Mollis: R.I. corporate reports due today

PROVIDENCE – For-profit corporations doing business in Rhode Island have until tonight to file their annual reports with the state, or face possible fines and loss of corporate status, according to R.I. Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis.
Business owners can still choose to file their reports in person (or by mail) at the Secretary of State’s Office, Division of Business Services, 148 West River St., Providence, where their completed forms are due by 4:30 p.m.
But now, thanks to technical advances at the Secretary of State’s Office, they also can submit their forms electronically, at www.sec.state.ri.us/corps/file-annual-reports-online. (To ensure security, the office has assigned a unique customer identification number (CIN) and personal identification number (PIN) to each corporation. Additional information is available at the Web site or by calling (401) 222-3040.) Those choosing the online option not only save a trip downtown, they also gain an extra seven and a half hours: Electronic forms will be considered on time if they are filed before midnight.
“The business world doesn’t operate from 9 to 5 anymore,” Mollis said in a statement. “Technology has changed all that. With the upgrades we have made, you can work with my office 24 hours a day, seven days a week – whether you are in Rhode Island or on the road.”
Each year, the 35,000-some for-profit corporations doing business in the state must file a report with the Office of the R.I. Secretary of State’s Corporations Division. Data required include the names and contact details of each organization’s officers and directors.
State law assesses a $25 fee for late filings. Failing to file a report can lead to the revocation of a business’ Certificate of Incorporation or Certificate of Authority – documents that provide the legal basis for conducting direct sales and other business-related activities. In 2008, more than 2,200 companies lost their corporate status as a result of failing to file.
Nonprofit organizations doing business in the state must file their reports by June 30 (READ MORE), while limited-liability companies (LLCs) are required to file by Nov. 1.
Other business services provided by the office include advising small businesses and startups; protecting corporate trademarks; and overseeing the recording of commercial liens. “State law makes my office responsible for corporate record-keeping, and we are committed to giving the public easy access to current information,” Mollis said. “The business community deserves recognition for contributing to that goal.”
Additional information, including instructions for filing an annual report, is available from the R.I. Secretary of State’s Office by calling (401) 222-3040 or visiting www.sec.state.ri.us/corps.