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After you form an LLC in Massachusetts, you must file an Annual Report every year.
This requirement applies to all LLCs doing business in Massachusetts, even if you didn’t earn any money in that year. You need to file an Annual Report in order to keep your LLC in compliance and in good standing with the state.
Mass. LLC Annual Report Filing Fee
If you file your Annual Report by mail, the filing fee is $500.
If you file your Annual Report online, the filing fee is $520 (there is an automatic $20 fee on top of the $500 filing fee). But your online report is processed within 1-2 days, instead of waiting for the mail.
Processing Times
The Secretary of State will process your Massachusetts Annual Report filing within a day or two.
This approval time is the same whether you file by mail or online.
Your Massachusetts Annual Report is due every year before your LLC’s anniversary date.
You can find your LLC’s anniversary date by looking at the date your Certificate of Organization was approved.
You can also search your LLC using the Business Entity Search, click on your LLC name, then look for the “Date of Organization in Massachusetts”.
For example: If you formed your LLC on April 2, 2026, your Annual Report is due every year before April 2. You can file the Annual Report any time, as long as it’s before April 2nd (your LLC’s anniversary).
When is my first Massachusetts LLC Annual Report due?
Your first LLC Annual Report is due the year after your LLC is formed.
For example: If your Massachusetts LLC was approved on April 2nd 2026, your first Annual Report would be due by April 2nd, 2027. Then it will be due every year going forward, again, due by April 2nd.
Is there a penalty for late Annual Reports?
If you don’t file by the deadline, your LLC will lose it’s good standing status, and will be marked delinquent.
If you continue to ignore this requirement, the state will dissolve (shut down) your LLC.
Here’s how it works:
If you don’t file your Annual Report for 2 years in a row, the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth will send a warning notice in September letting you know that your LLC will be dissolved on December 31.
The notice will be sent to the address where your business records records are maintained. If the notice is returned to the state as “undeliverable”, then they may send a second notice to your Registered Agent’s address.
If you don’t want your LLC to be administratively dissolved, you can file an Annual Report before the December 31 deadline.
Does Massachusetts send Annual Report reminders?
The state will mail a courtesy reminder to the principal office address a few months before the due date. This is just a courtesy though, and the state may not do this forever.
For this reason, we strongly recommend putting a repeating reminder on your calendar for approximately 90 days before your due date.
How do I file a Massachusetts Annual Report by mail?
Download the Annual Report (Form D) and complete it.
Prepare a $500 check or money order payable to “Commonwealth of Massachusetts”.
Mail your Annual Report and payment to:
Secretary of the Commonwealth
One Ashburton Place, Room 1717
Boston, Massachusetts 02108-1512
Can I file my Annual Report online?
Yes, you can file a Massachusetts LLC Annual Report online or by mail.
The instructions below are for online filing, but the same information will apply to the paper form if you file by mail.
Since the approval times are the same and the filing fees are nearly identical, we recommend you choose the filing method you are most comfortable with.
Instructions for Filing Massachusetts LLC Annual Report Online
Access the Massachusetts Online Filing System.
To login, enter the Customer ID Number and PIN that is included on the courtesy reminder the state mails you.
If you don’t have a Customer ID Number and PIN, send an email to the state (corpcid@sec.state.ma.us) with your LLC name.
Then select Annual Report from the list of Filing Forms and click Select to continue.
1a. Year
Enter 2026 (the year in which you’re submitting your Annual Report).
1b. Amendment of LLC Name (OPTIONAL)
If you don’t need to change your LLC’s name (most people don’t change it), skip this section. Just leave your LLC name in the box.
If you want to change your LLC’s name, you can do so here by checking the box for “Check if amending entity name.” There will be an additional fee if you amend the LLC’s name on the Annual Report.
If you checked the box, enter the new LLC name in the field below.
2. Address in the Commonwealth where the records will be maintained
This question is asking for your LLC’s Massachusetts address.
This can be a home address, an office address, or the address of your LLC’s Resident Agent (aka Registered Agent).
3. General Character of your Business
The general purpose of your LLC will appear in this field, taken from either your Certificate of Organization filing or your most recent Annual Report filing.
You can make changes to the general purpose here, but most people don’t need to do that.
You can enter just a few words (ex: “pizza shop”, “real estate investing”, “landscaping”, etc.). Or if you prefer to keep things open-ended, you can use this default language instead:
“Any lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”
4. Latest Date of Dissolution
In this section, you need to let the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth know about the duration of your LLC (how long it will remain in existence).
If you prefer for your LLC to be “open-ended” with no set closure date, leave this blank.
Most people leave this blank as this gives them the freedom to close their LLC at any time in the future (by filing dissolution paperwork).
If you prefer for your LLC to be automatically shut down on a specific date in the future, enter that specific date here.
5. Name and Street Address of Resident Agent (aka Registered Agent)
Enter the exact name of your Resident Agent and their street address (PO boxes are not allowed).
- Related article: If you’re not sure who can serve as your Massachusetts LLC’s Resident Agent, please refer to this lesson: Massachusetts Resident Agent.
6. Name and Address of each Manager, if any (if your LLC is Manager-Managed)
If your LLC is Manager-managed, you can add, remove and edit Managers here.
Click Add New Entry to this List for a new Manager, or simply edit the entry for an existing Manager.
If your LLC is Member-managed, you can leave this section blank.
Note: Most LLCs are Member-managed, where all the owners run the business and day-to-day operations. An LLC can also be Manager-managed, where one, or a few, designated people run the business and day-to-day operations (while the Members take a passive/investor role).
To learn more, check out Member-managed vs Manager-managed LLCs.
7. Name and Address of Authorized Signer(s) (if your LLC is Member-Managed)
If your LLC is Member-managed, you can add, remove and edit authorized signers here.
Click Add New Entry to this List enter the name and address of a person authorized to sign documents on behalf of the LLC. You can also remove or edit existing persons in the list.
If your LLC is Manager-managed, you can leave this section blank. If needed, you can enter any additional authorized signer’s name and address (in addition to the Manager(s) listed above).
8. Name and Address of Authorized Signer(s) (for Real Estate)
If your LLC is involved in real estate transactions, enter the name and address of all Members/Managers who are authorized to sign real estate documents.
If your LLC is not involved in real estate transactions, you can leave this section blank.
9. Additional Matters
This section is used to add additional rules and regulations to your Massachusetts LLC.
This section isn’t required, and won’t apply to most people. If that’s the case for you, you can leave it blank.
Filer’s Contact Information
Enter your name, mailing address and email address. The Secretary of State will contact you by email about the LLC Annual Report filing.
Delivery Method for Annual Report Notices
You can choose whether to have the state remind you about next year’s Annual Report by email or by mail.
If you choose email, enter your best email address in the box.
Signed Under Penalty of Perjury
Type your name in this box to sign the Annual Report Filing.
Select the “Accept” button to agree to the filing terms.
Review
Click “Review” to see your Annual Report filing.
Confirm the information is correct, and click “Make corrections” to edit your filing if needed.
When you’re finished, click “Submit Filing” to continue.
Payment
Enter your payment information, and submit the filing fee.
When you file your Massachusetts Annual Report online, the filing fee costs $520. This extra $20 is because the online filing is automatically “expedited”.
Approval
Congratulations! You’ve submitted your LLC Annual Report to the Massachusetts Secretary of State.
For both mail and online filings, Massachusetts will process the Annual Reports in 24-36 hours. They will not mail or email back any receipts or confirmation.
How to verify that your LLC Annual Report has been approved
To verify that your LLC Annual Report has been successfully filed online, wait a few days, then look up your LLC on the Massachusetts Business Entity Search.
Click on your LLC name and scroll down to the “View filings for this business entity” section. Click “Annual Report” once, then click the “View Filings” button.
We recommend saving/printing a copy of the Massachusetts LLC Annual Report for your records.
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Contact Info
If you have any questions, you can contact the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth at 617-727-9640. Their hours are Monday through Friday from 8:45am to 5:00pm, Eastern Time.
References
Massachusetts LLC Act: Section 156C-12(c)
Massachusetts Limited Liability Company Annual Report
Massachusetts Division of Corporations: LLC Annual Reports
Information verified on October 27, 2026
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.