What happens if I never file my Illinois annual report?

The Secretary of State can administratively dissolve the LLC for failing to file. A dissolved LLC loses its good standing and the protection of doing business as an LLC until it is reinstated, which requires bringing all reports and fees current and paying a reinstatement fee.

Illinois LLC Annual Report: Fee, Due Date & Filing (2026)

Q: How much is the Illinois LLC annual report fee?

The Illinois LLC annual report fee is $75, paid to the Illinois Secretary of State each year. If you file more than 60 days late, a $100 penalty is added, bringing the total to $175. Online filers also pay a small payment-processor fee.

Q: When is the Illinois LLC annual report due?

It is due before the first day of your LLC's anniversary month each year - the month in which the LLC was originally formed or registered in Illinois. For example, an LLC formed on July 15 must file before July 1 each year.

Q: What form is the Illinois LLC annual report?

The form is LLC-50.1. Most LLCs file online through the Illinois Secretary of State's Business Services portal at ilsos.gov; you can also mail Form LLC-50.1. Online filing is available to LLCs with eight or fewer members and no changes to name, purpose, or registered agent.

Q: What is the penalty for filing the Illinois annual report late?

Illinois adds a $100 penalty if the report is not filed within 60 days after the due date, under 805 ILCS 180/50-15. Continued nonfiling can lead to administrative dissolution of the LLC, after which reinstatement requires filing all missed reports plus fees and a reinstatement fee.

Fact-checked by the LegalGlass editorial team against primary sources · Published Aug 6, 2026 · Last updated Aug 6, 2026

Every Illinois LLC must file an Annual Report with the Illinois Secretary of State each year, with a $75 filing fee (Form LLC-50.1), due before the first day of the LLC's anniversary month. File online at ilsos.gov. If you are more than 60 days late, Illinois adds a $100 penalty, and continued nonfiling can lead to administrative dissolution.

Quick Answer

Agency: Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services
Form: Form LLC-50.1 (file online at ilsos.gov)
Fee: $75 (2026)
Due date: Before the first day of your LLC's anniversary month, every year
Late penalty: $100 if more than 60 days late (total $175)
Nonfiling: Administrative dissolution; reinstatement requires back reports + fees

What the Illinois LLC Annual Report Is

The Illinois annual report is a yearly filing that keeps your LLC's public record current with the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services. It is not a tax return and it does not calculate income; it simply confirms basic information about the company - its name, principal office, registered agent, and managers or members - and keeps the LLC in good standing. Every domestic and foreign LLC registered in Illinois must file it, using Form LLC-50.1.

The filing is required by the Illinois Limited Liability Company Act (805 ILCS 180). Think of it as the annual "check-in" that runs parallel to, but separately from, your state tax obligations and any business licenses. If you formed the entity recently, see how to form an LLC in Illinois for where the annual report fits in the overall lifecycle.

Filing Fee: $75

The standard Illinois LLC annual report fee is $75, paid to the Secretary of State each year. This is a flat fee that does not vary with the size or revenue of your LLC. If you file online, the state's payment processor charges a small additional transaction fee on top of the $75. There is no separate franchise tax for LLCs in Illinois (the franchise tax applies to corporations), so for most LLCs the $75 annual report fee is the main recurring state cost.

Compare this with the one-time formation cost and other fees in our guide to Illinois LLC cost. Budgeting the $75 every year - and filing on time - is the simplest way to keep your LLC compliant and avoid the penalties described below.

The fee is set by statute in the Illinois Limited Liability Company Act, so it applies uniformly whether your LLC is a single-member side business or a multi-member operating company. Because it is flat, the annual report is one of the more predictable costs of running an Illinois LLC - unlike a corporation's franchise tax, it does not scale with capital or income. Treat it as a fixed line item in your yearly compliance budget alongside any local business licenses and your federal and state tax filings.

When It's Due: Your Anniversary Month

The Illinois annual report is due before the first day of your LLC's anniversary month each year. Your anniversary month is the month in which the LLC was originally organized in Illinois (for a domestic LLC) or admitted to do business in Illinois (for a foreign LLC). For example, if your LLC was formed on July 15, the report is due before July 1 each year - that is, by the end of June.

The Secretary of State generally allows you to file up to a couple of months before the due date, so you do not have to wait until the deadline. Because the due date is tied to your specific formation date rather than a single statewide deadline, set a recurring reminder keyed to your anniversary month. You can confirm your exact date and status through the Secretary of State's business database.

Note that the Illinois due date differs from the pattern in many other states, which set a single calendar deadline (such as April 15) for every entity. Illinois instead staggers deadlines by anniversary month, which spreads filings across the year but makes it easy to lose track of your own date - especially if you own LLCs formed in different months. The report technically covers the year ahead and must be on file before the anniversary month begins, so "before July 1" for a July-formed LLC means you cannot wait until mid-July.

How to File (Online and by Mail)

Most LLCs file online through the Illinois Secretary of State's Business Services portal at ilsos.gov. You select your entity, review the pre-filled information, make any permitted updates, and pay the $75 fee by credit or debit card. Online filing is available to LLCs with eight or fewer members and only where you are not changing the LLC's name, duration, or purpose, or the name of the registered agent or the address of the registered office.

If your report includes one of those changes, or your LLC has more than eight members, you file Form LLC-50.1 by mail instead. Changes to your registered agent generally require a separate change filing rather than being handled inside the online annual report. Whichever method you use, keep the confirmation for your records.

What Information You Report

The annual report asks you to confirm or update the LLC's core public details:

The LLC's legal name and Illinois file number;
The principal place of business;
The registered agent and registered office in Illinois;
The names and addresses of the managers (if manager-managed) or members with management authority; and
The general purpose of the business.

Because this is a public record, accuracy matters - lenders, clients, and courts rely on it. If your details have not changed, filing is quick; if they have, use the correct method (online for minor confirmations, mail for the restricted changes listed above). Keep your operating agreement consistent with what you report.

Late Penalties and the $100 Fee

Illinois gives a short grace window but then penalizes late filers. Under 805 ILCS 180/50-15, if the annual report and fee are not filed before the first day of the second month after the anniversary month - that is, more than 60 days after the due date - the Secretary of State adds a $100 penalty. Added to the $75 fee, that brings the total to $175. The penalty is not prorated; it applies once you cross the 60-day line.

The penalty can compound over multiple years of delinquency, so a report ignored for several years costs substantially more than one filed on time. The cheapest path is always to file before the anniversary-month deadline. If you have already missed it, file as soon as possible to stop further penalties and to avoid the more serious consequence of administrative dissolution.

Administrative Dissolution and Reinstatement

If an LLC continues to ignore its annual report, the Secretary of State can administratively dissolve it under the Illinois LLC Act. Administrative dissolution strips the LLC of its good standing; while dissolved, the company should not be carrying on business as usual, and its name can become available to others. This is a real risk, not a formality - losing good standing can disrupt contracts, financing, and banking.

To come back, the LLC must be reinstated: file all delinquent annual reports, pay all outstanding fees and penalties, and pay a reinstatement fee. Reinstatement generally restores the LLC as if the dissolution had not occurred, but the back fees add up. If you instead want to close the business intentionally, follow how to dissolve an LLC in Illinois rather than letting it lapse.

Corporations and Other Entities (Brief Contrast)

The rules here are specific to LLCs. Illinois corporations also file an annual report with the Secretary of State, but they pay a different fee plus a franchise tax based on paid-in capital, and their report has its own form and rules. If you operate a corporation rather than an LLC, do not assume the $75 LLC figure applies. For the difference between the structures, see LLC vs. corporation. This page covers the LLC annual report only.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the Illinois LLC annual report fee?

$75 per year to the Secretary of State. A $100 penalty is added if you file more than 60 days late, for a total of $175, plus a small online processing fee.

When is the Illinois LLC annual report due?

Before the first day of your LLC's anniversary month each year - the month the LLC was formed or registered in Illinois.

What form is the Illinois LLC annual report?

Form LLC-50.1. Most LLCs file online at ilsos.gov; online filing is limited to LLCs with eight or fewer members and no changes to name, purpose, or registered agent.

What is the penalty for filing late?

A $100 penalty applies once the report is more than 60 days late under 805 ILCS 180/50-15, and continued nonfiling can lead to administrative dissolution.

What happens if I never file?

The Secretary of State can administratively dissolve the LLC. Reinstatement then requires filing all missed reports, paying fees and penalties, and a reinstatement fee.

Sources

Illinois Secretary of State - File an Annual Report.
Illinois Secretary of State - Information for Filing an LLC Annual Report Online ($75; eight-or-fewer-member limit).
Illinois Secretary of State - Department of Business Services.
805 ILCS 180/50-15 - Fees, penalties, and Article 50 (annual report fee; $100 late penalty).
805 ILCS 180 Article 35 - Administrative dissolution and reinstatement.
Illinois General Assembly - Limited Liability Company Act (805 ILCS 180), full text.
Illinois Secretary of State - Corporation Annual Report Online (contrast with LLCs).
Illinois Department of Revenue - Business Registration (separate tax obligation).
IRS - Limited Liability Company (LLC) (federal classification).
IRS - Business Taxes.
Cornell Legal Information Institute - Limited liability company (Wex).
Cornell Legal Information Institute - Good standing (Wex).

LegalGlass provides general information for educational purposes and is not a law firm or a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney or tax professional. Laws, fees, and thresholds change; verify current requirements with the Illinois Secretary of State before acting.