If you own a Pennsylvania business, you probably know you must submit yearly reports to comply with the rules of the Department of State Bureau of Corporations.
We collaborated with our qualified LLC professionals with 10 years of company expertise to assist you in comprehending the procedure for filing annual reports in this state.
We scoured the Pennsylvania Secretary of State's website for the proper filing procedures for three weeks.
Here is an overview of all the information you need to know while filing annual reports in this state.
Quick Summary
- Registered businesses can file their annual reports with the Pennsylvania Department of State online or by mail.
- It costs $7 to file a Pennsylvania limited liability company annual report.
- All Pennsylvania LLCs must submit the annual report by September 30.
What Is a Pennsylvania LLC Annual Report?
A Pennsylvania LLC annual report is a legal document that contains the most recent information about the company and is filed with the state.
Initially, the Secretary of State mandated all business entities to file a Pennsylvania decennial report every ten years.
However, in 2022 the Pennsylvania decennial reports law was repealed; as of 2023, the new law requires businesses to file an annual registration/report each year.
Your LLC or business's name, office address, registered agent information, and contact information, including the phone numbers of authorized officials, are all sent to the state of Pennsylvania in the annual report.
Whether you manage a foreign or domestic corporation or a limited liability business, the SOS requires you to submit an annual report before the due date to comply.
How to File a Pennsylvania Annual Report?
To file a Pennsylvania annual report, you must find the correct form, complete it, and submit it to the Secretary of State online or by mail.
1. Online Filings
Follow these steps to file your annual report online in Pennsylvania:
- Get online and visit the Pennsylvania Business Document Filing System [1].
- If you don't already have one, sign up for an account by clicking "Sign up now."
- After successfully logging in with your credentials, follow the filing instructions to complete the annual report.
- Complete the relevant business details and submit the form after paying the filing fee using a credit card.
2. Mail Filings
You can submit a paper format of the annual registration by choosing the mail filing method.
- Go to the "Business Forms" section of the Department of State's website.
- Click the "Annual Registration - Professional Limited Liability Company" to access the annual report form.
- The form you select will show on your screen right away. Both forms accept handwritten entries in either blue or black ink.
- Complete your details, and print the form.
Attach the filing fee as a check or money order and mail the complete annual report to the following address:
PA Department of State
PO Box 8722
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8722
3. Information Included in the Annual Report
You must provide the following information when completing the Pennsylvania annual report filing process:
- Business entity name.
- The entity number given by the Pennsylvania Department of State.
- State of incorporation.
- Registered office address.
- Name of at least one governor (member, director, partner, based on the entity type).
- Names and titles of the principal officers.
- Principal office address.
- Signature of the authorized filer.
4. Annual Report Due Dates
Pennsylvania's annual registration due dates vary depending on the business entity type [2].
The annual report deadline for all domestic and foreign profit and nonprofit corporations is June 30.
As for domestic LLCs and foreign LLCs, they must file their LLC annual reports by September 30 each year. If you formed your company on November 15, 2022, your first annual report is due on September 30, 2023.
Per the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, any other registered domestic or foreign business structure must submit the filing by December 31 of each year.
Each business entity required to submit an annual report will receive a notification in the mail from the Department of State at least two months before the deadline notifying it of the filing requirement.
Therefore all affected entities must maintain all information on file with the Pennsylvania Department of State current, including the registered office address, to receive notifications on how and when to submit annual registrations.
Additionally, you can share your active email address with the state to receive faster online due date notifications for your Pennsylvania annual report.
5. How Much Is the Annual Report Filing Fee in Pennsylvania?
The annual report filing fee in Pennsylvania is $7 for Pennsylvania corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), liability general partnerships (LLPs), and limited partnerships (LPs).
If you run a nonprofit corporation, an LLC, or an LP for charity purposes, you'll pay $0 for filing the Pennsylvania annual registration; the state doesn't charge any filing fee for charitable organizations operating for not-for-profit purposes.
Who Needs to File an LLC Annual Report in Pennsylvania?
Every registered limited liability company needs to file an LLC annual report in Pennsylvania.
Additionally, other business structures that must file annual reports with the Pennsylvania Department of State include the following:
- Domestic business and nonprofit corporations.
- Domestic limited liability (general) partnerships.
- Domestic limited partnerships (including limited liability partnerships).
- Domestic electing partnerships that are not limited partnerships.
- Domestic professional associations.
- Domestic business trusts.
- All registered foreign associations.
What Happens If I Don't File an Annual Report in Pennsylvania?
If you don't file your annual report in Pennsylvania, your LLC will be dissolved. The State Bureau of Corporations does not charge late fees for filing past the due date.
It's good that Pennsylvania allows a grace period of 6 months, and if you fail to file past this window, your entity will be administratively dissolved. It'll lose its ability to transact in the state.
Once a domestic entity has been dissolved, it must apply for reinstatement and pay the $70 filing fees to resume operations.
Unfortunately, dissolved foreign companies cannot reinstate themselves for failure to complete an annual report retrospectively; they must re-register by filing a new Foreign Registration Statement, which costs $250.
FAQs
How Long Does It Take To Process an Annual Report in Pennsylvania?
It takes up to 15 business days to process an annual report in Pennsylvania. This is the estimated turnaround for all business filings submitted to the state.
Is There a Penalty Fee For Late Annual Report Filing in Pennsylvania?
No, there's no penalty fee for late annual report filing in Pennsylvania. However, the Bureau of Corporations will administratively dissolve the entity if you don't file the annual report within 6 months of the grace period.
Do You Need Help Filing Your Pennsylvania Annual Report?
One crucial business process to maintain the integrity of your corporation is to file an annual report with the Department of State Bureau of Corporations.
However, if you don't know how to file, you run the danger of making expensive errors that might cause your company to lose its excellent status.
We advise hiring a reputable annual report service provider like IncFile to prevent this.
You can be sure that IncFile's knowledgeable staff and automated Pennsylvania annual report service will send company filings promptly and on schedule.
This filing service also provides a reliable notifications system that alerts you to approaching deadlines so you don't miss any.
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IncFile
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References:
- https://www.corporations.pa.gov/
- https://www.dos.pa.gov/BusinessCharities/Business/Resources/Pages/Annual-Reports.aspx
