February 2018 Archives

Gennine Cooper February 26, 2018 No Comments

Delaware Annual Report & Franchise Tax–The Buzz! Part 5

The Delaware Annual Report deadline is approaching quickly – File by Thursday, March 1st!

For our final installment of Delaware Annual Report & Franchise Tax–The Buzz!, we would just like to remind you that the deadline is approaching quickly! Delaware Domestic Corporations must submit their 2017 Annual Franchise Tax Report and Payment on or before 3/1/2018 (that’s this Thursday) in order to remain in good standing. Penalty and interest are also assessed for entities that file their annual report and pay their franchise taxes after the due date, which is why it’s important to file by the deadline!

Have questions about the content of the Delaware annual report? You can refer back to the previous sections of this blog for helpful tips (click here to view part three).
Need help filing? Log into Snapshot™ for step by step filing or contact Incserv to have one of our trained Client Service Representatives file for you. Our online order form is one great way to request our help and provide us with the information we need to file. You can also call or email us for assistance as well!
Don’t have a Snapshot™ login? You can visit this link anytime and place a request for a login. In addition, during business hours, feel free to email or call us and we will be happy to provide you with a login and password for your Snapshot™ account.

Thanks for visiting our blog. Stay tuned for more great content to come from Incserv!

Lucy Rose, Project Manager, Product Research and Development

Gennine Cooper February 22, 2018 No Comments

Jurisdictional Closures for March 2018

Update…

Please see the list below for Jurisdictional Closures for March. Dates and information are subject to change.

Date:	Holiday:	State:
Mar 6th	Town Meeting Day	VT
Mar 26th	Seward’s Day	AK
Mar 26th	Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day	HI
Mar 30th	Good Friday	CT, DE, HI, IN, LA, NJ, NC, ND, TN, TX, KY (1/2 Day)
Mar 31st	Cesar Chaves Day (observed)	CA

Please check out our blog posts throughout the month for any last minute changes or updates from these or any other state or local office.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact us at 800-346-4646 or via email at info@incserv.com.

Gennine Cooper February 21, 2018 No Comments

DE Annual Report & Franchise Tax – The Buzz! Pt 4

Part four of our Delaware Annual Report & Franchise Tax Series will answer questions about the deadline for filing. If this happens to be the first blog you’re seeing in the series, click here to start from the beginning.

The Delaware annual report for all domestic corporations is due on or before March 1.

What happens if I miss the deadline for filing my corporation’s Delaware annual report and paying the franchise tax?

A penalty fee of $200 will be added if the annual report is not filed by the due date. In addition, 1.5% interest is assessed and added to the total amount due. The 1.5% interest is calculated based only on the total franchise tax due and does not include the annual report fee and penalty. Interest is continually accrued on the 6^th of each month until the franchise tax is paid or the entity goes into an inactive status.

What if I have not filed Delaware annual reports for two consecutive years?

The State will declare the company void. The company will not be in good standing and will need to pay all applicable fees. A reinstatement will need to be filed in order to bring it back into good standing. If Incserv is the registered agent, a resignation will most likely be filed prior to March 1, which will place the company into a forfeited status. Again, all applicable fees and the pertinent filing will need to be completed in order to reinstate to good standing.

What do I do if I made a mistake on my Delaware annual report filing?

An amendment may be filed, but it must be filed before a subsequent report is filed. For example if you made a mistake on the 2016 report, the 2016 report must be amended before the 2017 report is filed. Otherwise the 2016 record will stand as is.

If you have any questions about or need assistance with filing a Delaware annual report or paying Delaware franchise tax, feel free to reach out to us. We’re here to help!

Rose Redman, Quality Assurance and Employee Development Manager

Gennine Cooper February 14, 2018 No Comments

Legalization Blog Series – Part 3

Part 3 of our Legalization Blog Series discusses embassies and consulates, the differences between the two, its functions and how to navigate through its processes to have your documents legalized for use outside of the United States.

Embassy vs. Consulate

Embassies are typically located within the capital city of a country. Foreign Embassies within the United States are located in Washington, DC. For most U.S. documents to be used in other countries, as long as the documents have been authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, the Embassy in Washington DC will legalize it for use in the destination country. There are some exceptions: Egypt, Iraq, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are examples of countries that will require use of a consulate office within the jurisdiction of the document’s origin for legalization, after receiving the U.S. Department of State’s authentication.

Consulate offices are smaller versions of Embassies and are designed to assist with local matters involving its citizens and business abroad. Consulates are generally located in major cities like Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Houston and Miami. These offices have officials that are able to review documents which have originated within their local jurisdictions, providing the necessary stamps, seals, and signatures for legalization. If a country has a local consulate office, in some cases, the document can go direct from the Secretary of State to the Consulate office, avoiding federal authentication. https://www.embassypages.com/ is a great resource for determining which countries have local consulates and where.

Getting Your Documents Processed!

It is important to remember, each Embassy will have its own chain of requirements for legalization processing. Some will require full copies of documents, special forms and applications to accompany the documents, various acceptable payment methods, etc. The People’s Republic of China’s (China) Authentication Form is one most people are familiar with in doing business with China. Also known as the “G1” form, the form must be completed in all caps, bold print, and must be signed by the applicant, as well as the agent that will be presenting the document to the Embassy for legalization on the applicant’s behalf. Additionally, the Embassy will require a copy of the applicant’s and agent’s passport and/or driver’s license. This form has been changed a few times over the years. For the most recent form, visit the Embassy’s website at: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/fd/.

Keeping up with these steps may seem a little overwhelming, but we are certainly here to assist where you need us! With our daily experiences in working with the embassies, an Incserv representative can make sure your documents in need of legalization are processed accurately and quickly! In the final part of the series, we’ll provide tips on avoiding rejection and getting your documents processed to ensure your deadlines are met!

Thanks for reading!

Deirdre Davis-Washington, Assistant Vice President

Gennine Cooper February 7, 2018 No Comments

Delaware Annual Report & Franchise Tax–The Buzz! Part 3

Frequently Asked Questions – Delaware Annual Report

In today’s Delaware Annual Report & Franchise Tax – The Buzz!, we would like to offer you answers to frequently asked questions you may have while filing your Delaware Annual Report. If you happen to have missed part one and two of our blog series, click here to view.

Q. Where do I find my Gross Assets?

A. The Delaware Annual Report requires your company’s entire Gross Assets as reported to the IRS on your Federal 1120, Schedule L form. If you haven’t filed your Federal Taxes yet, please refer to your Balance Sheet for your most recent information on your gross assets. If you have an accountant or tax service handle this for you, please ask them for the most up to date information. If you used Snapshot™ last year to file your report and nothing has changed, this information will still be available for your reference.

Q. What if my Gross Assets change after I file my Delaware annual report; shouldn’t I wait to file when it is finalized?

A. You can file an amended Annual Report with the State of Delaware if you need to make a change, rather than filing your report late to wait for the finalized amounts. Filing late incurs both a penalty of $200 as well as interest of 1.5% per month on the unpaid tax amount.

Q. Where do I find my Issued Shares?

A. The State of Delaware has record of your Authorized Shares and Par Value, however, Issued Shares are not public information. The shares your company has issued should be recorded on a company held stock ledger found in your corporate minute book. If you have a CPA or Attorney handle these matters for you, please ask them for the current amounts. If you’ve used Snapshot™ last year to file your report and nothing has changed, this information will still be available for your reference.

Q. My company didn’t do any business during part of 2017; can I enter those Inactive dates in the space provided?

A. The Inactive dates on the report refer only to a portion of the year in which a company was potentially Inactive within the records of the Secretary of State. If you had to file a renewal or reinstatement during the calendar year of 2017 then this may apply to your company (please call or email us to provide you with the dates.) Otherwise this does not likely apply to your company. If your company is no longer doing business, but you have not filed a dissolution with Delaware, your company will continue to be required to file a Delaware Annual Report until this is filed; please call or email us if you feel you need to dissolve.

Q. My company never began doing business; do I still owe this report and fee?

A. As long as the company is Active with the State of Delaware, it will owe a Delaware Annual Report and franchise tax each year. The report fees are based on the Authorized Shares as outlined in the charter documents filed with Delaware. If the company is minimum stock then the minimum tax will be due ($225 which includes the report filing fee.) If you feel you should dissolve the company because it will not do business in the future, please contact us to ask about dissolving.

Q. My Principal Place of Business is outside the U.S.; how do I enter this?

A. There is a check box on the Annual Report for a “Non-US Address”. By checking this box and choosing the country, the report will format correctly to accept the address and allow the report to submit properly.

Q. Why am I receiving an error when attempting to submit my report through Snapshot™?

A. Be sure and enable your pop-up blocker for our site when filing. If you still experience trouble, please let us know.

Lucy Rose, Project Manager, Product Research and Development