Secretary of State Kemp Reminds Georgia Corporations to Renew their Annual Registrations

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp today reminded officers and registered agents of corporate entities registered in Georgia that the annual renewal period deadline is Thursday, April 1, 2009.

The Secretary of State’s Corporations Division website was redesigned so corporate entities can renew their existing corporate entities online, form new corporate entities online, and provide their email address to receive future online renewal notices and other important notices electronically. These electronic notifications will also help the Corporations Division deter corporate identity theft and fraud.

“The implementation of e-government solutions allows us to communicate more efficiently with Georgia’s businesses, will greatly reduce the time businesses spend on paperwork, and significantly reduces costs to Georgia’s taxpayers,” said Secretary Kemp.

Georgia law requires corporations, limited liability companies and limited partnerships to file annual renewals with the Secretary of State’s Office and pay a renewal fee of $30. Business entities that fail to renew by the deadline will be charged a $25 late filing penalty fee and risk being administratively dissolved.

Corporate entities that owe annual registration fees are encouraged to remit payment online at http://www.georgiacorporations.org/. Check and money order payments can be made by mail, or in person at the Secretary of State’s Corporations Division Office in Atlanta or the Secretary of State’s Satellite Office in Tifton. Absolutely no cash is accepted for payment of registration fees.

The following mistakes or errors can delay the processing time of annual renewals and new corporate filings submitted by mail:

Payment received without application.
Wrong form submitted with application or registration.
Incorrect fee amount submitted with application or registration.
Registered agent lists an out of state or P.O. Box address.
Information provided on the application or registration is incomplete.
No signature or improper signature on the application or registration.

Some entities may not have received notices because they have moved their location and their records have not been updated in the Corporations Division database. Managers unsure of an entity’s status should visit the Corporations Division website and search for their company by name or control number. If the status is “Active/Noncompliant” or “Active/Owes Current Year AR,” the entity likely owes Annual Registration fees.

More than 732,000 corporate entities are registered with the Corporations Division, including over 673,000 in-state and 59,000 out-of-state corporations.

For more information please contact the Corporations Division at 404-656-2817 or visit http://www.georgiacorporations.org/.

Brian Kemp was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2010. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.
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