PROVIDENCE, R.I. (May 29, 2009) – Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis is reminding thousands of nonprofit corporations that they must file 2009 annual reports with his office beginning June 1. More than 6,700 nonprofits ranging from hospitals and charities to Little Leagues to condo associations are subject to the requirement.
State law requires nonprofits to report information including the names of their officers and board of directors by June 30. Failure to file can result in penalties ranging from fines to revocation of their corporate status. Mollis hopes the reminder will help nonprofits avoid incurring unnecessary expenses.
"My office is committed to helping businesses grow. We've made filing as easy as possible and are doing everything we can to make nonprofits aware of the deadline," said Mollis.
For the first time, nonprofits no longer have to visit the Secretary of State’s Providence office in order to file. Thanks to legislation filed by Mollis, state law now permits them to file online using the Secretary of State’s website. Nonprofits can still choose to file by mail or in person at the agency’s 148 West River St. location in Providence.
“Nonprofits can use their annual report as an opportunity to promote their fiscal responsibility and openness. That can mean peace of mind for the people and organization’s considering supporting them,” said Mollis.
You can file electronically at www.sec.state.ri.us/corps/file-annual-reports-online. Just click on the new “File Corporations Online” link. Every nonprofit has been assigned its own unique Customer Identification Number and Personal Identification Number order to ensure security.
“The era when the business day began at nine and ended at five is over. Improving our technology makes it easier to do business in Rhode Island. Filing online lowers costs and enables you to work from anywhere at any time,” said Mollis.
Failure to file an annual report can result in the revocation of a nonprofit’s Certificate of Incorporation or Certificate of Authority. In addition, state law assesses a $25 penalty for late filing.
“My office is the department of state that is responsible for corporate record-keeping. We are committed providing Rhode Islanders access to up-to-date and accurate information. I want to thank the nonprofit sector for helping me achieve that goal,” said Mollis.
At other times of the year, for-profit corporations and limited liability companies are also required to file annual reports with the Secretary of State.
Since taking office two years ago, Mollis has added a number of filing and search tools to his website. In addition to filing annual reports electronically, the public can now find tens of thousands of documents ranging from Notary Publics to Articles of Incorporation to Fictitious Business Name filings posted online.
The Secretary of State’s office works with every company registered to do business in Rhode Island -- some 65,000 in all. The office oversees recording commercial liens, protecting corporate trademarks and providing advice to growing and start-up businesses.
Secretary of State Mollis is committed to making it easier for Rhode Islanders to vote, helping businesses grow and making government more open and accessible. For more information about filing an annual report, visit www.sec.state.ri.us/corps or call (401) 222-3040.
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