Periodic Report Due to Colorado Secretary of State
What is a "Periodic Report" and what should I do with it?
In short, business entities, such as limited liability companies, corporations, nonprofit corporations, and foreign entities, are required by law to submit a Periodic Report each year to the Secretary of State.
While filing a Periodic Report is unrelated to payroll taxes, it is a core part of retaining the proper credentials to conduct business in Colorado. Failure to file a Periodic Report will result in your entity becoming "Delinquent" and no longer in "Good Standing" with the Secretary of State. Thus, if your business is still operating, you need to take action by filing the paperwork with the Secretary of State and paying any renewal fees.
ASAP will help bookkeeping clients if needed, but we recommend running this item by your legal counsel or completing it yourself. Your lawyer may be handling this for you if they are acting as your registered agent with the Secretary of State; they may be maintaining your annual renewals for you as a reminder to conduct your annual corporate meeting.
How do I file a Periodic Report with the Colorado Secretary of State?
You can file a Periodic Report directly with the Colorado Secretary of State in minutes for a nominal annual filing fee.
- Step 1: Confirm your entity's status by going to the Colorado Secretary of State website:
- Type in either the business name or the ID number and click "Search".
- If you typed in an ID number, you will go directly to the Summary page.
- If you typed in the name, you will see a list of search results. Find the record that you are looking for and click on the ID number.
- Type in either the business name or the ID number and click "Search".
- Step 2: Find your filing fee
- If your report is due soon and the entity is in "Good Standing" status, then your fee will be the Periodic Report fee listed.
- If your report is overdue and the entity is in "Noncompliant" status, then the late fee will apply.
- If your entity is in a "Delinquent" status, the Periodic Report is no longer available for filing. You can bring the entity back into good standing by filing a Statement Curing Delinquency.
- Step 3: File a Periodic Report
- On the Summary page for your entity, click on "File a Form".
- Click on "File Periodic Report". If a Periodic Report is due, it will be the first option on the list.
For more information, visit the Colorado Secretary of State Q&A on Periodic Reports and Periodic Report Instructions. You can also register to receive updates via email of the entity's status.
Beware of Periodic Report filing notices that are not issued by the Secretary of State. Companies, such as Workplace Compliance Services, send out official-looking mailings that are actually solicitations to use their services for a hefty fee. While this is not considered a “scam,” these notices are deceptive and costly. For example, Periodic Report annual filing fee in Colorado is $10, whereas Workplace Compliance Services charges $95. Filing directly via the Secretary of State’s website is a straight-forward process that takes about 10 minutes.
TIP: To identify these deceptive notices, look for the following wording, “[Entity] is not a government agency and does not have a contract with any governmental agency to provide this service.”
