Filing Your Biennial Report in New York

New York is home to a whopping 2.2 million small businesses. In fact, small businesses make up 99.8% of the companies that operate in the state. By the time the first year of business rolls around, many small business owners have become excellent at handling the behind-the-scenes paperwork, from registering their business entity with the state and filing taxes to writing up things like business plans. In New York, corporations and limited liability companies (LLCs) also have to file a report every two years known as a biennial statement (for our purposes, we’ll refer to it as a biennial report). 

If it’s your first time filing a biennial report, it may seem intimidating. You don’t want to accidentally file incorrectly and risk your good standing with the state. Biennial reports are also public records, meaning anyone can access the information you provide. It’s important to understand why and how you need to file a biennial report for your business.

What is a New York biennial report? 

Like business formation documents, biennial reports are filed with the New York Secretary of State. Specifically, you’ll work with the Department of State’s Division of Corporations, State Records, and UCC. The primary purpose of the report is to keep the state updated with your business’s contact information and principal workers and/or members.

Biennial reports are a requirement for:

• Domestic and foreign business corporations
• Domestic and foreign LLCs

In New York, other business entities have different reporting requirements. For example, foreign professional corporations have to file an annual report, but domestic professional corporations have to file a triennial report. Nonprofits are not required to file the report at all. 

If you’ve provided an email address to the Department of State in the past, you should receive notice before your biennial report is due. You can update your email address through New York’s Email Address Submission/Update Service if you’re not sure whether you’ve given them an email address or your email address has changed. Remember that you’re still responsible for your filing on time even if you don’t get a notice, so mark your calendar.

New York Biennial Report for Corporations vs LLCs 

In New York, biennial statements differ slightly if you’re filing for a corporation or LLC. Both business entities still file with the New York State Department of State. The Secretary of State uses the report to keep up-to-date contact information for each business on file.

LLCs only need to provide the street address of their service of process address. That’s the address where the company is notified of any lawsuits against the business. Corporations also need to provide their service of process address, but must include the name and business address of their chief executive officer (CEO), the address of the principal executive office, and information about the ratio of women to men on the board of directors.

Additionally, corporations will have to file a Biennial Statement Amendment if they need to update:

• The address of their principal executive office 
• The name and address of their CEO 

The most efficient way to file an amendment is by requesting a form from the State Division’s Statement Unit via fax at (518) 486-4680 or email at corporations@dos.ny.gov. To change your company’s name, service of process address, purpose, or stock, you’ll need to file one of the following:

• Certificate of Amendment (foreign corporations)
• Certificate of Change (domestic corporations)
• Certificate of Amendment of Articles of Organization (LLC)

Where do I file my New York biennial report? 

You can file your biennial statement form through New York’s online filing service on the State Department’s website. If for some reason you can’t file online, you can do so through the mail. The forms may have already been sent to your principal office or your registered agent’s address. Unfortunately, if not, they aren’t readily available on the state’s website. You’ll have to request one from the Statement Unit.

All written requests must include your Department of State (DOS) ID number or your exact business name and the date of your formation or authorization. 

When is the New York biennial report due? 

New York biennial reports are due every two years by the end of your registration anniversary month. This is the month you officially filed your Application of Authority or Articles of Incorporation or Organization. For example, if your business incorporated on November 12, you must file your report by November 30.

You must file your report during your anniversary month. If you file earlier, you’ll have to file again during the proper month. If you’re not sure about your due date, you can use the state’s business entity database to find out. Your anniversary month will be listed under “initial DOS filing date.”

Note: Expedited service for biennial reports is not available in New York.

How much does the New York biennial report cost? 

Biennial reports have a $9 filing fee for corporations and LLCs in New York. This same fee applies to Biennial Statement Amendments. If you also need to file a certificate of amendment or statement of change along with your biennial report, it will cost an additional $60. New York State does not charge any late fees.

What information do I need to file the biennial report?  

New York biennial statement forms are very straightforward. You won’t need to gather extensive  information. In order to file, you will need your:

• DOS ID Number (this can be found by searching New York’s business entity database)
• Your entity’s business process service address (this can’t be a P.O. box)
• Name, title, and email of the person filing the report
• CEO’s name and address (corporations only)
• Principal executive office address (corporations only)

You’ll also need payment information. The Department of State accepts most major credit cards and debit cards.

What happens after you file your biennial report? 

After you file your biennial report through the online filing system, you should receive an email confirmation. It takes 1 to 3 days for the records to show up online. Once your records are online, they are considered public knowledge, which means anyone can request the information submitted or find it using the business entity database. This goes for if you fail to file, too. Your poor standing will be visible to everyone.

What if you miss the deadline to file your report? 

New York doesn’t have late filing fees, but there are penalties for filing late. You will lose your good standing, which will be reflected in any Certificate of Status or status letter obtained by the Department of State. This may inhibit your ability to make certain business transactions. In addition, having an old address on file can cause you to miss out on notices of litigation, resulting in a possible default judgement that may not be favorable to your bottom line.

At worst, your business status can be revoked or dissolved. If your business status is dissolved, the liability protections and tax status of your LLC or corporation vanish. Thankfully, if you do miss the deadline, you can always file late and restore your good standing retroactively, with no gap in your business status.

Who do I contact if I have issues filing my New York biennial report? 

If you have problems filing your biennial report, you’ll need to contact the Statement Unit of the New York Department of State’s Division of Corporations.