The CA LLC fee due date depends on which fee you are paying. For instance, the Statement of Information filing fee is due every two years. Other California LLC fees require annual payments:

  • LLC franchise tax
  • LLC estimated fees
  • LLC Return of Income

Paying Your Annual LLC Fees

Paying your LLC's annual fees is an important part of keeping your California business in good standing. Failing to pay these fees means you will no longer be able to do business in this state. California will shut down your business if you do not pay these fees on time. Fortunately, most of the annual fees in California are affordable, and paying these fees and submitting the correct documents is relatively easy.

One of the most important annual fees in California is the Statement of Information filing fee, which costs $20. LLCs use the Statement of Information to update information about the company. You will need to pay this $20 fee each time you need to update your LLC's information. You must submit your LLC's initial Statement of Information within 90 days of California approving the LLC.

You need to submit a new Statement of Information every two years. If you decide to pay this or any other fee by check, make the check payable to the Secretary of State. The Statement of Information form is accessible online. The LLC franchise tax is another important fee. LLCs must pay this fee every year, and it costs $800. When paying the LLC franchise tax, you must also file Form 3522.

This tax is not based on a company's earnings, and every LLC in the state must pay this fee. The first time an LLC files Form 3522, the due date is the 15th day of the fourth month after the LLC was filed. Every year after this point, the LLC franchise tax and Form 3522 are due on April 15. If an LLC is formed later in one of the last three months of the year, it will need to pay this fee twice in a short period of time. Filing after the first of the year will help you avoid this issue.

Estimated fees for LLCs are only required for companies that have earned more than $250,000 in a tax year. The amount of the fee will depend on how much the company earns and can range from $900 to $11,790. Paying this fee also requires filing Form 3536. Estimated fees for LLCs are first due six months after filing the LLC. Subsequent Estimated fees are due on June 15.

Reporting Financial Activities

California LLCs must report their financial activities by filing an LLC Return of Income form (Form 568). The fees that apply to this form will depend on a company's financial activity. Several pieces of information must be reported on this form:

  • The annual franchise tax and estimated fees.
  • The company's income, gains, and losses.
  • Any other taxes paid by the company.

On the LLC Return of Income, you will also need to report non-resident LLC member taxes and any penalties or deficits incurred after filing Form 3536. The LLC Return of Income must be filed annually. Typically, this form is due by March 15 or April 15, depending on the tax status of the LLC. LLCs that are taxed as a sole proprietorship will file by March 15, as will most LLCs that opt to be taxed as partnerships.

LLCs taxed as a C corporation or S corporation will not use Form 568. Instead, these LLCs will report their financial activity using either Form 100S or Form 100. Both of these forms are due on March 15. You can download the LLC Return of Income form online, and you may also want to download the available booklet that details how to complete the form and when you should file the form.

Paying annual fees in California can be very difficult, and if you pay your fees incorrectly or forget to pay them at all, your LLC may lose its good standing and will no longer have the ability to operate in California. In addition to consulting with an attorney, you can get help understanding your annual fees by contacting the California Franchise Tax Board.

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