Running a San Jose small business makes you part of the historic and diverse marketplace in the Capital of Silicon Valley. Keeping your business organization in good standing with the State of California protects your personal investment and business reputation in Fin City. All California corporations and LLCs need to file a Statement of Information form annually or biannually.
What Is the California Statement of Information?
Every business in California must submit accurate and up to date information to the Secretary of State. This starts with your initial statement of information, which is filed to register your business with the state. After that, your statement of information filing in California serves as your small business annual report.
You will file your statement of information every year (annually) if your business is a:
- Corporation
- Foreign corporation
- Credit union
- Agricultural cooperative
Your statement of information filing will be every other year (bi-annually) if your business is a:
- Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- Domestic nonprofit corporation
After forming your San Jose company, you have 90 days to file your initial statement. Going forward, your annual or bi-annual statement of information due date will always be in the same month that you filed your initial report.Â
How to File a Statement of Information in San Jose
You can complete your California Statement of Information filing online or by mail. There are several acceptable ways to complete the forms and satisfy state requirements for your San Jose small business:
- Complete the process online through the California Secretary of State website, Business Programs Division.
- Use the eForms service to upload PDF images of your completed forms to the Portal.
- Mail or hand deliver your completed forms to the Sacrament Business Entities Office.
- Complete the forms through a state-approved service provider to streamline the process.
No matter which method you use, you will pay a filing fee with your submission, any fees from your filing service, and any late fees you may owe if you fail to file on time. Online statement of information filings are generally processed faster than mail or drop-off forms, so if your due date is approaching, consider a fast online option.
What Information Will You Need to File?
To complete a Statement of Information filing in California, you will need this information about your San Jose business:
- The name of your corporation or LLC and its California State file number
- The physical address of your business office and mailing address if different
- An email address if you wish to receive electronic renewal notices
- A description of the type of business you operate in California
Corporation statements of information must also include:
- Contact information for all current directors
- List of any vacant positions on the board of directors
- Contact information for the corporation officers
LLC statements of information will instead include:
- The name and address of the Registered Agent
- Contact information for the manager or for all members
Did You Miss the Deadline?
If you miss your California statement of information filing date, you will be charged a late fee and have 60 days to file after a delinquency letter is sent to you. If you do not file after 60 days, your business could be legally dissolved.Â
You may be able to have the late statement of information fee waived by providing a valid reason for missing your deadline to file. If you have received a delinquency notice or your deadline is approaching, you should consider using a secure online filing service to avoid the legal consequences of operating an unlicensed business.
File Your San Jose Statement of Information Today
You can file your required forms up to five months early, so there is no reason to wait until the last minute to complete your business filings. For a small fee, you can use FastFilings to complete your part of the process in just a few minutes, and then enjoy the peace of mind knowing you are covered for another year or two.
California allows you to use FastFilings to finish the process and take care of your obligations without navigating the eForms site or the Secretary of State Portal. We’ve helped thousands of California businesses with their small business filings and can streamline the process for your San Jose startup or burgeoning business.