As we approach the end of 2024, anyone associated with an entity formed in Maine or authorized to do business in Maine has probably recently received one or more unsolicited offers to help you file your 2025 annual report with the Maine Secretary of State’s Office.
Maine law requires every entity formed in Maine or authorized to do business in Maine to file a report annually with the Maine Secretary of State’s Office. The annual report form is prepared by the Maine Secretary of State’s Office and for 2025 it will not be available until January of 2025.
Recently we have received a solicitation from an organization identified as C.F.S. and the solicitation includes a form that looks deceptively similar to the format used by the Maine Secretary of State in past years. However, the form is not authorized or recognized by the Maine Secretary of State’s Office and the mailing comes from C.F.S. and not the State of Maine.
Solicitations such as this often try to scare the recipients into responding by claiming that immediate action is required, which in this case it is not. The Maine Secretary of State will not even be releasing the 2025 annual report until January 2025 and reporting entities will have until June 1, 2025, to file their reports with the Maine Secretary of State’s Office.
If you or your business receives an unsolicited offer or demand for you to file your 2025 annual report now, please be aware that you are not required to do so, and if you have questions or concerns about any solicitation that you receive regarding your annual report, you should contact an attorney, a business advisor, or the Maine Secretary of State’s Office.