To successfully operate an LLC in Washington, you’ll need to comply with the state regulations, and that includes the mandatory filing of an annual report. This report helps the Washington Secretary of State maintain current information about your business. Timely submission is crucial to keep your LLC in good standing and avoid potential penalties or administrative dissolution.
To learn more about what the Washington annual report entails, and how you can file it, read through our comprehensive guide below.
Annual reports are documents that Washington LLCs must file each year with the Washington Secretary of State. The report is designed to provide the state with updated information about your business, including it’s principal address, the management structure, and details about your registered agent. It confirms that your business is active and compliant with state records, and it serves as an important source of information for both the government and the general public about your business.
Filing an annual report in Washington shouldn’t be complicated. Read below for a breakdown of steps that you’ll need to take.
First, you’ll need to fill out the annual report form with various details that are required by the state. Here is the information that you’ll need to gather:
You can file online via the Washington Secretary of State’s Corporations and Charities Filing System. Sign in using your user ID and password, or if you have not yet created an account, you can do so on the website. The cost to file online is the $70 standard filing fee. Commercial registered agents who need to register as a registered agent will need to pay a $30 registration fee.
Washington also allows LLCs to file their annual reports by mail. To use this method, start by downloading the form and completing it. You can enclose a check or money order with the form to pay all fees due. The form must be mailed to the following address:
Washington Secretary of State
Corporations & Charities Division
PO Box 40234
Olympia, WA 98504-0234
To take the stress out of filing your annual report and to ensure that your report is filed accurately and meets all of Washington’s state requirements, you can use a compliance service like Tailor Brands. It will complete the paperwork for you, make sure that everything is up to date, and ensure that your form is filed in a timely fashion.
The state of Washington charges a $70 fee for LLCs to file an annual report. If you need to file an amended annual report, this is an additional $10 fee.
In the state of Washington, you’ll need to take extra care where due dates are concerned. Most states have an annual report filing window that aligns with tax season, but that is not the case here.
Instead, Washington annual reports are due on the last day of the month in which you initially registered the business. For example, if you initially registered your business on October 10, then in all subsequent years, your filing window will be within 180 days prior to the expiration date, which in our example would be October 31 of that year.
It’s best to file early, particularly if you’re mailing your annual report. Washington does not consider postmark dates as receipt dates, so if you mail your annual report on the day that it is due, or if the postal service takes several days to deliver the report, it will be considered delinquent.
Filing late or failing to file on time can come with some serious consequences. Read below to learn what to expect.
If you’re filing at the very end of your filing window and need to make sure that your paperwork is submitted on time, you can pay an expedited service fee of $100. This generally ensures that your documents will be processed within three business days. Same-day processing costs $150, but due to service limitations, this option is not always available.
If you’re filing late, then you’ll need to pay a delinquency fee of $25, which brings the total cost of the annual report filing to $95.
If you are late sending in your annual report, the Washington Secretary of State will provide you with a notice that your business will be administratively dissolved. You’ll then have 60 days to address any problems, and if you haven’t filed your report and paid all fees at the end of this timeframe, your business will face administrative dissolution.
If your business undergoes administrative dissolution, you then have five years to reinstate the business with the Secretary of State. To do this, you’ll need to file a reinstatement form online, pay all past due filing fees, and pay a $140 penalty.
Filing your Washington annual report accurately and on time each year is crucial to ensure that your LLC remains in good standing. Since inaccuracies or missed deadlines can lead to penalties or possibly even administrative dissolution, it’s wise to use a compliance service to handle this task for you.
You’ll need to pay a $70 filing fee, another $10 fee if you’re filing an amended annual report, and a $25 fine on top of other fees to file a delinquent report.
Yes—the annual report form provides a second page that allows you to update registered agent information if it has changed over the previous year.
Yes—in Washington, the final due date for your yearly annual report is the last day of the month in which you originally registered the business. Each year, you can file up to 180 days in advance of this expiration date.
Yes—fees and deadlines are the same for both foreign and domestic entities.
This portion of our website is for informational or educational purposes only. Tailor Brands is not a law firm, and the information on this website does not constitute legal advice. All statements, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions are solely the expression of the author and provided on an as-is basis. Accordingly, Tailor Brands is not responsible for the information and/or its accuracy or completeness. It also does not indicate any affiliation between Tailor Brands and any other brands, services or logos on this page.
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