Illinois LLC Annual Report: The $75 Fee, Due Dates and Late Penalties

Every limited liability company operating in Illinois must file an annual report with the Secretary of State. This is not optional, and missing the deadline triggers penalties that compound over time. This guide covers the exact filing fee, when your report is due, what happens if you miss the deadline, and how to file.

What Is the Illinois LLC Annual Report?

The Illinois LLC annual report (Form LLC-50.1) is a yearly filing that tells the Secretary of State your LLC is still active and operational. The form is straightforward: it updates the state on your LLC's basic information, including the registered agent and registered office address. You are not reporting financial data or income to the state with this filing. The annual report is purely administrative, but it is mandatory.

The purpose is to keep the state's database accurate. If you do not file the annual report, the state can administratively dissolve your business, which carries serious consequences for liability protection and your ability to conduct business.

The $75 Annual Report Fee

The filing fee for the Illinois LLC annual report is $75. This is the standard fee for a single-member or multi-member LLC. If your LLC is structured as a series LLC, each series requires an additional $50 on top of the base $75 filing fee. A series LLC with three series, for example, would owe $75 plus $150 ($50 times 3), totaling $225.

This $75 fee is the only recurring Secretary of State charge for maintaining your LLC. Illinois does not impose a franchise tax on LLCs. However, LLCs taxed as partnerships pay the 1.5 percent personal property replacement tax on net income to the Department of Revenue, and an LLC that elects corporate treatment pays the 7 percent corporate income tax plus the 2.5 percent replacement tax. Those taxes are separate from the Secretary of State annual report fee.

Online filing and paper filing both cost the same: $75. Online annual reports cannot be expedited. If you file by paper at the Springfield or Chicago office, an expedite option costs an additional $50 surcharge, but expedited processing is available for paper filings only, not for filings submitted electronically.

When Is Your Illinois LLC Annual Report Due?

Your Illinois LLC annual report is due before the first day of the anniversary month each year. The anniversary month is the calendar month in which you filed your Articles of Organization with the Illinois Secretary of State. For example, if you formed your LLC on July 15, then July is your anniversary month, and your annual report is due before July 1 each year.

The report is delivered within the 60 days before the first day of the anniversary month. If your anniversary month is July, that window runs from early May through June 30.

To make this easier, the Illinois Secretary of State sends a pre-filled annual report notice to your registered agent ahead of the due date (about 45 days ahead, per Secretary of State guidance; confirm the timing with the Secretary of State). This form contains your LLC's current information on file and is meant to streamline the filing process. Verify the deadline on your own rather than relying solely on the mailed notice, since delivery timing may vary.

You can file your annual report online through the Secretary of State's annual report page at ilsos.gov/departments/business-services/annual-reports.html. You can also file by mail or in person at the Illinois Secretary of State offices.

How to File Your Illinois LLC Annual Report

Online Filing

To file online, visit the Illinois Secretary of State's LLC online filing portal. You will need to provide your LLC's name, the registered agent information, and the registered office address. Review all information for accuracy before submitting. Once submitted, you will receive a filing confirmation. Keep this confirmation for your records.

Online filing is the fastest and most convenient method. There are no expedite options for online annual reports; check with the Secretary of State for current processing times.

Paper Filing

If you prefer to file by mail, request Form LLC-50.1 from the Illinois Secretary of State website or contact the office directly. Complete the form, include the $75 filing fee (check or money order payable to the Illinois Secretary of State), and mail it to the address printed on the form. Check with the Secretary of State for current paper processing times.

You can also file in person at either the Springfield or Chicago office of the Secretary of State and pay the filing fee there. Expedited handling of a paper annual report costs an extra $50 and must be requested in person.

What Information You Need

• Your LLC's name as it appears in the Articles of Organization
• The registered agent's name and address in Illinois
• The registered office address in Illinois (street address required; a P.O. Box alone is not accepted)
• The month and year your Articles of Organization were filed (to confirm your anniversary month)
• The $75 filing fee

Your registered agent must be an individual resident of Illinois or an entity authorized to transact business in Illinois. The registered office must have a physical street or road address or rural route and box number. Many LLCs use their business address; others use a registered agent service.

Late Penalties and Consequences

The $100 Late Penalty

If you do not file your annual report before the first day of your anniversary month, your LLC is no longer in good standing with the state. If the default is not cured before the first day of the second month after your anniversary month, the Secretary of State assesses a $100 penalty in addition to the $75 filing fee, bringing the cost of that year's report to $175.

Escalating Penalties for Ongoing Non-Compliance

If the LLC stays delinquent, the penalty grows: the statute adds $100 for each year or part of a year of delinquency beginning with the second year, until the LLC is returned to good standing or reinstated. This means if you fail to file for two consecutive years, you owe $100 for the first year's late penalty plus $100 for the second year's late penalty, in addition to the $75 filing fees for each year. The penalties accumulate quickly.

Administrative Dissolution

If your LLC is not in good standing and the non-compliance continues beyond the penalty period, the Illinois Secretary of State will administratively dissolve your LLC. This is not a voluntary dissolution. When your LLC is administratively dissolved, it no longer exists as a legal entity in Illinois. You lose the liability protection that an LLC structure provides, and you are no longer authorized to conduct business in the state.

Administrative dissolution can harm you personally and damage your business relationships. Vendors, customers, and creditors may view your LLC as defunct. Contracts and licenses may become invalid.

Reinstatement After Administrative Dissolution

If your LLC has been administratively dissolved due to failure to file the annual report, you can reinstate it. Reinstatement costs $200. However, reinstatement is not simply paying $200 and moving forward. When you reinstate, you must pay all back annual reports, all back filing fees ($75 for each year), all back late penalties ($100 for each year of non-compliance), and the $200 reinstatement fee itself. For an LLC dissolved for two years of non-filing, you could owe $75 plus $100 (year one) plus $75 plus $100 (year two) plus $200 reinstatement, totaling $625.

Reinstatement can also be complicated if the LLC's name has been taken by another business. Secretary of State guidance holds the name of an administratively dissolved LLC for three years after the notice of dissolution (confirm with the Secretary of State). After that, another business can take it, and on reinstatement you keep the name only if it is still available.

Registered Agent Responsibilities

Your registered agent plays a key role in staying on top of the annual report deadline. The Secretary of State sends the pre-filled annual report notice to the registered agent's address on file ahead of the due date (about 45 days ahead per Secretary of State guidance; confirm the timing). Your registered agent is responsible for receiving this notice and alerting the LLC's owners or managers so the report can be filed.

If you use a registered agent service, confirm they will notify you of the upcoming deadline. If you serve as your own registered agent, create a reminder or calendar alert for two months before your anniversary month so you have time to file.

If you change your registered agent, you must file a change of agent form (Form LLC-1.36 or LLC-1.37) with the Secretary of State. This costs $25 and ensures the state sends future annual report notices to the correct address.

Illinois LLCs vs. Illinois Corporations

Corporations in Illinois file a different annual report called the Domestic Corporation Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05-D). The corporation annual report also costs $75 and is due in the 60 days before the anniversary month, just like the Illinois LLC annual report. However, corporations also owe the Illinois franchise tax, which is 0.1 percent of Illinois paid-in capital with a minimum of $25, though filing periods beginning January 1, 2025 and after carry a $10,000 liability exemption, so most small corporations owe $0 in franchise tax.

If a corporation fails to file its annual report on time, it pays a 10 percent penalty on delinquent franchise tax plus interest. This makes annual report compliance more expensive for corporations than for LLCs, one reason many business owners choose the LLC structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I miss the deadline by a few days?

Your LLC is not in good standing from the first day of the anniversary month until the report is filed. The $100 penalty applies only if the report is still not filed before the first day of the second month after the anniversary month, but file as soon as you can.

Can I file my annual report early?

Yes, within limits. The report is delivered within the 60 days before the first day of your anniversary month, and filing in that window keeps the LLC in good standing. Some LLC owners file a few weeks before the due date to ensure timely processing.

What if my registered agent did not forward me the pre-filled form?

You are responsible for filing regardless of whether you receive the notice from the state. If the pre-filled form does not arrive or gets lost, you can still file by completing Form LLC-50.1 directly. Do not rely solely on the state's notice to arrive on time.

Can I file my annual report if my LLC is inactive?

Yes. You must file the annual report every year regardless of whether your LLC is actively conducting business. If you do not intend to operate the LLC anymore, you have the option to formally dissolve it, which is different from letting it lapse due to non-filing of the annual report. Dissolution requires filing Articles of Dissolution.

Is the $75 annual report fee tax-deductible?

This is a question for your CPA or tax professional. Generally, business expenses directly related to operating your business, including state filing fees, may be deductible. However, tax deduction eligibility depends on your specific circumstances and the structure of your LLC's taxation. Consult a qualified tax advisor before assuming the annual report fee is deductible on your tax return.

Where can I find my anniversary month if I do not remember when I formed my LLC?

You can search the Illinois Secretary of State business entity database at apps.ilsos.gov/businessentitysearch/. Enter your LLC's name and the state will display your filing details, including the date your Articles of Organization were filed. The month of that date is your anniversary month.

Bottom Line

The Illinois LLC annual report is a $75 filing requirement that comes due once every 12 months before the first day of your anniversary month. While the fee is modest, the penalties for missing the deadline escalate quickly: loss of good standing, a $100 penalty if the default is not cured in time, accumulating penalties for continued non-compliance, and eventually administrative dissolution if you do not act. Filing online takes just a few minutes and costs $75. Setting a calendar reminder now ensures you will not miss the deadline and will avoid unnecessary penalties.

If you have questions about your specific annual report deadline, your registered agent's role, or what to do if your LLC has already been administratively dissolved, contact the Illinois Secretary of State at https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/business-services.html or file your report online at ilsos.gov/departments/business-services/annual-reports.html.

Disclaimer: This content is informational only and is not legal or tax advice. State regulations, fees, and procedures change. Before taking action on any annual report deadline or penalty issue, consult a qualified Illinois attorney and a CPA familiar with your specific business structure. This guide is current as of October 2026 but should not be relied on as a substitute for professional guidance tailored to your situation.