

Once you have submitted your Annual Report online and it is processed by the Division of Corporations (usually within 24 hours), it will be immediately available on sunbiz.org and you can download a copy of your Annual Report free of charge.

A special note about Certificates of Status:  When you file your Annual Report online, the system will ask you if you want a Certificate of Status.  This is a one-page document from the Division of Corporations verifying that your business entity is active on the state’s records and is current on all required fees.  The fee for a Certificate of Status is $8.75 for a corporations and $5.00 for an LLC.  However, this is entirely optional; you may not even need a Certificate of Status.  Sometimes banks may ask for them, but they are not necessary for your company to be valid.

Some unscrupulous companies send small businesses mail asking for $50 or more for a Certificate of Status.  Don’t be fooled.  You may not need one, and if you do, you can always get one directly from the Division of Corporations for less than $10.

For more information on how to file your Annual Report, you can email the Division of Corporations at corphelp@dos.state.fl.us.

Attention Contractors: Ladder and Scaffold Safety Information Available

According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the federal agency that regulates workplace safety, falls on construction sites are one of the leading causes of employee deaths in the Southeast, and thousands more construction workers suffer catastrophic and debilitating on-the-job injuries from falling.

In addition to endangering their employees, construction businesses without the proper fall protection can be cited and fined by OSHA.  Catastrophic injuries on the job may also jeopardize workers’ compensation coverage.

To protect workers using ladders or scaffolds, all construction businesses are required by OSHA to provide fall protection and equipment that is in good working order.

For more information about fall protection and what OSHA requires for construction businesses, visit OSHA.gov/stopfalls/.  We also have information on our website, in English and in Spanish, about how to work safely with ladders and scaffolds.  This information includes checklists to give employees to make sure they are working safely, as well as quizzes you can give your employees to make sure they understand what they can do to protect themselves while working on ladders or scaffolds.

Read Issue [PDF]