FLORIDA BUSINESSES: FILING PORTAL FOR 2023 ANNUAL REPORTS IS OPEN

Florida corporations and limited liability companies (LLCs) must file an online update every year with the State of Florida to keep the company in active status. This update is called an Annual Report and is filed with the Florida Division of Corporations, the official corporate registry for the state of Florida.

The Annual Report verifies the information on file with the state for your company and is a good time to make any needed changes, like a new mailing address or adding a new officer for the company. It is also a money-maker for the government – the state charges corporations $150 to file their Annual Report and LLCs $138.75. You have to file an Annual Report every year even if there are no changes to your company’s information.

The deadline to file your company’s 2023 Annual Report is May 1st, but the state’s filing portal at Sunbiz.org is open now so businesses can file early.

Make sure to file your report before the deadline – if you miss the May 1st deadline, the state will charge you an additional $400 for your Annual Report. And if you still have not filed it by September, the government will dissolve your company. If your corporation or LLC is dissolved, any officers of the company that have workers’ comp exemptions can lose their exemptions.

Another consequence of the state dissolving your company is that someone else could take over your company name and start doing business under that name. There are many reasons why it is important to make sure your company files its Annual Report every year!

The only reminder the government will send you is an email to the address they have on file for your company. This email will be from FL_DOS_Corporations@dos.state.fl.us and will give you a link to the state’s official corporate registry at Sunbiz.org.

To file your company’s 2023 Annual Report, go to Sunbiz.org and make sure the page says “An official State of Florida website” at the top. This is how you know you are on the official government web page. Under “Filing Services,” click on the “Annual Report” link. You will need the document number that was assigned to your business by the Division of Corporations when you first registered with the state. This number will be in the reminder email from the Division of Corporations, or you can look it up by going to Sunbiz.org and clicking on “Search Records” and searching your company’s name.

FUBA members with questions about their company’s Annual Report should call the FUBA offices at 800-262-4483 and ask for Karen or Mallory.



BE ALERT FOR SOLICITATIONS ABOUT YOUR COMPANY’S ANNUAL REPORT

As we described in the article above, all Florida corporations and LLCs are required by law to file an Annual Report every year with the Division of Corporations. But every January, private companies start sending solicitations by mail and email to small businesses that look like they are from the government. These emails are companies with names like “Business Filings Depot” and are usually from the “Reminder Department.” 

These solicitations look like they are from the government and provide a link for you to file your company’s Annual Report.  Before clicking on the link in these emails, you need to understand that these companies charge a lot of money to file your company’s Annual Report, usually about $100 more than you actually need to pay. If you pay one of these companies to file your Annual Report, it could be much more expensive than filing it yourself on Sunbiz.org.

The only email you can trust about your Annual Report is the reminder you will receive from the Division of Corporations. It will be from FL_DOS_Corporations@dos.state.fl.us and have a link to the state’s official corporate registry at Sunbiz.org.

FUBA members concerned about these solicitations can call our offices at 800-262-4483.



HOW LONG SHOULD EMPLOYEES WITH COVID STAY HOME?

To protect their employees, businesses can ask employees who test positive for COVID or have symptoms to stay home from work. Here are the current guidelines from the CDC.

Employees who are sick should stay home until they get tested for COVID. If the test results are negative, the employee can return to work.

Employees who test positive for COVID (regardless of vaccination status) should stay home at least 5 days and then wear a mask around others until at least Day 11.

Employees who continue to have a fever after 5 days should continue to say home until they are fever-free for 24 hours. Employees with stronger symptoms like shortness of breath or difficulty breathing should stay home for 10 days. 



WORK OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDIT AVAILABLE FROM THE IRS

If your business is looking to hire employees, you should know about the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), which provides tax credits to businesses for hiring workers in certain targeted groups. The amount of the credit is $2,400 per qualifying employee but can be more for qualified veterans.

An employer can claim the WOTC for a newly-hired employee who is a member of one of the following targeted groups:

  • Veterans
  • Individuals who have experienced long-term unemployment
  • Residents of empowerment zones or rural renewal counties
  • Vocational rehabilitation referrals
  • Recipients of state assistance
  • Ex-felons
  • Individuals receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
  • Qualified Summer Youth Employees

This tax credit has been extended through the end of 2025. To claim the credit, businesses have to pre-screen the job applicant and get certification from the State Workforce Agency on or before the day that a job offer is made. There are some forms to fill out as well. For more information, please visit the IRS website.