Mississippi LLC Annual Report and Franchise Tax (2026)
Every Mississippi LLC must file an annual report with the Mississippi Secretary of State by April 15. There is no filing fee for the annual report, and it must be filed online through the Secretary of State's business portal. Franchise tax reaches only LLCs that are taxed as corporations for federal purposes.
Quick Answer
- Agency
- Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services
- Report fee
- No fee for the annual report
- Due
- April 15 each year; filing opens January 1
- How
- Online only, through the Secretary of State business portal
- Who files
- For-profit corporations, nonprofits, and LLCs operating in Mississippi
- Franchise tax
- Applies to entities taxed as corporations; minimum $25
- Penalty
- Administrative dissolution for failure to file
What the Mississippi Annual Report Is
The Mississippi annual report is a status filing made with the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division. The Secretary of State states that all for-profit corporations, nonprofit corporations, and limited liability companies operating in Mississippi are required to file it. The report confirms the entity's name, principal office, registered agent, and the managers or members of record. It is not an income tax return and it does not report revenue.
Mississippi differs from most states in one important respect: the annual report itself carries no filing fee for LLCs. The compliance burden is the deadline, not the cost. For the underlying formation document, see Mississippi Certificate of Formation and how to form an LLC in Mississippi.
Deadline and Filing Window
The filing window opens January 1 and the report is due by April 15 for for-profit corporations and LLCs. Nonprofit corporations get an extra month, with a May 15 deadline. There is no anniversary-based schedule in Mississippi; every for-profit entity shares the same April 15 date, which makes the reminder easy to set but also easy to lose inside federal tax season.
| Entity type | Filing opens | Due | Report fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited liability company | January 1 | April 15 | No fee |
| For-profit corporation | January 1 | April 15 | See fee schedule |
| Nonprofit corporation | January 1 | May 15 | See fee schedule |
Because April 15 also carries the federal individual return deadline, many Mississippi owners batch the two: file the Secretary of State report first because it takes minutes and costs nothing, then handle the federal filing or extension. A federal extension does not extend the Mississippi annual report deadline - they are unrelated filings with different agencies.
How to File the Annual Report
Mississippi requires the report to be submitted online through the Secretary of State's business filing portal. You start by entering the organization's Business ID number, which is the identifier assigned when the entity was registered and which appears on the public record. The portal loads the current registry data and asks you to confirm or correct it.
Look up the Business ID first if you do not have it; the public record also confirms your standing and registered agent. See Mississippi business entity search for how to pull the record, and Mississippi registered agent requirements for the rules on who may serve.
Consequences of Not Filing
The Secretary of State warns that failure to submit the annual report may result in administrative dissolution of the organization. Administrative dissolution strips the LLC of its authority to conduct business other than winding up, and the entity name becomes available again. Because the report itself is free, the only reason an LLC falls behind is that nobody watched the date.
The downstream effects usually appear first: a bank, lender, or out-of-state registry asks for a certificate of good standing and the Secretary of State will not issue one to a delinquent entity. Reinstatement means filing the missed reports and, in most cases, a reinstatement application. If the business is genuinely finished, file a proper dissolution instead - see how to dissolve an LLC in Mississippi.
Mississippi Franchise Tax and LLCs
Franchise tax in Mississippi is administered by the Mississippi Department of Revenue, not the Secretary of State, and it is tied to how the entity is classified for federal income tax. The Department of Revenue explains that a domestic or foreign LLC is classified for Mississippi income tax purposes the same way it is classified federally.
- LLC taxed as a partnership - files as a pass-through entity for Mississippi purposes and is not subject to corporate franchise tax at the entity level.
- Single-member LLC that is disregarded - the activity is reported on the owner's return.
- LLC that elects corporate treatment - files as a corporation for Mississippi income and franchise tax purposes. Mississippi's corporate franchise tax carries a minimum tax of $25.
The practical takeaway is that most small Mississippi LLCs - single-member or member-managed with default classification - never touch the franchise tax. It becomes relevant only when the LLC makes a corporate election. See S-corp election in Mississippi and S-corp vs LLC before making that choice, because the election changes state filing obligations as well as federal ones.
Other Recurring Mississippi Obligations
The annual report is only one of several recurring items. Depending on activity, a Mississippi LLC may also need to keep a sales and use tax permit current with the Department of Revenue, withhold and remit state income tax if it has employees, and renew local privilege licenses. None of these substitute for the annual report.
On the federal side, a multi-member LLC files a partnership return and issues Schedule K-1s; a single-member LLC reports on Schedule C; and owners generally owe self-employment tax on their share of business income. See self-employment tax in Mississippi, Mississippi LLC tax filing, and how to get an EIN for the federal mechanics.
Foreign LLCs Registered in Mississippi
An out-of-state LLC that has qualified to transact business in Mississippi is also "operating in Mississippi" for report purposes and files the same annual report on the same April 15 schedule. Its report confirms the Mississippi registered agent and office along with the entity details held in the home state. Fees for foreign-entity filings other than the annual report appear in the Secretary of State's fee schedule, so check that document rather than assuming the domestic amounts apply.
Foreign qualification and the annual report are separate events. Qualifying once does not create a standing obligation that files itself; the report must be submitted every year the registration stays open. If the out-of-state LLC stops doing business in Mississippi, withdraw the registration rather than letting the reports lapse, otherwise the record stays open and delinquent. See foreign LLC registration in Mississippi for the qualification steps and registered agent basics for the agent requirement that comes with it.
Annual Compliance Checklist
- Set a recurring reminder for early April; the report is due April 15 and costs nothing.
- Keep your Business ID number where you can find it - the portal requires it to start.
- Confirm the registered agent and principal office on the record before filing.
- Confirm your federal classification; only a corporate election triggers franchise tax.
- Keep Department of Revenue accounts (sales tax, withholding) separate from the report.
- Refresh the Mississippi operating agreement when membership changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Mississippi annual report cost?
Nothing. The Mississippi Secretary of State charges no fee for the LLC annual report. See neighboring state costs for comparison and the linked fee schedule for other filings.
When is the Mississippi annual report due?
April 15 for LLCs and for-profit corporations, with filing open from January 1. Nonprofits file by May 15.
Does a Mississippi LLC pay franchise tax?
Only an LLC taxed as a corporation. Pass-through LLCs owe no entity-level franchise tax; the corporate minimum is $25.
Can I file the Mississippi annual report by mail?
No. Filing is online only, through the Secretary of State portal, and starts with your Business ID number.
What happens if a Mississippi LLC does not file its annual report?
The Secretary of State may administratively dissolve it. See Mississippi dissolution for the voluntary alternative.
Is the annual report the same as a Mississippi tax return?
No. The report goes to the Secretary of State; income, franchise, and sales taxes go to the Department of Revenue.
Related
- How to form an LLC in Mississippi
- Mississippi Certificate of Formation
- Mississippi Articles of Organization
- Mississippi registered agent requirements
- Mississippi business entity search
- Mississippi LLC tax filing
- Mississippi DBA filing
- Mississippi business license
- How to dissolve an LLC in Mississippi
- How to start a business in Mississippi
- Business tax hub
Sources
- Mississippi Secretary of State - Annual Reports (who must file, April 15 and May 15 deadlines, online filing, Business ID, administrative dissolution).
- Mississippi Secretary of State - Fees & Forms Directory.
- Mississippi Secretary of State - Business Documents Filing Fees.
- Mississippi Secretary of State - Business FAQs.
- Mississippi Department of Revenue - Corporate Income and Franchise Tax (minimum franchise tax).
- Mississippi Department of Revenue - Business Tax FAQs (LLC classification follows federal treatment).
- IRS - Limited Liability Company (LLC).
- IRS - Get an Employer Identification Number.
- IRS - About Form 2553 (S corporation election).
- Legal Information Institute (Cornell) - 26 CFR 301.7701-3 (entity classification).
LegalGlass provides general information for educational purposes and is not legal advice, is not a law firm, and is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney or tax professional. Laws, fees, and thresholds change; verify current amounts with the Mississippi Secretary of State and the Mississippi Department of Revenue before acting.