ANNUAL REPORT DEADLINE REMAINS UNCHANGED IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19
On behalf of our firm, we would like to remind our business clients that COVID-19 has not affected the deadline for filing Annual Reports with the Secretary of State, which is originally, and remains to be, April 15, 2020.
Furthermore, this deadline may apply to the following additional North Carolina entity types if your fiscal year end is at calendar year end: business corporations and banks, limited liability companies, and Partnerships. Annual Reports can easily be filed and paid for online, here.
Certain changes to your Annual Report may require you to mail your Annual Report into the Secretary of State’s office rather than filing online. Please be aware that the Secretary of State’s building is currently closed to the public due to COVID-19, so you will not be able to drop it off in person.
UPDATE: On April 7th, the following announcement appeared on the Secretary of State's Website:
The North Carolina Secretary of State also released a statement yesterday, April 7, 2020, reiterating that the deadline for filing Annual Reports, and paying associated fees, will remain April 15, 2020. However, due to the ever-changing COVID-19 situation, the Secretary of State has implemented a “grace-period” for businesses, where reports and fees filed late will not be considered delinquent until after June 15, 2020. The new grace-period will apply to corporate and some partnership entities with a fiscal year ending December 31, 2019, and all LLCs.
If you have questions about this or anything regarding filing your Annual Report, you may contact the North Carolina Secretary of State’s office Monday-Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm at (919) 814-5400, or our office at (828) 254-4778.
If you have a questions about issues affecting your business in this crisis, contact Allen Stahl + Kilbourne
By Megan Farley
Updated: April 7, 2020
Any statements contained herein do not constitute a formal legal opinion and should not be relied upon as such. These articles are intended for general informational purposes only. Nothing expressed shall be grounds for the creation of an attorney-client relationship. Our attorneys can give legal advice only in the context of an attorney-client relationship after a conflict check, the execution of a representation agreement and a discussion of the specific information and unique issues of your particular circumstances.
The situation surrounding COVID-19/coronavirus is changing constantly; as a result, any discussions that might take place may not necessarily reflect the latest information regarding recently-enacted, or pending or proposed legislation or guidance that could override, alter or otherwise affect existing legal analysis.
