Annual report requirements in Michigan (MICA)
Michigan corporations file an Annual Statement with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) under MCL § 450.1911 by May 15 each year. The fee is $25, one of the lower annual filing fees in the US.
| MCL § 450.1911 | Annual statement required |
|---|---|
| Filing authority | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division |
| Form | Annual Statement, online via COFS |
| Deadline | May 15 each year |
| Filing fee | $25 online |
| Late consequences | $10 penalty; eventual administrative dissolution |
| Reinstatement | MCL § 450.1925 within 2 years |
- Filed with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)
- Fee $25; due May 15 each year (fixed deadline regardless of fiscal year or anniversary)
- Confirms resident agent, principal office, and directors and officers
- Late filing triggers a $10 penalty; sustained non-filing leads to administrative dissolution
- Reinstatement available within 2 years under MCL § 450.1925
What MCL § 450.1911 requires
Section 450.1911 of the Michigan Business Corporation Act requires every Michigan corporation to file an Annual Statement with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) by May 15 each year. The statement confirms the resident agent, principal office, and the names of directors and officers. The fee is $25, paid online through the Corporations Online Filing System (COFS).
The May 15 fixed deadline
Michigan's May 15 deadline applies to all corporations regardless of fiscal year or anniversary of incorporation. The fixed-day approach simplifies calendar management for counsel managing many Michigan corporations: a single date covers the entire portfolio. The trade-off is concentration of workload around mid-May.
Late filing and reinstatement
Late filing triggers an automatic $10 penalty added to the $25 fee. If the Annual Statement remains unfiled, LARA may administratively dissolve the corporation. Reinstatement under MCL § 450.1925 is available within two years of dissolution and requires filing all delinquent statements, paying penalties, and curing the underlying defaults. The two-year reinstatement window is shorter than several other states (Oregon's no-limit window, for example, or Indiana's five years).
What's distinctive about Michigan
Michigan's $25 fee is one of the lower annual filing fees in the US, which makes Michigan attractive for closely-held corporations and inactive holding companies. The two-year reinstatement window, however, is shorter than most states, so missed cycles need faster correction. Michigan does not impose a franchise tax for most for-profit corporations, which keeps total annual cost low. For corporations with operations in the Midwest, Michigan's straightforward filing system and modest fee structure compare favourably to Illinois (with its complex franchise tax) and Ohio (which famously doesn't require annual reports at all).
Octelligence tracks annual filing deadlines for every corporation in your portfolio, generates the required filing forms, and archives confirmations to the corporate records.
See Digital Corporate RecordsTracked deadlines, jurisdiction-specific forms, automated reminders, complete records.