Video

Many thanks for your kind comments. We are pleased you found the video tutorial helpful despite its being somewhat outdated. You may be interested to know that we are in the final stages of updating and modernizing our website, which will include updating our video tutorials. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: • A checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); • Information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); • A free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/email_notification_subscriptions); and, • A searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful. If you have further questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or email your questions to corpinfo@sosnc.gov. We send our best wishes to you for success with your business! Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

Thanks you for your question. Please see the information on our website at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/closing_nc_business. You may file Form L-07 ($30.00) either electronically (recommended) or by mail. To file electronically, simply search your company at www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Business_Registration, then click the document icon that has a "+" symbol on it and log into your account. In the "Filing Type search box, choose "Withdrawal/Dissolution" and follow the prompts. If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Best wishes.

Thanks you for your question. Please see the information on our website at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/closing_nc_business. You may file Form L-07 ($30.00) either electronically (recommended) or by mail. To file electronically, simply search your company at www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Business_Registration, then click the document icon that has a "+" symbol on it and log into your account. In the "Filing Type search box, choose "Withdrawal/Dissolution" and follow the prompts. If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Best wishes.

Congratulations! You may be interested in joining our NC Notary Network Facebook group. It's a good way to stay up to date and ask questions of other NC notaries. See facebook.com/groups/1618086201666637/. We also publish a Notary e-newsletter. Our archives can be found at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/notary/newsletter_archive. To subscribe, email us at notarynews@sosnc.gov. Best wishes!

Thank you for your comments. We are pleased you found our tutorial helpful. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1. A checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2. Information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3. A free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, 4. A searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful, and we send our best wishes to you for success with your business! If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

Thank you for asking why the cost of an annual report for a business corporation is $25 and that for a limited liability company, or LLC, is $200. This is a frequent question. The short answer is that the General Assembly set the fee schedule years ago, and we at the Secretary of State's Office have no control over the fees. All these fees go back to the General Assembly into the General Fund for use as the legislature directs. The Secretary of State has no control over how these fees are used. If you have questions or concerns about the fees or requirements, we encourage you to make them known to your NC House and Senate members.

We apologize for your frustrations. Yes, our videos are slightly dated. We are working to update them. In the meantime, go to www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/annual_report and click the yellow "File Business Annual Report HERE!" button. Enter your company's name in the search box and click "Search." If your company is required to file an annual report, there will be a yellow "Annual Report" button. Click it and follow the prompts. If you have further problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration at (919) 814-5400, Option 1, or email your questions to arinfo@sosnc.gov. If emailing, please be sure to include your name, your company's name and your daytime telephone number. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1) a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2) information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3) a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/email_notification_subscriptions); and, 4) a searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful and send our best wishes to you for success with your business! Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

Thank you for your question. While state law requires all LLCs to file their annual reports beginning April 15th of the year FOLLOWNG their creation (and every year thereafter) irrespective of whether they transact business, there is no formal provision for an extension. However, there is no late fee either if an LLC doesn't file by the 15th. The annual report is considered delinquent 30 days after the due date. We can't send any Notice of Grounds of Administrative Dissolution prior to that date and we won't be filing them all at the same time. Those notices will all go out through late spring, summer and fall. We will not be able to tell you when your Notice of Grounds will go out, but you will have 60 days in which to file the annual report once you do receive your Notice or the company will be administratively dissolved. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1) a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2) information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3) a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, 4) a searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of this information helpful, and we send our best wishes to you for success with your business! If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

my accountant said to stay as a DBA until you're really making significant income and PROFIT.

Same I just started my LLC with tailor brands it sucked having to pay $400 and not even starting my business yet or making products !!

By the way, the online submission process for dissolving an LCC in North Carolina is terrible. Finding where to submit the document isn't intuitive and the PDF they supply contains editable text boxes for everything except signature. If your Articles of Dissolution get rejected for any reason (as mine did), you're instructed NOT to resubmit the document online, but send them "manually" instead. This is maddening!!

​@@kulvero85321Yeap that's NC for you.

Dear Ms. Farber, Thank you for your note. If you search your company’s name on our website at www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Business_Registration, click the yellow “Annual Report” button next to the entity's name. You will then get a listing of all the annual reports and the creation filing for the company. The first four numbers in the document ID indicate the year filed. You can also click the PDF of each filing to see the dates of each document. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1) a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2) information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3) a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, 4) a searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful, and we send our best wishes to you for success with your business! If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

If you wish to file Articles of Dissolution, you may do so by first searching your company at www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Business_Registration. Click the "Upload a PDF filing" icon (document with a + symbol). Log into your account. Choose "Dissolution/Withdrawal" in the "Filing Type" search box, and follow the prompts from there. If you have any problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or email the Division at corpinfo@sosnc.gov.

I use capital one business card for the fee is that good ?

What is insane about NC is this is "supposed" to be a red state yet they tax and fee you to death at some of the highest rates in the country. Not to mention the emissions and registration scam. $200 yearly is extremely too expensive especially for a small business. May as well remain a Sole Proprietorship.

@@PurpleMusicProductions We've had a lot of democrats in office for a long time.

@@FordAccord Ahh that is very true, I somewhat forgot about that and absolutely democrats destroy everything they touch. High taxes, high crime, decimated family structures and poor educational performances, however I need Republicans to find their spine and reverse those bad policies.

I’d love to know this answer also.

I would say call them to verify. I created in 2022 as well and filed an annual report last year, 2023 and have to do one this year as well.

If your LLC was created in 2023, your report would be for 2024.

Thank you for your question. The first annual report for an LLC is due on April 15th of the year following the creation year and every year thereafter on or before April 15th. So, if your LLC was created on or after January 1, 2024, your first annual report is not due until April 15, 2025. See the information on our website at www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1. A checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2. Information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3. A free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, 4. A searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful, and we send our best wishes to you for success with your business! If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

@@NCSecState Thank you.

Thank you for your question. The General Fund is the fund that the General Assembly manages. Those elected state officials (Senate and House members) make the laws, set the fees and taxes, and decide how the money is spent. The Secretary of State is responsible for implementing the laws that the General Assembly adopts. In this case, the General Assembly sets the fees for annual reports, and also directs that all the fees collected go to the General Fund. The Secretary of State keeps none of that money. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall is very interested in helping businesses just starting out, and without any support from the General Assembly has been putting together a comprehensive list of free and reduced fee resources that are available to help new businesses succeed. These resources include courses, grant funding, and low interest lenders. Right now Secretary Marshall has created a list for 78 counties, and that list is searchable by county. She intends to have completed the list for all 100 counties by the end of this year. Click on www.sosnc.gov/rise to see if the list for your county has been created and, if so, what resources might be helpful to you. Any changes to the amounts collected and how they are spent must come from the General Assembly. You may wish to share your views with your elected NC House and Senate members. The Office of State Controller publishes monthly General Fund reports on their website at www.osc.nc.gov/public-information/reports/general-fund-monthly-reports. Because you are interested, the precise definition of the General Fund is as follows: “The general fund is made up of tax revenues (non-transportation) such as individual income tax, sales tax, corporate tax, franchise tax, insurance premium tax and a number of smaller tax revenue sources. In addition, the general fund includes non-tax revenues such as income from the Treasurer’s investments, fees received from the court system, miscellaneous fees charged for state services, and Medicaid disproportionate share receipts.” (See www.osbm.nc.gov/budget/budget-manual/budget-glossary). We hope this information is helpful to you.

Great! We are pleased you found the tutorial helpful. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1) a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2) information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3) a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, 4) a searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful, and we send our best wishes to you for success with your business! If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

Dear Mr. Winn, Thank you for your query. If you no longer wish to operate as an LLC, the correct method for doing this is to file Articles of Dissolution (Form L-07) with our office. See the information on our website at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/closing_nc_business. There is a $30.00 application fee plus $3.00 electronic filing fee if you wish to file electronically. If you then wish to operate as a sole proprietor, you would need to contact your county's Register of Deeds Office and file an assumed business name certificate. For more information on this process, please visit the website of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina at edpnc.com/start-or-grow-a-business/start-a-business/. We hope this information is helpful to you. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

Thank you for your question. North Carolina law requires certain business entities (including business corporations and limited liability companies) to file annual reports in order to operate lawfully in North Carolina, regardless of whether they transact any business. The General Assembly sets the Annual Report fees and requirements, and all the collected fees go to the General Fund that the General Assembly manages. The annual report does not require disclosure of any financial information about the company. It simply is an important declaration that the business is continuing to operate, thereby ensuring that banks, businesses and others have accurate contact information for that business. It also allows the business owner to keep the name of the business. Without the Annual Report requirement, the business registry and contact information very quickly would become stale and of little value -- like trying to use a phone book published in 1990. The Secretary of State works very hard to make sure that this registry is the very best of its kind in the nation - accurate, timely and available to all. Other states (like Delaware) charge the public for access to the information North Carolina's Secretary of State provides for free. As long as the business owner files an annual report (or amends one that was filed earlier in the year), and provides accurate contact information for company officials and registered agent, then the business may remain in good standing. If a business fails to file its annual report, and the business owner does not dissolve the company voluntarily, the Department is required by law to dissolve the company administratively. However, this is not an immediate process and the Department provides business owners ample opportunity to stop this process. We hope this information is helpful to you. If you have any further problems or questions about your annual report, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or email your questions to arinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

Theft@@NCSecState

@@NCSecState operate lawfully in North Carolina, regardless of whether they transact any business. That doesn't make any sense. Without transactions, there is no operation.

We will need to query our IT folks. Please email us your name, company name and daytime telephone number to socialmedia@sosnc.gov. We'll be happy to look into this for you.

Did you complete the payment process or did you stop at that point because you couldn't see the image?

@@NCSecState i stopped at that point because on the videos it showed the actual report paper and I didn’t have that section so I haven’t made the payment

@@ashleygarcia7866 Our IT folks have not been able to replicate your problem. Is it possible for you to try filing from a laptop or computer? If you run into any problems, please take a screenshot and email it to us at socialmedia@sosnc.gov. We will then pass it along to our IT folks. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Not a stupid question at all! An LLC’s first annual report is due on April 15th of the year following the creation year and every year thereafter on or before April 15th. So, assuming your LLC was created on or before December 31, 2023, your 2024 annual report is due on or before April 15, 2024. If your LLC was created on or after January 1, 2024, the first annual report is due on or before April 15, 2025. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1) a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2) information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3) a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, 4) a searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful. If you have further questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or email your questions to corpinfo@sosnc.gov. We send our best wishes to you for success with your business! Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

@@NCSecState In the video at min 7:41 it shows the report is for the Calendar Year 2017, and at min 7:45 the date file is 1/10/2018. This contradict what the video says in min 2:45 (she said she chose report year 2017 since the LLC was formed in 2016). The date file in the report in min 7:45 should be 1/10/2017 (not 2018), right?

@@alsouid8350 An LLC's annual report is due by April 15th of the year FOLLOWING its creation for the current year and every year thereafter. In the example in our video, the LLC was formed in 2016, so the 2017 report was due by April 15, 2017. The 2018 report was due by April 15, 2018, and so on. If your company was formed last year (2023), your 2024 annual report is due today. If, however, your company was created in 2022, and you forgot to file your 2023 report by April 15, 2023, it is still due by today. You would simply file another annual report, but this time it would be dated 2023. We hope this clears up your confusion. If you have further questions about your annual report, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at arinfo@sosnc.gov.

@@NCSecState my question was never answered. In the video and given example, why at min 7:45 the date file was 1/10/2018 and not 1/10/2017 for this example of 2017 report creation?

@@alsouid8350 You are viewing the video czcams.com/video/_A0OEWIN1gw/video.htmlsi=LmoY9ZcUsVVinTVy., which provides instructions on how to file an LLC annual report online. The 2:45 minute location is providing instruction on which calendar year is being filed for. LLC’s are required to file an annual report on or before April 15th of each calendar year following the year of creation. The example in the video is a company which created of record on September 20, 2016, which is indicated at location 1:44 of the video which lists the only document filed is the creation document. This indicates that the first annual report will be for calendar year 2017. The 7:41 minute location is an image of the document to be filed. It also indicates the calendar year for this filing is 2017. The 7:45 minute location is also an image of the document to be filed, but with a view of the signature section and the date filed. The date this document was submitted and filed online was 1/10/2018. This date has nothing to do with the calendar year of the document. If you have any additional questions, please call our customer service unit at 919-814-5400 ext. 3 for Business Registration.

Please email us at socialmedia@sosnc.gov with the name of your entity, your name, and daytime telephone number and we will pass this information along to our Business Registration Division for review and response. We will be glad to be of assistance.

The first annual report is due on April 15th of the year following the creation year and every year thereafter on or before April 15th. The annual report may either be filed electronically 24/7 in real-time or a pre-populated annual report may be downloaded online and mailed to the NC Secretary of State’s Office. The address to mail the annual report is listed on the footer of the report. The annual report fee for a limited liability company is $200.00. If filed electronically, there is a $3.00 transaction fee. As a reminder, we have lots of information on our website designed to help you succeed, including: 1) a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); 2) information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); 3) a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, 4) a searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful, and we send our best wishes to you for success with your business! If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov.

Thank you for your kind comments. We are pleased you found our tutorial helpful. In case you are interested, we have lots of information on our website designed to help small businesses succeed, including: • a checklist for new businesses (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/new_business_checklist); • information about maintaining your registration (www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business/maintaining_registration); • a free subscription service to help you protect against having your business identity stolen from you (www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/online_business_services#Monitor); and, • a searchable database of local resource providers, including lenders, mentors, business counselors, and more (sosnc.gov/RISE). And even better, many of these resources are free! We hope you will find all of these resources helpful, and we send our best wishes to you for success with your business! If you have problems or questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

Yes. Annual reports for LLCs are due by April 15th of each year after the year of creation. You created your company in 2023, so your first annual report is due by April 15, 2024. See the information on our website at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/annual_report_due_dates. The Annual Report is an important statement that declares the business is continuing to operate and that makes sure banks, businesses and others have accurate contact information about North Carolina businesses. Without the Annual Report requirement, the business registry and contact information very quickly would become stale and of little value. It is important to remember: Showing business activity is not required for a business to remain in good standing. As long as the business owner files an annual report (or amends one that was filed earlier in the year), and provides accurate contact information for company officials and registered agent, then it may remain in good standing. The annual report does not require disclosure of any financial information about the company. We hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions about annual reporting requirements, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at arinfo@sosnc.gov.

@@NCSecState what if my mc inactive and want to dissolve LLC ? Do I still need to do annual report?

No, North Carolina law requires you to have a registered agent. Under North Carolina law, the address for a business's registered agent must be an actual street address, not a post office box or a shipping store box address. This is necessary so that service of process or some other demand notice upon the company can be executed. It is a suggestion that people not use their home address because this information is a public record. Some people do not wish to list their home address for that reason. If this is a concern for you, there are companies, including virtual ones, you may contract with to act as your registered agent.

While we understand the hesitancy that some may have about online filing, we strongly encourage it in this case because it is quicker and easier, and it minimizes delays caused by human error. The report is considered filed when submitted, and the business owner gets immediate confirmation that it has been filed. Furthermore, our online registry is immediately updated so anyone checking it will see that the business is in current-active status. By contrast, it is taking between 14-21 business days from date of receipt for us to process paper reports. This processing lag time is only likely to get longer as we are entering our busiest time of the year. However, if you are comfortable with these delays and still wish to file a report by paper, the instructions for doing so can be found on our website at www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/filing_a_paper_annual_report. We accept personal or business checks as well as money orders. Please make it payable to NC Department of Secretary of State. We hope this information is helpful to you. If you have questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or via email at arinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State

Although we are working to update our online services so that we may accept online filings like this, right now we are requiring businesses to file form L-01A, Articles of Organization, LLC (Conversion of Business Entity) ($125.00) by mail. We are currently working on a 4-5 business day turn-around time from the day an examiner receives the document. Please note that Question #1 refers to the resulting NC entity that is being formed pursuant to the conversion, so you should answer "No" to that question. Also, if your LLC currently has a Certificate of Authority in NC, you must file form L-14, Application for Certificate of Withdrawal ($10.00) to withdraw the foreign entity first. Based on the way you phrased your question, this may not apply to your situation. But we wanted to point this out in case it does. Our forms can be found at www.sosnc.gov/forms/by_title/_Business_Registration_Business_Entities_Common. Just select "Limited Liability Companies" in the righthand search box. The forms are displayed in numeric order. If you have any questions, you may contact our Business Registration Division at (919) 814-5400, Option 3, or email your questions to corpinfo@sosnc.gov. Sincerely, NC Department of the Secretary of State