Do you need to file a California business statement of information in Santa Maria? Corporations, LLCs, and other small businesses in Santa Maria, CA are required to file a statement of information either annually or every other year.
What Is a California Statement of Information?
Corporations and limited liability companies are required to file statements of information to ensure that their business details are up to date with the California Secretary of State. These business filings replace the annual report.
Failing to file your statement of information on time can result in a $250 penalty for late filing. Your business organization can be dissolved at the state level if you do not file. When it only costs $25 (plus service fees) to complete a California statement of information filing online, it does not pay to ignore this requirement.
Are You Required to File a Statement of Information in Santa Maria?
Most businesses in Santa Maria will be required to file an annual or biennial statement of information. If you operate one of these business organizations, you will need to file:
- LLC (limited liability company)
- Corporation
- Nonprofit organization
- Agricultural cooperatives
- Registered foreign corporations doing business in the area
When Should You File Your California Statement of Information?
When you form your business organization, you have 90 days to file your initial Statement of Information. Once you file an initial statement:
- Corporations, registered foreign corporations, and agricultural cooperatives must file every year.
- LLCs and nonprofits must file every other year.
Your next statement of information is due one or two years after your initial filing. It will be due on the last day of the calendar month when you first registered your business with the state of California. You can file early, with a six-month filing window prior to the due date.
What Information Is Needed to File a Statement of Information Online?
If you gather your information ahead of time, the process of filing online will be faster. You can also fill out forms and mail them or drop them off in person at the Sacramento office of the Secretary of State, Statement of Information unit with the required filing fee.
When you file your LLC statement or prepare one for another business entity, you will be asked to update the leadership roster, business address, and mailing address. If nothing has changed since the last filing, this is very easy to complete online.
Be prepared with:
- The legal name of your business as noted on your initial filing
- The entity number issued to you by the Secretary of State
- The address of the principal executive offices
- Mailing address if different from the physical address
- Names and addresses for officers, directors, managers, and members
- A name and address for the designated agent for Service of Process
- For a corporate statement of information, the name and address of the CEO if any
- A statement about the type of business it is and the services it provides
- An authorized signature and date of signing
What Happens When a Business Does Not File a Statement of Information?
The state will send a reminder to your business at the address you last provided, usually about three months before your statement is due. However, it is the business owner’s responsibility to file on time to avoid late fees or possible dissolution of the business.
Once your filing date has passed, your business will be sent a delinquency letter. From the date of this notice, you have 60 days to file your statement of information or your business might be legally suspended. There is a late fee charged, although in some cases you may file a penalty waiver if a hardship prevented you from filing on time.
If your business is suspended or dissolved, you are no longer legally allowed to conduct business in California. Your business entity cannot defend itself in a lawsuit or take legal actions. Only the Franchise Tax Board can restore your business to good standing.
File Your Statement of Information in Santa Maria with FastFilings
One of the fastest and easiest ways to get your California Statement of Information filed on time is to use our FastFilings service. For a small filing fee, you can use a simple online form we provide to complete your filing in just a few minutes. Our service will check for errors and