PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis is reminding business owners that they can beat the March 31 deadline for filing annual reports with the state by using the on-line filing tool on his website at sos.ri.gov.
For-profit corporations that fail to file face fines and the revocation of their corporate status. More than 32,000 companies that are registered to do business in Rhode Island are subject to the requirement.
“The improvements we made to our website make it easier for companies to do business with us. By providing 24/7 access, we free our customers to do what they do best, innovate and grow their business,” said Mollis.
Filers now can simply visit sos.ri.gov and click on the “File Annual Reports” link. Every corporation has been assigned its own unique Customer Identification Number and Personal Identification Number in order to ensure security. Annual reports can be filed at late as midnight March 31 and still make the deadline.
Business owners can also file by mail or in person at the Secretary of State’s Division of Business Services, 148 West River St., Providence by March 31.
Failure to file an annual report can result in fines and the revocation of a company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Certificate of Authority. Those certifications provide companies with the legal basis for conducting a variety of business-related activities in Rhode Island such as direct sales.
At other times of the year, non-profit corporations and limited liability companies are also required to file annual reports with the Secretary of State's office.
“Corporate record-keeping is one of the duties we have under the law, and our priority is to give the public access to up-to-date information. The business community should be recognized for its contribution to that goal,” said Mollis.
The Secretary of State’s office works with almost every corporate entity registered to do business in Rhode Island – more than 60,000 in all. The office oversees recording commercial liens, protecting corporate trademarks and providing advice to start-up businesses.
Secretary of State Mollis is committed to making it easier for Rhode Islanders to vote, helping business grow and making government more open and accessible. For more information about filing an annual report, visit sos.ri.gov or call 222-3040.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Chris Barnett at 222-4293 or cbarnett@sos.ri.gov