Georgia LLC Annual Report Requirements (and Filing)

Header - Georgia Annual Report Requirements

Starting an LLC in Georgia comes with both benefits and responsibilities. Georgia, like most states, requires LLC owners to file an annual report with the Secretary of State each year.

What Is an Annual Report?

The LLC annual report is a required document that provides detailed information about your business operations over the past 12 months. The Secretary of State’s office reviews the report to determine if you are operating your LLC within state guidelines.

You must file the annual report and keep your LLC in good standing to continue operating a business in Georgia. The current annual report fee in Georgia is $50. Your county may also refer to the annual report as a periodic report or statement of information.

What To Include in Your Georgia LLC Annual Report

Georgia LLC Annual Report

Georgia requires all LLC owners to provide the information listed below in the annual report. Be sure to update any details that have changed since you submitted your annual report last year.

How To File an Annual Report in Georgia

Annual Report in Georgia

You are ready to file your annual report with the Secretary of State once you have gathered the above information. Georgia provides several annual report filing options to make it as convenient as possible for LLC owners.

Annual report due date in Georgia

The Secretary of State’s office must receive your annual report by April 1 each year. You can also choose to file the annual report any time after January 1 of the current calendar year. However, you cannot submit your report any earlier, or the state will not apply it to the correct year.

How to file your annual report online

If nothing has changed in your annual report from last year to this year, you can follow the instructions for one-click registration without having to log onto the Secretary of State’s website. You should follow this link to submit an annual report with changes. The online filing fee is $50, and the state only accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover for payment.

The one-click registration option allows you to choose whether you want to submit a report for the current calendar year only. If you do not expect any changes in the next few years, you can choose to submit a report for the next two years or the next three years at the same link. You will need to complete online registration if you are using the system for the first time.

How to file your annual report by mail

Should you prefer to mail the form, you can download and print it at this link. This option costs an additional $10, so you will need to make your check or money order payable to the Georgia Secretary of State in the amount of $60. Here is the address to mail your completed form and fee:

Office of the Secretary of State

Corporations Division

2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. SE

Suite 313, West Tower

Atlanta, GA 30334

Fill in all requested information

Submitting an incomplete form will result in processing delays, and the state could consider your LLC out of compliance. You have the option of outsourcing your annual report filing responsibilities to a company that offers annual compliance as part of its services.

Consider using an annual report compliance service

Using a compliance service offers you valuable peace of mind because you know your representatives stay on top of deadlines and filing requirements. The compliance service will submit proof of filing your LLC’s annual report and can even prepare the report for you.

What Happens if You Do Not File Your Annual Report or Miss the Deadline?

File or Miss Annual Report in Georgia

Forgetting to file an annual report or trying to complete it at the last minute and not submitting it on time are common problems among busy LLC owners. However, the Georgia Secretary of State expects a timely, accurate report each year and will assess penalties if this does not happen.

Late fees and fines

Georgia imposes a $25 fine against LLCs that do not submit an annual report by the April 1 deadline. You have 60 days to get the report in without facing additional consequences.

Penalties

When you do not file your LLC’s annual report or fail to submit it on time, you run the risk of losing your good standing status with the state. Banks may not allow you to open or maintain a business checking or savings account. You could also run into trouble when applying for credit on behalf of your business.

Here is what you must do to get your business back into good standing in Georgia once you have missed an annual report filing deadline:

Dissolution

Georgia has the legal right to dissolve your LLC if you do not file the annual report within 60 days of missing the deadline. This action effectively puts you out of business permanently.

Conclusion

While preparing and submitting a Georgia LLC annual report may seem cumbersome, the state requires it for legitimate reasons. The annual report helps maintain the accuracy of information about your LLC, including current contact information. Other common examples include changing the registered agent or adding or deleting an LLC member.

Your LLC’s annual report is also beneficial for members and managers to track internal progress. Seeing the growth and changes in print can be encouraging and provides motivation when the LLC is not moving in the direction you would like.