Montana LLC Annual Report instructions

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Montana LLCs must file an Annual Report each year

Every LLC in Montana is required to file an Annual Report each year. This is due regardless of business activity or income.

Said another way, even if your LLC does nothing and makes no money, it still must file an Annual Report each year.

You need to file the LLC Annual Report with the Montana Secretary of State.

The Annual Report keeps your LLC in compliance and in good standing with the state of Montana.

How to file your Montana LLC Annual Report

The only method of filing your Montana LLC Annual Report is online.

The state stopped accepting mail filings back in 2017.

Montana LLC Annual Report Filing Fee

$20 per year. This is paid once every year for the life of your Montana LLC.

Annual Report Processing/Approval Time

Your Montana LLC Annual Report is processed instantly after you submit the filing online.

Annual Report Due Date

Your Montana LLC Annual Report must be filed before April 15th every year.

How early can the Annual Report be filed?

You can file your Montana LLC Annual Report as early as January 1st in the year in which it’s due.

Penalty for not filing Montana Annual Report

If you miss the April 15th deadline, you will be charged a $15 late fee (on top of the $20 filing fee). So the total fee will be $35.

If you still don’t file by September 1st, the state will mail you a warning notice that your LLC is about to be dissolved (shut down).

If you continue to ignore this requirement, and you do not file your LLC Annual Report by December 1st, the state will administratively dissolve your Montana LLC.

Reinstatement – Not as scary as it seems

In reality, dissolution sounds scarier than it actually is. After a Montana LLC is dissolved, it can be reinstated (brought back to life) any time within 5 years of dissolution.

In order to reinstate a Montana LLC, a $35 reinstatement fee must be paid in addition to filing all past-due Annual Reports.

For more information, please see: MT Secretary of State: Instructions for getting your LLC reinstated.

Annual Report Reminders

All Montana LLC Annual Report reminders are sent by email.

The state used to mail out postcard reminders, however, that is no longer the case as the Montana Secretary of State has been digitizing most of their processes.

Email reminders are sent out every 2 weeks between January and April 15 until your Annual Report is filed.

• If an email address was listed for the Registered Agent during your Articles of Organization filing, an email reminder gets sent there.
• If an email address was listed for any Principal during your Articles of Organization filing, an email reminder also gets sent there.
• An email reminder will also be sent to the email address associated with your ePass login.

The #1 reason Montana LLCs are shut down

The #1 reason that LLCs are shut down by the Montana Secretary of State is for failure to file an Annual Report.

Even if you don’t receive the reminder notice that the state emails, it is still your responsibility to file your Montana LLC Annual Report on time every year.

For this reason, we strongly recommend putting a repeating reminder on your phone and your computer. Additionally, you can write out the due date and put it in some place where you’ll see it often.

Montana LLC Annual Report Instructions

Get started:

1. Visit the Montana Secretary of State Business Services page. Click Filing Portal Login in the upper right corner and login.
2. Click “Search” in the left menu, or “File Annual Report” under Business Services
3. Search for your LLC by name or Business Identifier number.
4. Click on your LLC name in the results below.
5. Click the “File My Annual Report” button in the popup.

What if I don’t see the “File My Annual Report” button?

If you don’t see the “File My Annual Report” button, you can call the Secretary of State to find out why it’s not working. There might an issue connecting your account to your LLC record.

Alright, let’s get started completing the Montana LLC Annual Report.

Filing Information

There is nothing to do in this step. Just click “Next Step“.

Entity Details

There is nothing to do in this step. Your LLC’s information is already entered here. Just click “Next Step“.

Entity Addresses

Business Mailing Address of Principal Office:

Review your LLC’s Mailing Address. Leave it as-is if it’s up to date or make edits if needed.

Business Physical Address of Principal Office:

Review your LLC’s Physical Address information. Leave it as-is if it’s up to date or make edits if needed.

If no address is listed here, you can leave it blank if you’d like. You’re not required to list a Physical Address for your Montana LLC.

Registered Agent in Montana

• Prior lesson: Make sure you have read the Montana Registered Agent lesson so that you understand your options.

No change to registered agent details

If there are no changes to your LLC’s Registered Agent, then you can proceed to the next section.

Change agent address and/or legal name

Select this option if you are keeping the same person or company as your Registered Agent but need to change their address.

Tip: Changing the “legal name” here would be a change of name like after getting married or divorce. If you need to change the company or person, select the other option “Appoint a new registered agent” instead.

Appoint a new registered agent

Select this option if there is a new person or company who will be your LLC’s Registered Agent.

If you hired a Commercial Registered Agent:

• Search their company name in the “Agent Name” box (results will appear below as you type)
• Select their name from the list
• Check the box at the bottom (it says the Commercial Registered Agent has agreed to be your Registered Agent)

If you, a friend, or family member will be your LLC’s Registered Agent:

• Click “Add New Agent“
• Select “Individual“
• Enter their contact information
• Click “Save“

Principals

• Related article: What’s the difference between an LLC Member and an LLC Manager?

First, select whether your LLC is Manager-managed (“Managers“) or Member-managed (“Members“).

Second, if there have been any changes to your LLC’s Members and/or Managers, you can make those changes here by either adding and/or removing anyone necessary.

If no changes are needed, you can proceed to the next step.

Review

Review all the information you entered. Double-check for accuracy and keep an eye out for any typos.

If you need to make any changes, go back to a previous step.

If all looks good, proceed to the next step.

Sign & Submit

Check off the boxes at the top agreeing to the terms and statements.

In the Signer’s Capacity drop down, select “Self” and type your name in the “Signature” box. Then enter today’s date.

Someone with authority must sign your Montana LLC’s Annual Report. Allowed persons are:

• LLC Member
• LLC Manager
• Someone with Power of Attorney
• Authorized Agent (someone hired or given authority by an LLC Member or LLC Manager)

If you are signing on behalf of an LLC you own, you can select “Manager/Member” from the “Position” drop down.

Enter your phone number and email address.

Proceed to the next step.

Payment

Your credit card may already appear if it’s saved.

If not, enter your credit or debit card information.

Click “File Online“.

Montana LLC Annual Report Verification/Approval

Your Montana LLC Annual Report is processed and approved instantly.

You should see a “Payment Successful” message.

Click the links to download a receipt and your stamped and approved Annual Report.

At this point, you’re all finished!

Just make sure to put a repeating reminder on your phone and your computer to file your Montana LLC Annual Report next year.

Here’s how to create free Annual Report reminders with Google Calendar

Montana Secretary of State Contact Info

If you have any questions, you can contact the Montana Secretary of State at 406-444-3665.

Their hours are Monday through Friday, from 8am to 5pm Mountain Time.

Matt Horwitz

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz has been the leading expert on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC that other companies weren't offering. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.