Washington state corporate renewal
Washington state corporate renewal
Summary of key findings (concise):- Annual Reports: All domestic and foreign business entities must file an Annual Report yearly with the Washington Secretary of State to maintain active status and keep the UBI in good standing. The report is due by the last day of the month in which the business was originally formed or registered. (Can be filed up to 180 days before the expiration date.)- Filing window and timing: Annual Report may be filed within 180 days before the expiration date; filing early does not change the anniversary expiration month. Businesses remain obligated to file even if they do not receive a notice.- Fees (state filings): $70 filing fee for profit entities including corporations, LLCs, PLLCs, LPs, LLPs. Nonprofit corporations: $20 if under $500k gross revenue, $60 if $500k or more; domestic corporation sole and certain nonprofit types may have lower fees. Delinquency/additional fees: $25 delinquency fee assessed for late annual reports (for most entity types). Exact fees vary by entity type — consult filing pages.- Online filing: Use the Corporations and Charities Filing System (CCFS) at https://ccfs.sos.wa.gov/ to file Annual Reports, Initial Reports, Reinstatements and other maintenance filings; the site offers express filing options and account-based filing.- Reinstatement / Reactivation: If administratively dissolved, domestic entities may file Reinstatement (Reactivate Business) within 5 years of dissolution. Reinstatement fees include a $140 penalty fee plus filing fees for missed annual report years ($70 per missed profit-entity year). Foreign revocation/reactivation processes differ and some foreign nonprofit requalification may require mail.- Delinquent vs. dissolved timelines: Domestic businesses have 120 days from notice to submit a past-due annual report to return to active status; failure within four months leads to administrative dissolution. Foreign entities have 90 days from notice to return to active status before termination.- Business Licensing Service / Department of Revenue: Business license endorsements and state/city/county endorsements typically renew annually via the DOR/BLS. Renewals and endorsements must be kept current separately from the Secretary of State annual report; you will receive renewal notices and can manage renewals via MyDOR (secure site). Corporations/LLCs must still file SOS Annual Reports separately.- Practical guidance to include in content: step-by-step CCFS filing steps; a checklist of information to have ready (UBI, business name, principal office, registered agent, officers/members/managers, email addresses required for registered agent/principal office fields); calendar reminders; cost examples and how to avoid delinquency; how to reinstate and common pitfalls (name taken during dissolution, needing amendments, email requirements, expedited fees, processing guidelines); contacts and where to find forms and online instructions.
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