Every 2 years, LLC company owners are required by the California State law to file for their LLC Statement of Information.
In this case, filing an LLC Statement of Information is essential for compliance and maintaining a good record with the government. Likewise, another reason for this is to avoid the dissolution of your LLC company.
With that said, this article will guide you through the steps of filing your Statement of Information in California.
When to File Your LLC’s Statement of Information?
The Statement of Information should be filed every other year from the time you form your LLC. The Statement of Information must be submitted by the end of the month your LLC was formed every 2 years. To avoid forgetting your Statement of Information filing, you must always include it on your calendar of activities.
For example, you can create a reminder on your phone or calendar to help you remember around one to two months before the due date to avoid missing the filing because the state does not send reminders concerning the Statement of information to LLCs.
Also, you’re required to submit your first Statement of information within the first 90 days of starting your LLC. And the subsequent fillings should then be biennial.
For example, suppose your company was established and certified on September 9, 2020. In that case, your LLC Statement of Information is considered due on September 30, 2022.
Similarly, if you want to double-check the date when the state approved your LLC, it’s best to check your LLC’s Certificate of Formation.
What Are the Requirements You Need to Prepare?
Before you file, make sure that you have these documents or information prepared. Preparing these documents beforehand can help prevent any delays during the process.
- State-issued LLC entity number
- Date of organization
- California Business EIN (entity identification number)
- Other important details about your company as found in the form, such:
- Your registered agent
- Its registered office address
- Officers/directors or partners updated contact information
- Insurance policy information including your proof of insurance, the insurance company’s name, the insurer’s name, and the policy date.
- Your signature and title if you are the one filing the report.
- 20 USD filing fee.
What Will Happen If I Don’t File My Company’s LLC Statement of Information?
Not filing your company’s LLC Statement of Information in California will result in loss of good standing in the State and the administrative dissolution of your company by the State of California.
However, you’ll be given a grace of 60days from the date you receive a notification about your failure to submit the Statement of Information after the 60 days, you’ll be penalized with a fee of $250 for late submission before your LLC is dissolved if you keep ignoring the notifications.
Where to File the LLC Statement of Information?
Fortunately, filing your company’s LLC Statement of Information is now easier. You can file your LLC Statement of Information online with the California Secretary of State Online filing webpage. The state also allows for the submission of hardcopy through the mail and in person. For this, you will download Form LLC-12, complete it, and then attach a check that is payable to the California Secretary of State, and then the form and check would be mailed to the address:
Secretary of State
Statement of Information Unit
P.O. Box 944230
Sacramento, CA 94244-2300.
Also, you can drop off the completed Form LLC-12 and payment check by yourself to the address:
1500 11th Street,
Sacramento, CA 95814
How to File Your LLC Statement of Information: A Step-by-Step Guide
To help you file your company’s LLC Statement of Information online, this article has outlined the steps of the process. Check them out below.
Step 1: Go to the California Secretary of State BiZFile webpage
Step 2: Choose the LLC statement of information option.
Step 3: Search for your LLC with your name or EIN.
Step 4: Choose your LLC name and then click on continue filing
Step 5: Read and note the privacy policy and accept. Also Review your previous entries if you don’t have changes to make, click on “no changes” and submit your LLC statement of information.
You can also take the help of professional services such as ZenBusiness or Legalzoom to help you as your registered agent
Step 6: Once you’re done, you need to enter your billing information, phone number, email address and then click “Continue” to make the payment of $20 only.
Your Statement of Information will be submitted after you have successfully made the payment and you will see a message congratulating you.
What Is the Difference Between an LLC Statement of Information and LLC Partner Tax?
Most company owners mistake LLC Statement of Information and LLC Partner Tax as being the same. Due to this misconception, they either miss filing one or the other. If you have multi-member LLCs, which means you have two or more owners, you must file for LLC Partner Tax.
Other Transactions You Can Do Under the Statement of Informations and Change Services
Aside from filing your company’s LLC Statement of Information, here are the other business documents that can be generated through the Statement of Informations and Change Services:
- Changing of registered agent/office
- Reinstating a business entity
- Closing a business
There are two possible reasons you might want to change your LLC’s assigned registered agent. First, you are dissatisfied with your existing agent and would like to change services. Second, you are your own agent and would like to get the services of a registered agent.
Regardless of the reason, you’ll need a registered agent for your company. This is because an LLC licensed agent plays a vital role in every company. In this case, your registered agent is the official representative of your company.
For example, suppose the state needs to contact your company for some legal matters. In that case, there should be an authorized representative where they can send legal documents.
- Reinstating a business entity
One reason for filing a reinstatement is that your LLC faced dissolution due to non-filing of the Statement of Information or paying taxes.
Of course, aside from these, some of the other tasks you can perform in the Statement of Informations and Change Services:
- File an amendment
- Business name search
- Change tax/Employer registration record
Conclusion
Finally, you now know how to file your company’s LLC Statement of Information in California. Making sure you comply with this requirement is essential to avoid penalties or the dissolution of your company.
In this case, to avoid forgetting your Statement of Information, it’s best to organize your calendar. In fact, it’s recommended to set a reminder two months before your date of filing.
After all, as a business owner, it’s your responsibility to abide by the government’s ordinance to avoid penalties for your company.