Search for a Virginia annual report and you will find a payment, not a report form. The State Corporation Commission calls the yearly LLC duty an annual registration fee. It is tied to the month you formed your company, so there is no single deadline for everyone.
The Commission's Clerk's Office runs the process. The Virginia office guide explains how the Commission and its Clerk's Information System, called CIS, work. This page covers the yearly fee only.
Who pays and how much in Virginia
Most Virginia businesses pay a yearly fee after they form or register. For LLCs it is $50. Nonstock corporations pay $25. Stock corporations pay an amount based on authorized shares, which the Commission publishes in a fee schedule.
Foreign LLCs registered in Virginia follow the same rule as domestic ones, with the due date based on the month they registered. Corporations also file an annual report form, which the Commission lists in its CIS help pages.
| Fee | LLC: $50 annual registration fee (scc.virginia.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| When it is due | Due by the last day of the month the business was organized or registered. (scc.virginia.gov, checked ) |
| Where to file | cis.scc.virginia.gov/Account/Login (scc.virginia.gov, checked ) |
The due date, worked through
The rule is simple. Your fee is due on the last day of the month in which the LLC was organized or registered. An LLC organized on March 3 pays by March 31. An LLC organized on September 20 pays by September 30.
The Commission assesses the fee and sends the notice about two months before the due date. For the March LLC that means a notice around the end of January. You cannot pay before the assessment appears, so there is nothing to do early except watch for the notice.
How to pay in Virginia
- Sign in to CIS with your account, or create one. Setup takes a few minutes.
- Find your business and open its annual registration fee assessment.
- Pay by card. The Commission charges no processing fee for online payments.
- Keep the confirmation.
You can also mail a check or money order, or pay in person with a card, money order, check or cash. Online payment must cover the full amount, including any penalty. The online system will not take a partial payment.
Late penalty and what comes next
Payment that has not reached the Commission by the due date carries a penalty. The weekend or a holiday does not extend the date. An LLC pays a $25 penalty. A nonstock corporation pays $10, and a stock corporation pays 10 percent of its fee or $10, whichever is higher.
Leaving the fee unpaid is more serious. An LLC is canceled at the end of the third month after the due date. Take an LLC due in April. If nothing is paid by the end of July, the LLC is canceled. Corporations get four months before termination.
Reinstating a canceled Virginia LLC
A Virginia business is Active, Pending Active, Pending Inactive or Inactive. The Reason for Status field on the CIS record tells you what you can do to avoid termination or cancellation. Read it before you pay.
An inactive entity can be reinstated for five years. After five years the Clerk's Office has no power to reinstate it. For an LLC, the reinstatement form costs $100 plus the unpaid fees. Paying the fee on time is far cheaper.
Check that your payment went through
Open the CIS record after you pay and confirm the status reads Active. If you need proof for a bank, our Virginia certificate of good standing page describes the LLC certificate. For the general idea across states, see our guide on how to file an annual report.
If you want help with the order, you can ask our private filing service. State fees are separate, and you can pay the state yourself.
Sources
- www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/business-faqs/annual-registration-fees/: report fee, report due date. Checked .
- www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/business-faqs/cis-faq/: online filing. Checked .