Florida Registered Agent
Florida Annual Reports and Taxes
Once you’ve formed a Florida LLC, corporation, nonprofit, limited partnership (LP), or limited liability partnership (LLP), your business is required to file a Florida Annual Report every year with the Florida Secretary of State, Division of Corporations.
But what does that mean for you as a Florida business owner? We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Florida Annual Reports below, including key information you’ll need to provide, when to file your annual report, and associated filing fees. We’ll also recap key facts about Florida taxes to give you an overall sense of how low the cost is to start an LLC in Florida.
Just getting started with your business? Hire us to form your business today and we can make filing your Florida Annual Report fast, accurate, and simple.
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What is a Florida Annual Report?
The Florida Annual Report updates (or simply confirms) the information the Florida Division of Corporations has on file for your business. Note that all business entities are required by law to file an Annual Report with the Division of Corporations.
What you’ll need to provide on your Florida Annual Report:
- Document Number. The Department of State assigns a unique 12-digit identification number—your company’s “document number”—associated with each unique business entity or registration. If you forgot the document number to submit your Sunbiz annual report, you can find that number by searching the Florida Sunbiz business database.
- Entity Name. The legal name of your business as listed with the Florida Secretary of State. Your company’s name is grouped with your document number and the status of your business in the Department of State’s records.
- Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN). Your business’s 9-digit FEIN. If you’ve lost or misplaced your FEIN, you can find it through the IRS website. Likewise, if you’ve never obtained an FEIN, it’s a wise move to obtain one for your business as soon as possible.
- Registered agent information. This includes the name, address, and signature of your registered agent.
- Business and mailing address. You’ll need to list your principal place of business address and mailing address.
- Principals (i.e., officers, directors). This varies according to entity type. That said, you’d basically list names and addresses of key individuals associated with your business entity. For example, if you’re filing a Florida LLC Annual Report and your company is member-managed, you’d list the name and business address of at least one of the members (owners) of the LLC.
- Name, title, address, and signature of the person filing. For instance, if you are filing for yourself, your information would go here (and become part of the public record). Or you could hire a registered agent service like ours to sign off and preserve your privacy.
Looking for a registered agent? Learn about the perks of hiring Florida Registered Agent LLC.
Florida Annual Report Facts
We’ll cover other common questions about Florida Annual Reports below, but here is a handy rundown of key Florida Annual Report facts before you dig into the weeds:
|
Florida Annual Report Facts |
|
|---|---|
| LLC Fee | $138.75 |
| Corporation Fee | $150 |
| Due Date | May 1 |
| Where to File | Online |
| Late Fee (filing after May 1) | $400 |
When is The Florida Annual Report Due?
The due date for submitting your Florida Annual Report is between January 1st and May 1st. That means that every year, your window for submitting your annual report opens on January 1st and closes at 11:59 on May 1st of each year.
Florida’s Division of Corporations requires every business operating within the state to file a Florida Annual report. That’s why we made it a priority to ensure that our clients’ online accounts include annual report reminders.
Ensure that your business remains compliant—order our registered agent service and get annual report reminders, free use of our business address, and free mail forwarding!
How Much Does the Florida Annual Report Cost?
The cost of filing a Florida Annual Report depends on the business entity. Here’s a rundown of the filing fees for the Florida Annual Report.
|
Business Entity Type |
Annual Report Filing Fee |
|
Corporations (foreign and domestic) |
$150 |
|
LLCs (foreign and domestic) |
$138.75 |
|
Nonprofits, cooperatives, and religious organizations |
$61.25 |
|
LPs and LLPs |
$500 |
All business entities share the same due date (May 1st). Filings can be submitted online and are subject to a $400 penalty for late submissions. So if you submit your Florida Corporation Annual Report on the May 2nd, you’ll pay an additional $400 on top of your $150 filing fee (for a grand total of $550).
How to File Your Florida Annual Report
Filing your Florida Annual Report takes only a few simple steps:
- Complete your report online through the Florida Annual Report-Sunbiz portal
- Submit your report by May 1st, 11:59 PM
- Pay the filing fee (online or by mail)
Keep in mind that Florida Annual Reports can only be filed online. You can, however, pay filing fees either online or by mail via check or money order.
One major perk of hiring Florida Registered Agent LLC is that you can use our Florida business address on your annual report, which will keep your address off of the public record. You can use our business address for your principal office address and business mailing address.
The Division of Corporations no longer accepts paper-filed Annual Reports. The only way to file is through the DOC website. Florida Annual Report reminders are sent to business entities 60 days before the renewal date.
When you file your Florida Annual Report, you can make changes to the information filed with the Division of Corporations, such as changing your registered agent. If you haven’t looked into hiring a registered agent service before, check out our comprehensive, low-cost Florida registered agent service!
What About Florida Taxes?
All entities are required by law to pay any potential Florida taxes. No surprises there. The good news? Florida is among the most tax-friendly states in the nation, especially for business owners. Florida LLCs enjoy two key benefits:
- Florida LLCs, like any other LLC, are taxed by default as pass-through entities. That means the tax burden “passes through” the LLC, and each LLC member is accountable only for their individual tax return.
- Florida does not impose a state income tax. So when your taxes pass-through your LLC, you will not have to worry about an additional state income tax on your individual tax return.
Florida corporations do typically face a higher tax burden than Florida LLCs, which is typically the case with corporations vs. limited liability companies. But the Florida corporate tax rate is lower than the national average, and for some business owners, the legal precedent of a corporation along with superior investment and benefit opportunities make up for the cost of a corporate tax.
Florida Tax Facts
Here’s a quick rundown of facts about Florida taxes, including how they can benefit Florida LLCs and Florida corporations:
|
Florida Tax Facts |
|
|---|---|
| Corporate Tax Rate | 5.5% |
| Corporate Tax Return For | Form F-1120 |
| Individual Income Tax | None |
| State Sales Tax | 6% |
| Local Sales Tax | 1.01$ (vg) |
* Learn more about Florida taxes below in our frequently asked questions section.
Please note that we are not Florida tax experts, and the information on this page should not be considered the opinion of a Florida tax accountant. Nor should it be considered tax advice in any way. Failure to pay your Florida tax will result in fines and penalties.
Florida Annual Report FAQs
Are annual reports required in Florida?
＋Yes, an annual report must be filed each year for your business entity to maintain an “active status” with the Florida Secretary of State, Division of Corporations. Even if you have no amendments or changes to make, it is still required to submit your annual report.
How much is a Florida LLC annual report?
＋A Florida LLC Annual Report typically costs $138.75. If your annual report is received by the Florida Department of State Division of Corporations after May 1st, then you will be assessed a $400 late fee, bringing your total filing fee to $538.75.
For more details, the State of Florida Division of Corporations provides a complete list of Florida LLC Annual Report fees.
What are my payment options to file a Florida Annual Report?
＋You can pay your Florida Annual Report Filing fee either online or by check/money order.
Online Payment Options:
- Credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover)
- Debit card (Visa or MasterCard logo)
- Prepaid Sunbiz E-File Account
By Mail:
- You can send a check or money order payable to the Florida Department of State.
- Your check must be payable in US currency drawn from a US bank.
- Your payment must be submitted with the required payment voucher provided when you select the “Pay by Check” option through your Sunbiz account.
If you choose to send your payment as a check/money order via mail or courier, then keep in mind that your payment voucher and check/money order must be postmarked and mailed on or before May 1st. Otherwise, you may be assessed a $400 late fee.
What happens if I don’t file my Florida Annual Report?
＋If you do not file your Florida Annual Report, then you risk having your business entity administratively dissolved or revoked.
While your annual report is due on the first of May, you have until the third Friday of September to submit your annual report (along with the $400 late fee). Otherwise, by the close of business on the fourth Friday of September, your business entity will be dissolved or revoked. At that point, you do have the option to reinstate, but you’ll need to submit a reinstatement application and pay all the associated fees.
Want to avoid late fees? When you hire us to form your Florida business, you get compliance reminders (including annual reports) through your client account.
Can I make changes when I file my Florida Annual Report?
＋Yes, you can! When you file your Florida Annual Report, you can do any of the following:
- Add, delete, or change the names and/or addresses principals (e.g., officers, managers, and other authorized members)
- Change the information for your registered agent and their office (if you’re changing registered agents)
- Change the principal office address and/or mailing address for your business entity
- Add (or change) your company’s FEIN
Of course, you are not required to change anything at all, but if you need to amend any of the above, you can do so when submitting your annual report.
What are the tax advantages of an LLC in Florida?
＋The tax advantages of an LLC in Florida are two-fold: (1) LLCs avoid double-taxation, and (2) the state of Florida does not have a state income tax.
Since a Florida LLC is typically taxed as a pass-through entity, taxes on profits are paid on a member’s individual tax return each year. Think of it this way: your tax burden “passes through” your LLC and is assessed only on your individual tax return, avoiding the potential for double-taxation. And since Florida does not impose a state personal income tax, that means each member of a Florida LLC can enjoy not having to pay any state income tax on their Florida profits.
Is there a corporate tax in Florida?
＋Yes, there is a corporate tax in Florida. Keep in mind, though, that Florida corporation taxes are lower than average corporate income tax.
So while corporations in Florida must pay a 5.5% tax on business income, that’s a favorable percentage compared to other states. And while business owners typically end up paying more Florida corporation taxes than they would in Florida LLC taxes, a Florida corporation offers several legal and investment advantage (e.g., a corporate tax structure allows for re-investment and has a more established legal precedent than LLCs).
