PLEASE REVISIT THIS PAGE ON A REGULAR BASIS FOR UPDATES, AND ACCESS TO THE NEW SYSTEM.
Dear ANNUAL REPORT FILERS & BIENNIAL REPORT FILERS, The Vermont Secretary of State is moving to a new system with which to file your annual reports.
In order to accommodate the large volume of filers, we are giving each entity type an extension to their due date, and opening up annual report filing in the new system on a rolling basis. In particular,
December LLC, Corporations annual report filers that are now due – PLEASE READ
1) Be on the lookout for the following correspondence from us in January.
a. General notice post card
b. Official Login Credentials
c. Your usual Annual Report letter
i. NOTE: If you fail to receive your Login letter, please wait until March 1st to call us for a new letter. You will be provided with ample time to file.
2) Follow the instructions on the letter and revisit this website after February 1st to file your online annual report in the new system.
3) All December filers have been granted an extension to file their annual report from March 15th to April 30th to accommodate this change.
All Non-Profits with a Biennial Report due - PLEASE READ
1) Be on the lookout for correspondence from us by February 10th.
2) Follow the instructions on the letter and revisit this website on February 15th to file your online biennial report in the new system.
3) All Non Profit filers have been granted an extension to file their biennial report to April 30th to accommodate this change.
All January LLC and Corporations annual report filers - PLEASE READ
1) Be on the lookout for correspondence for your annual report notice from us, as usual, the first week of February.
2) Follow the instructions on the notice and revisit this website to file your annual report in the new system.
3) All January annual reports are due by April 30th.
Please revisit this page for any scheduling updates. It is our intention to make the transition to the new system as seamless as possible for our clients.
Commonly Asked Questions:
1) Why is the Secretary of State updating its IT system?
a. Obsolescence: The existing system is over 20 years old and based on a platform that is no longer support by the vendors (i.e. M.S. DOS).
b. Safety of Public Records: The existing system is subject to frequent critical failures and is an unreliable depository for critical data.
c. Business ID Theft: The new system will allow our client’s to better protect themselves against unknown changes to their record through the use of a centralized inbox, instant email notifications, text messaging notifications, and a free Iphone app.
d. Good Government: As part of our promise to be more transparent, the new system will allow us to audit and meet performance goals that ensure your tax dollars are being used as efficiently as possible. This type of accountability and activity reporting is not possible in the existing system.
2) Is there anything else I need to know about the new system?
a. We will need an email address from you. Just like any online system you already deal with (i.e. Amazon, utilities, cable etc..) this system is based on your email address. Please think about which email address you wish to use for your business.
Think of your email as you would the mailing address of your business. Select an email that is monitored regularly for common business filings, receipts or uses. In some cases this may be a personal email, or a general email. Depends on the business.
b. What are the benefits to giving you my email? The greatest benefit is the ability to receive your renewals, confirmations, certificates, receipts and notices quickly by email. You are also notified by email whenever a change is made to your record, whether intentional or not, to protect your businesses identity with us.
3) Is my Credit Card information safe?
a. Our new payment gateway is based on industry standards shared by your most common online retailers like Amazon or Walmart. The payment step in your annual report is handled by a certified third party payment system, Authorize.net, which is a subsidiary of the Visa Credit Card company, and also the largest payment gateway on the internet. The data is encrypted and is not seen by the State of Vermont.
4) Do you save my Credit Card information?
a. No. We do NOT save any credit card, or checking information. The payment step in your annual report is handled by a certified third party payment system, Authorize.net. No credit card information is retained, stored, or associated with your record in any way by the State of Vermont.
5) Do you still offer a “Print and Mail” option for annual reports? No. The new Online Service Portal can now accommodate payment by checks directly online. In an effort to reduce waste and eliminate the risk of lost paper files and delays, the e-check option now allows users to pay by check without the hassle of a paper mailing.