Several members have gotten very official looking letters in the mail that ask them to pay the LLC Statement of Information fee and were astounded that LLCs fees had gone up to $239. The problem is, fees have not gone up, the letters are scams. Here is the language from the real form for LLC Statement of Information:
FILING FEES: The fee for filing the initial or biennial Statement of Information is $20.00. Checks should be made payable to the Secretary of State. If this statement is being filed to amend any information on a previously filed statement and is being filed outside the applicable filing period, as defined above, no fee is required.
The California Secretary of State has issued an alert on “Misleading Business Solicitations” that advise the solicitations tend to have one or more of the following characteristics:
- Appear similar to a Secretary of State Statement of Information form;
- Contain an official-looking seal;
- Quote a specific statute or other law on the form to be filled out and returned;
- Imply that failing to return the form and pay the requested fee may place the entity in legal jeopardy, or might cause the entity’s filings with the California Secretary of State to be in default or noncompliant status;
- Contain a reference to a “file number,” “Corp Number,” “Corporation Number,” or “Control Number” that does not match the number assigned to the entity by the California Secretary of State;
- Reference or quote Corporations Code sections inapplicable to the type of entity being solicited, such as Code sections applicable to corporations when soliciting a limited liability company;
- Reference an “annual fee” or “annual payment” rather than a filing fee and that is in excess of the filing fee for a Statement of Information;
- Provide an estimated processing time for “minutes” to be prepared and mailed to the entity;
- Indicate the submitted information will be treated as private and confidential.
Check directly with the https://businessfilings.sos.ca.gov/ site for CA State filings and fees related to your corporation (C, Sub-S, or LLC).