Illinois LLC Annual Filing Requirements

Learn about annual report and tax filing requirements for Illinois LLCs.

By , Attorney
Need Professional Help? Talk to a Business Law Attorney.

There was a problem with the submission. Please refresh the page and try again
Full Name is required
Email is required
Please add a valid Email
Phone Number is required
Please add a valid Phone Number
Zip Code is required
Please add a valid Zip Code
Description is required
By clicking "Find a Lawyer", you agree to the Martindale-Nolo Texting Terms. Martindale-Nolo and up to 5 participating attorneys may contact you on the number you provided for marketing purposes, discuss available services, etc. Messages may be sent using pre-recorded messages, auto-dialer or other automated technology. You are not required to provide consent as a condition of service. Attorneys have the option, but are not required, to send text messages to you. You will receive up to 2 messages per week from Martindale-Nolo. Frequency from attorney may vary. Message and data rates may apply. Your number will be held in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

You should not send any sensitive or confidential information through this site. Any information sent through this site does not create an attorney-client relationship and may not be treated as privileged or confidential. The lawyer or law firm you are contacting is not required to, and may choose not to, accept you as a client. The Internet is not necessarily secure and emails sent through this site could be intercepted or read by third parties.

If you want to start and run an Illinois limited liability company (LLC), you'll need to prepare and file various documents with the state. This article covers the most important ongoing reporting and state tax filing requirements for Illinois LLCs.

Annual Report

The State of Illinois requires you to file an annual report for your LLC. You can file the annual report online at the SOS website or by mail using Form LLC-50.1. The report contains mainly some of the same information as the articles of organization. The report is due each year by the first day of the month in which your LLC was created. For example, if your LLC was created on July 15 then your report would be due by July 1. The current filing fee is $75. Filing a report late (more than 60 days after due date) incurs an additional $300 penalty.

State Business Taxes

When it comes to income taxes, most LLCs are so-called pass-through tax entities. In other words, the responsibility for paying federal income taxes passes through the LLC itself and falls on the individual LLC members. By default, LLCs themselves do not pay federal income taxes, only their members do.

Illinois, however, imposes a separate state tax directly on LLCs. Illinois more specifically calls this a personal property replacement tax. For typical LLCs (those not electing to be taxed as corporations) the tax is 1.5% of net income. The tax is payable to the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR). Use Form IL-1065 to pay the tax.

In some cases, the owners of an LLC choose to have their business treated like a corporation for tax purposes. This choice is made by filing IRS Form 2553 with the IRS. (See the IRS website for the form.) The State of Illinois, like almost every other state, taxes corporation income. In Illinois, the corporation income tax rate is a flat 5.25% of federal taxable income with adjustments. In addition, Illinois charges corporations the personal property replacement tax at a rate of 2.5% of net income. For more details, check Nolo's article, 50-State Guide to Business Income Tax, or the IDOR website.

State Employer Taxes

Does your LLC have employees? If so, you'll need to pay employer taxes. Some of these taxes are paid to the federal government (the IRS) and are not covered here. (But note that federal employer tax obligations start with obtaining a federal employer identification number (EIN).) However, Illinois employers also must pay taxes to the state.

First, you'll need to withhold and pay employee income taxes to IDOR. Begin by registering your business with IDOR either online (through the MyTaxIllinois website) or on paper (Form REG-1). Once you've registered, you'll need to file withholding taxes on a periodic basis (for example monthly) either online or using Form IL-501. You'll also need to periodically file Form IL-941. For more information, including regarding online filings, check the IDOR website.

In addition, you'll probably need to register to pay state unemployment insurance (UI) taxes. These taxes are handled through the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). You can register for these taxes onlinethrough the IDES TaxNet website or by using Form UI-1. Then, each quarter, use Form UI-3/40 to report on wages and pay the UI taxes. For more information, including regarding online filings, check the IDES website.

Sales and Use Taxes

If your LLC will sell goods to customers in Illinois, you will need to collect and pay sales tax. This means you'll have to register for this purpose with the Illinois Department of Revenue and then make periodic sales tax payments for goods sold. You can register online or mail in Form REG-1. Then, on a periodic basis, you must submit sales tax returns to IDOR. You can do this on paper (Form ST-1) or online (at the MyTaxIllinois website). For more information, check the IDOR website.

Registration in Other States

If you will be doing business in states other than Illinois, you may need to register your LLC in some or all of those states. Whether you're required to register will depend on the specific states involved: each state has its own rules for what constitutes doing business and whether registration is necessary. Often activities such as having a physical presence (a business location) in a state, hiring employees in a state, or soliciting business in a state (such as by telephone, print ads, mail, or the Internet) will be considered doing business for registration purposes. Registration usually involves obtaining a certificate of authority or similar document.

For more information on the requirements for forming and operating an LLC in Illinois, see Nolo's article, 50-State Guide to Forming an LLC, and other articles on LLCs in the LLC section of the Nolo website.

Get Professional Help
Talk to a Business Law attorney.
There was a problem with the submission. Please refresh the page and try again
Full Name is required
Email is required
Please add a valid Email
Phone Number is required
Please add a valid Phone Number
Zip Code is required
Please add a valid Zip Code
Description is required
By clicking "Find a Lawyer", you agree to the Martindale-Nolo Texting Terms. Martindale-Nolo and up to 5 participating attorneys may contact you on the number you provided for marketing purposes, discuss available services, etc. Messages may be sent using pre-recorded messages, auto-dialer or other automated technology. You are not required to provide consent as a condition of service. Attorneys have the option, but are not required, to send text messages to you. You will receive up to 2 messages per week from Martindale-Nolo. Frequency from attorney may vary. Message and data rates may apply. Your number will be held in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

You should not send any sensitive or confidential information through this site. Any information sent through this site does not create an attorney-client relationship and may not be treated as privileged or confidential. The lawyer or law firm you are contacting is not required to, and may choose not to, accept you as a client. The Internet is not necessarily secure and emails sent through this site could be intercepted or read by third parties.

How It Works

  1. Briefly tell us about your case
  2. Provide your contact information
  3. Choose attorneys to contact you