Forming an LLC is generally a good idea if you’re starting a business. If your business is based in Montana, then you have to file your LLC with the Montana state government. That way, you’re legal to operate and you avoid unnecessary fines and penalties.
However, if it’s your first time to form an LLC, then you need to know that it will involve quite a bit of paperwork. And that paperwork doesn’t end once you’ve formally established your LLC. To maintain the good standing of your Limited Liability Corporation, you have to periodically send in more paperwork.
These paper works include filing your LLC Annual Reports. Montana law requires all LLCs based in Montana to file an Annual Report with the Secretary of the State of Montana.
What is an LLC Annual Report?
An LLC Annual Report is a report you file every year, and it’s meant to furnish the state government with the crucial details regarding your LLC. This report should include any updated info or changes that may have happened since the last filing period. As the annual report contains crucial data, it’s also sometimes referred to as a statement of information.
Every LLC in most states has to submit its annual reports. The required information may change a bit depending on the state, but usually, the report will contain the following information:
The name of the LLC
- The main business address of the LLC
- The names of each LLC member (owner), and their addresses
- All the crucial ID numbers for the LLC, such as the state entity number
- The main purpose of the LLC
- A list of authorized signatories
- Information regarding your registered agent
Online Only
In the State of Montana, there’s no option to do this by snail mail or in person, as the State has stopped these non-electronic filings since 2017, also these options take more time and effort anyway. The annual reports have to be filed online.
The good news is that you don’t have much to pay, as the cost of the Annual Report in the State of Montana is 20USD only. However, it may cost more if you fail to file the report on time, as it may result in a penalty fee of 15 USD and also the dissolution of your LLC. You’ll then have to spend money, time, and effort to reestablish the LLC.
Filing the Annual Report helps to make sure that your LLC is compliant with all state regulations. That should keep your LLC in good standing with the Montana state government, ensuring that your business enjoys all the LLC benefits and protections.
Deadlines
If you’re a member (owner) of a Montana LLC, you have to ensure that you send in these Annual Reports on time. You can file your Annual Report starting from January 1 of the year. The absolute deadline is by April 15 of the year.
Your LLC’s first Annual Report is required for the year right after the LLC’s year of formation. For example, let’s assume your LLC was formed on January 27, 2021. Your first Annual Report will be due by April 15, 2022.
To keep you from forgetting, the state helpfully sends out email reminders every 2 weeks from the month of January to your due date (15th of April) until your LLC annual report is filed. These email reminders will be sent to the email address you listed on your application when you filed the Certificate of Formation.
Required Steps
It’s easy since you only have to go online. Here are the detailed steps you need to take to file your Montana LLC Annual report:
- Log in to the ePass system of the State and close the tab.
- Then, go to the Business Services webpage of the State of Montana, and then click on the File an Annual Report option.
- In the search box, enter the Business ID of your LLC or the name of your LLC to find it. If you don’t know your LLC Business ID, find it on your stamped Certificate of Formation.
- Choose the name of your LLC from the list and select the file my annual report option.
- Make all the necessary changes to your details as required. You’ll need to select if your LLC is Manager-managed (“Managers”) or Member-managed (“Members”).
- Choose the submit button after you have made and review all the changes.
- You’ll be required to make a payment of the 20 USD filing fee that the State Charges.
- You’ll have to input your name in the signature box and click on submit
- The next page will confirm that you’ve submitted your Annual Report for Filing and have made the payment.
You can download the receipt of the payment and keep it for record purposes.
Again, just make sure you do all this on or before April 15. Your annual report will be processed immediately after submission.
Who Should Do This Task?
Basically, the right person to do the task is the person with access to the necessary information that must be included in the Annual Report. This can be a member or LLC officer. It can be someone that the LLC authorizes to file on its behalf.
Professional Assistance
It’s very possible that you can foist this task to professionals, such as the online service provider that helped you with the LLC formation procedure and provided you with its registered agent services. This may be part of a package (usually the medium or premium package), though it may be available as an extra service for a fee with the basic formation package.
This does save you a lot of time and tedium. Plus, you can concentrate on your business while the service deals with all the necessary report filing.
In addition, the service provider can maintain your privacy, as it will take care to submit only the absolutely required information. The privacy benefits may include the following:
- The service provider can list their contact information, so that you won’t have to file your residential address and personal smartphone number.
- The service provider will also list only their IP address. This limits the connection between your smartphone, personal PC, and LLC work computers. That way, advertisers can’t track you online.
- In case that the report asks for bank and credit card information (when the filing suddenly comes with a fee), then the service providers also furnish their own bank and credit card information. You still protect your own bank and credit card info.
An online service provider charges much more reasonable rates, compared to what a lawyer might charge. A reputable service provider can also file the Annual Report as soon as possible, so you can be sure that it won’t be late and your LLC won’t suffer any fines and penalties (such as dissolution). You can check our top brands such as ZenBusiness or Northwest Registered Agent.
There’s no uniform fee as to what a service provider will charge for filing the Montana LLC Annual Report. The best brands in the business usually charge $100 or so.
Conclusion
If you’re the sole owner of the LLC and you have the time to spare, then it’s really no trouble doing this yourself. The main risk is that you may make a mistake, by entering the wrong information or by pressing the wrong keys. A professional with extensive experience with this task will be very unlikely to make those mistakes.
Still, it’s all up to you. Just make sure you get the Annual Report filing done for the year!
