Annual Report Florida: The May 1 Deadline and the $400 Late Fee You Can’t Avoid

Annual report filings in Florida must be submitted online between January 1 and May 1 each year, with May 1 as the hard deadline. Any LLC, corporation, limited partnership, or LLLP that files after it owes a flat $400 late fee on top of the regular fee, which brings an LLC’s total to $538.75 and a for-profit corporation’s to $550.

The Florida Division of Corporations says the fee is required by law, cannot be waived or abated, and applies even if you never received a reminder notice. Nonprofit corporations are the only entities exempt from it. The way to avoid it is to file by May 1, as of October 2026, for $138.75 (LLC) or $150 (profit corporation).

Although the annual report is not a tax return and doesn’t require financial statements, it is important to file. It states who manages your entity, where the entity conducts business, and who accepts service of process on its behalf. The paperwork isn’t difficult; it’s the penalty rules that catch people.

Does Florida Require an Annual Report?

Yes. The Division of Corporations states that an annual report must be filed each year for a business entity to remain active in Florida, whether or not you need to make changes. That means a dormant LLC with no income and no employees still has to file. The report is annual, not biennial.

Who Has to File a Florida Annual Report?

• Florida limited liability companies
• Foreign limited liability companies registered to do business in Florida
• Profit and nonprofit corporations
• Limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships

The first report for an LLC is due in the year following the year in which its articles became effective. An LLC created in November 2026 must file its first report between January 1 and May 1, 2027, even though it existed for only a few weeks in 2026. If you are still setting up, our guide to Florida articles of organization covers the formation filing that starts this clock.

When Is the Florida Annual Report Due?

The state gives you a window from January 1 to May 1 each year. The formation date has no impact. Every business entity uses the same window. The state’s 2026 notice set the cutoff at 11:59 p.m. on May 1.

May 1, 2027, falls on a Saturday. The state’s pages do not mention a weekend rollover, so file well before May 1 rather than counting on one. If you file more than once in a calendar year, the first report filed counts as the annual report, and later reports are treated as amended reports.

How Much Does the Florida Annual Report Cost?

What Do You Need Before You File?

You will need:

• The document number. This is the 6- or 12-digit number on your Sunbiz record. Look up your entity name if you don’t have it. 
• FEIN. This is your Employer Identification Number. Never enter a Social Security Number. If your record says “Applied For,” you must enter the actual number to continue. If you are a founder without an SSN, apply for an EIN before filing season.
• Addresses. The principal address and a mailing address, if it is different. A P.O. Box is accepted for the mailing address only.
• A registered agent. A physical Florida street address is required, and a P.O. Box will not work. Your company cannot be its own agent. If you are changing agents, the new agent must sign the report. Many non-resident owners use a registered agent for this. 
• At least one principal. This is a manager, authorized member, officer, or director with a street address.
• A valid email address. Your filing confirmation has been sent there.

Anything you submit on the annual report becomes part of the public record on Sunbiz. Use a business address, not your home address. You cannot change your business name on the annual report. That requires an amendment.

How to File a Florida Annual Report

1. Locate your document number on Sunbiz.
2. Open the annual report filing page on the Florida Department of State website.
3. Review the pre-filled fields, which come from the information the state has on file. Update or add anything that has changed.
4. Pay by card, a prepaid Sunbiz E-File account, or check. Checks must be postmarked by May 1.
5. Type your name to sign, then save the confirmation.

Card filings post immediately. Check filings are processed in the order received, so paying by card is faster.

What Happens If You File a Florida Annual Report Late?

Reinstatement is an option. The state’s LLC fee table lists $100 plus the annual report fee for each year owed. Confirm the total when you file. Under s. 605.0212, an LLC that fails to file a compliant annual report also may not maintain an action in a Florida court until it has filed and paid what is due.

Florida Annual Report vs. Other Business Filings

The annual report is a Division of Corporations filing. It does not replace anything owed to the Florida Department of Revenue or the IRS.

• State income tax: Florida taxes C corporations and LLCs taxed as corporations at 5.5%, filed on Form F-1120. The state has no personal income tax, so owners of pass-through LLCs generally owe no Florida income tax on their share of profits.
• Sales tax: Businesses making taxable sales must register with the Florida Department of Revenue.
• Federal filings: Federal returns and information forms, such as Form 5472 for foreign-owned single-member LLCs, follow the IRS calendar, not the Sunbiz window. 
• Other states: Each state sets its own reporting requirements, fees, and deadlines.

Florida Annual Report Mistakes We See

• Waiting for a reminder. Notices can be sent to a registered agent’s address that no one monitors, and the $400 late fee applies whether or not a notice is received. Look-alike solicitations are also common, so read them carefully to spot fake LLC scam letters before paying anything that arrives in the mail.
• Filing on the last day. A declined card or a Sunbiz timeout on May 1 costs $400.
• Typing an SSN or leaving “Applied For” in the FEIN field. The system will not accept either.
• Skipping reports for a company you no longer use. Skipping reports does not close the company. Closing it means filing dissolution paperwork, and the state says you do not need an annual report once the business has closed. If you want to dissolve an LLC, do it before the next window opens.
• Treating administrative dissolution as a clean exit. It leaves unresolved records behind and requires reinstatement if you ever need the company again.

Florida Annual Report FAQs

Does a Florida LLC with no income have to file an annual report?

Yes. The Division requires the report every year, whether or not anything has changed.

How much is the Florida LLC annual report?

$138.75 if filed by May 1. After that, it is $538.75.

Can the $400 late fee be waived?

No. The Division states that the fee is required by law and applies even if you did not receive a notice.

When is my first report due?

Between January 1 and May 1 of the year following the year your LLC was formed, or the year your foreign LLC was registered.

Can I file by mail?

No. The report is filed online. You can pay by check using the printed voucher, postmarked by May 1.

Do I need to file if I am closing the company?

No. File the paperwork to dissolve or withdraw the entity instead.