November 2017 Archives

Incserv November 24, 2017 No Comments

Delaware Annual Report & Franchise Tax – Help! Part Two

Last week we started off the Delaware Annual Report & Franchise Tax Series with the basics. If you missed the first blog, click here to get caught up. This week we’ll dig a little deeper into the Delaware annual report, as it pertains to profit corporations.

Where are the annual report & franchise tax notices sent? In Delaware, annual report and franchise tax notices are sent to the agent of record, also known as your registered agent. The registered agent is then responsible for passing the notice along to you. This is one of the major reasons it’s imperative to keep your registered agent up to date with the most current contact information for your entity.

How and when are the Delaware annual report & franchise tax notices sent? In Delaware, the registered agent may send corporate annual report and franchise tax notices to you via email or regular mail. Notices usually begin going out to Delaware corporations at the end of December or beginning of January.

How can I file my Delaware annual report? The State of Delaware Division of Corporations requires all Delaware annual reports for profit corporations be filed online. This can be done by visiting the Division of Corporation’s website at www.corp.delaware.gov or by utilizing a registered agent. When utilizing a registered agent, you can have the agent file for you or use their filing portal that is tied directly to the State’s system (ours is Snapshot™ – if you want to know more about it, click here).

Be sure to check back weekly or subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out on the rest of the details. Next week we will continue the series and talk more about the details of completing a Delaware annual report. Of course, if you have a question in the meantime, feel free to reach out to us. We’d be happy to help you out!

Incserv November 22, 2017 No Comments

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China Legalization Request Form Updated

The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China legalization request form has recently been updated. Per the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China:

Please be advised that ALL authentication applicants are required to use the new Form from November 15, 2017. Please fill out the form truthfully, completely and clearly in Capitalized English on the computer and use either an inkjet or laser printer to print the completed form. Previous version form will no longer be accepted after November 15, 2017.Embassy of the People’s Republic of China

Please note, the new form requires the “destination…”. As per Embassy representatives, this information would require indicating the exact city in China for which the documents will be used. There is a chance that if your document will be specifically used in Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macau, your document may be rejected, as the embassy will require you to follow the legalization procedures for those particular destinations.

Click here to download a copy of the new legalization form for the Chinese Embassy.

If you have any questions about the change or need assistance with legalization work, please feel free to reach out to us! We’re always happy to help you.

Incserv November 15, 2017 No Comments

Delaware Annual Report & Franchise Tax – Help! Part One

Last week when we discussed Annual Report Services (click here to read that blog), we mentioned most jurisdictions have annual filing and/or tax requirements. Delaware is one of those jurisdictions that requires annual report filings and franchise tax payments. Depending on the entity type, both may be required or just one…but, we’ll get into those details later. Since Delaware also happens to be the jurisdiction we seem to get the most questions about, we decided to tackle the subject in a series of blogs. Today we’ll start by answering just a few basic questions…

What is a Delaware Annual Report? This is a document filed annually with the State of Delaware Division of Corporations detailing pertinent company details. Information such as the Principal Place of Business, Officer and Director details, and stock information are included on the annual report. The stock information provided helps to determine the annual franchise tax due. Not all entities are required to file an annual report.

What is franchise tax? Franchise taxes are an annual fee paid to the State of Delaware Division of Corporations for your entity. For corporations, the franchise tax fee is based on authorized shares. For alternative entities, such as LLCs, the fee is a flat rate. Most entities are required to pay a franchise tax.

What entity types file an annual report and/or pay franchise taxes? When are they due?

Entity Type	Annual Report	Franchise Tax	Due Date
Domestic Corporations	Yes	Yes	March 1st
Exempt Domestic Corporations	Yes	No	March 1^st
Domestic Limited Liability Companies	No	Yes	June 1^st
Domestic Limited Partnerships	No	Yes	June 1^st
Foreign Corporations	Yes	Yes	June 30^th
Foreign Limited Liability Companies	No	Yes	June 1^st
Foreign Limited Partnerships	No	Yes	June 1^st
Delaware Statutory Trusts	No	No	N/A

As mentioned above, these are just the basics. Over the next few weeks, we will continue to discuss Delaware annual reports and franchise taxes in more detail. Be sure to check back weekly or subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out! Of course, if you have a question in the meantime, feel free to reach out to us. We’d be happy to help you out!

Incserv November 10, 2017 No Comments

Tell Me More About Annual Report Services

Annual Report Services are one of the truly invaluable ancillary services we offer our registered agent clients.

Most jurisdictions have annual filing and/or tax requirements. In order to stay in good standing and maintain any legal protections your entity may provide, it’s important these obligations are fulfilled.

Why are Annual Report Services so invaluable?

For reasons we mentioned above, it’s important for your entity to remain active and in good standing. Failure to do so may result in penalty fees, a loss of good standing, and could ultimately find your entity involuntarily dissolved or its authority revoked. While it is usually possible to recover from these situations, it can be a major headache and the costs can really add up. So, why chance it? Annual Report Services are often compared to insurance, as they help insure you don’t miss these crucial deadlines.

To assist with remaining compliant, we offer two options for Annual Report Services:

Option One – Annual Report Monitoring Service (ARMS)

Annual Report Monitoring Service is a reminder service for those do-it-yourselfers who just want a friendly reminder when obligations are due for their entities. With ARMS, we will remind you 60 days ahead of the due date and again 30 days prior. When you get the reminder, you can either fulfill the obligation on your own or tell us you’d like us to handle it for you.

Option Two – Annual Report Filing Service (ARFS)

Annual Report Filing Service is an automated service for those of you who don’t want to worry about it. Think of it as the “auto-pay” feature for your credit card or electric bill. With ARFS, we proactively gather the information we will need to complete any annual filing requirements. When the due date(s) roll around, we prepare and file any reports and/or make annual payments, as well as send you proof of compliance and upload it to your Snapshot account (as available).

If you have any additional questions about or need assistance signing up for one of our Annual Report Services, feel free to reach out to us. We’re here to help make your life easier!

Incserv November 7, 2017 No Comments

Vietnam – The Next Outsourcing Powerhouse

We’ve recently seen an uptick in document legalization requests for Vietnam, which piqued our curiosity and led to some research. Did you know Vietnam is emerging as the next outsourcing powerhouse? According to Nikkei Asian Review, “The IT Outsourcing Conference 2017 in Ho Chi Minh City attracted some 500 representatives from international and local companies. On the agenda for the second such event: turning what is already one of Southeast Asia’s hottest outsourcing destinations into a true go-to hub.” To read the full story, click here, and as always, feel free to reach out to us should you need assistance with document legalization.

Gennine Cooper November 2, 2017 No Comments

Delaware House Bill 175

Incorporating Services, Ltd. (Incserv) is an active member of the National Public Records Research Association (NPRRA). One of the many benefits of this membership is the continuous flow of information from other members regarding changes in policy, law and processing of public records searching and filing across the US. We received the below information from the NPRRA.

Delaware House Bill 175, Laws of 2017, has increased the following corporate franchise tax rates and amounts and statutory (business) trust fees, effective as noted below.

Franchise Tax

Delinquency fees from $100 to $125 (January 1, 2018)
Tax multiplier from $75 to $85 related to the authorized shares calculation (January 1, 2018)
Tax multiplier from $350 to $400 related to the assumed par calculation (January 1, 2018)
Minimum tax related to the assumed par calculation from $350 to $400 (January 1, 2018)
Excepted as below, maximum tax from $180,000 to $200,000 (effective for the tax year beginning January 1, 2017)
Creation of a new $250,000 maximum for certain publicly traded corporations effective for the tax year beginning January 1, 2017)

Statutory Trusts

Maximum fee for filing documents from $300 to $500 (August 1, 2017)

The Bill may be accessed at: http://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=25780&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2&legislationName=HB175

If you have questions or need assistance, feel free to contact us or call 800-346-4646.