Filing Your Florida LLC Annual Report on Sunbiz
Florida calls it the annual report, and you file it on Sunbiz. Here is what it is, what it can change, and how to pay.
Florida has a yearly filing that keeps an LLC active. The Florida Division of Corporations calls it the annual report. You file it on Sunbiz, the state's official business entity index and commercial activity website. Here is what the filing is, what it can change, and how to get it done.
What the Florida LLC annual report actually is
The Florida Division of Corporations says an annual report updates or confirms its records. That is the whole job. It is not a financial statement. Florida does not want your revenue or your balance sheet.
The Division also says an annual report must be filed each year for a business entity to maintain active status. Skip it, and your LLC is no longer active with the state.
One more thing worth knowing. The data shown on your annual report is the most current data the Division has on file.
What you can change on the annual report
Florida's guide lists what the report lets you update:
- Add, delete, or change the names and addresses of officers, directors, managers, and authorized members.
- Change the registered agent and the registered office address.
- Change the principal office address and the mailing address for the business.
- Add or change the federal employer identification number.
That last one matters if you got your EIN after you formed the LLC. If you are still setting up, here is how to apply for an EIN for an LLC.
What you cannot change
Florida's guide says the annual report does not permit you to change the name of your business. The report is a records update, not a name change.
How to file the annual report on Sunbiz
You file on Sunbiz. Florida's guide says to review the filing instructions and gather your business information before you start. That is good advice.
The filing is online. Florida's guide says typing your name in the signature block is sufficient to sign the form.
Take the signature seriously anyway. Florida's guide says electronic signatures have the same legal effect as original signatures. It also says typing someone's name without permission constitutes forgery. So sign only for yourself, or for someone who has told you to sign for them.
Browsers that work
The Division says its web application supports later versions of several common browsers. It also says other browsers that support HTML5 should work. If your browser is old, update it before you start.
Paying the filing fee
There is a fee, and Florida gives you ways to pay.
Online with a card
The Division accepts credit card payments for online annual report filings. It uses a third party to process credit and debit card payments for online filings. That third party is the card processor, not the state.
Florida's guide says an annual report filed online with a credit card is processed and posted immediately. Pay by card and the filing is processed and posted immediately.
By check or money order
You can also pay by check or money order. The Division says checks must be payable to the Florida Department of State. Make it out to that exact name, not to Sunbiz.
Florida's guide says an annual report paid by check or money order is processed in the order it was received. That means your filing waits in line.
What happens after you file
Two things come after you submit.
Your confirmation and receipt
The Division says a confirmation payment receipt will be emailed for successful transactions. It also says an email filing confirmation goes to the entity's current email address on file. So the confirmation lands at whatever email the state already has for your LLC.
Keep the receipt. The Division says to keep a copy because it helps locate and reconcile a filing. If something goes wrong later, that receipt is how you and the state find your filing.
Your public record
Florida's guide says any information you submit on an annual report becomes part of the public record on the Division's website.
The guide also says you can download an image of your filed annual report free of charge once it has been processed and posted. Save a copy for your own records.
Amending an annual report you already filed
Made a mistake? Florida lets you fix it, and the path depends on your entity type.
Florida's guide says a corporation or LLC that already filed its annual report may file an amended annual report. For an LLC, that is the route.
The guide says a limited partnership or limited liability limited partnership must download and complete an amendment form instead. That rule does not apply to your LLC, but it is worth knowing if you also run one of those.
If your LLC was administratively dissolved or revoked
Florida's guide says administratively dissolved or revoked entities may be reinstated by submitting a reinstatement application and paying all associated fees.
Reinstatement is not automatic. You submit the application and you pay what is owed.
When you do not need to file
Florida's guide says a business that has closed does not need to file the annual report.
The Division also says non-profit corporations are not subject to the late fee.
A quick recap
The annual report is a records update, not a financial statement. You file it on Sunbiz each year to keep your LLC active. You can fix members, managers, addresses, your registered agent, and your EIN. You cannot change the LLC's name. Pay by card and it posts immediately. Pay by check and it waits in line. Keep your receipt, and remember the filing is public. If you want the background on this business type first, read what an LLC is and how it works.