Maryland LLC Annual Report: Form 1, Due April 15

Every LLC registered in Maryland, domestic or foreign, files an annual report with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT). The filing is Form 1, formally the Business Entity Annual Report, and depending on how you answer one section it may carry a Business Personal Property Return along with it. Below: the deadline, the fee, the filing mechanics, and what happens when the report slips.

When the Maryland Annual Report Is Due

Form 1 is due April 15 every year. The filing window opens January 1, and SDAT grants a free 60-day extension to June 15 if you request it online through Maryland Business Express before the deadline passes. The framework sits in Md. Code Tax-Property § 11-101 and Corps. & Ass'ns § 1-203, and details live on SDAT's annual report page.

The Maryland Annual Report Fee: $300

The fee is a flat $300 per entity, unrelated to property values or income. Online filers pay a 3% technology fee on top, which lands the total near $309. LLCs that meet the MarylandSaves retirement-program participation criteria can have the $300 fee waived entirely.

The Personal Property Return: Sometimes Attached, Sometimes Not

Form 1 does double duty. Section I is the annual report itself, and Section II, the officer and director listing, belongs to corporations alone, so an LLC skips it. Section III then asks two questions: did the entity own, lease, or use personal property in Maryland, and did it hold a trader's or other local license? Answer no to both and Form 1 stays a plain annual report. Answer yes to either and Sections IV through VIII become the Business Personal Property Return, with Form 4A (balance sheet) and Form 4B (depreciation schedule) attached whenever property is reported.

Any property tax that follows is a county or municipal matter, not a state one. SDAT assesses the value and certifies it to your county, which sends its own bill later. The only amount due with Form 1 itself is the $300 filing fee.

How to File Form 1

1. Gather your SDAT ID number, principal office address, and the current record for your registered agent (your resident agent, in Maryland's wording).
2. Sign in at Maryland Business Express, where standard online review takes roughly 3 to 5 business days, or download the paper package from SDAT's forms page.
3. Complete Section I, leave Section II alone since it applies to corporations only, and answer both Section III questions.
4. Fill out the personal property sections only if a Section III answer was yes.
5. Pay the $300 fee, plus the 3% technology fee online; same-day online processing is available for $325 when submitted by 2:30 PM.
6. Save the confirmation with your records and note that next year's window opens January 1.

Filing Late or Not at All

Maryland posts no flat late fee for the annual report. The monetary exposure runs through the personal property side instead: an initial penalty of 1/10 of 1% of the county assessment, plus interest of 2% of that penalty for every 30 days late. The heavier consequence is status. Fail to file and SDAT forfeits the Maryland charter, which means the LLC loses good standing, and a foreign LLC forfeits its right to do business in the state. Reinstating a forfeited charter means catching up on the missed reports before revival.

Foreign LLCs File Too

An out-of-state LLC registered in Maryland files Form 1 on the same April 15 schedule and pays the same $300, even with no property in the state. Its SDAT ID typically begins with an F, and it reports the principal office in its home state rather than in Maryland.

The Registered Agent Requirement Never Pauses

Alongside the yearly report, the LLC must keep a resident agent on record with SDAT at all times. Our registered agent service includes deadline reminders ahead of the April 15 filing, so the report never sneaks up on you.

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