The SingleFile Compliance Library

When you form or manage a company, you interact with the state Secretary of State (SOS)  more than any other state office. Almost every filing — from initial formation to annual reports, amendments, name reservations, and withdrawals — goes through that agency. This process seems straightforward at first: fill out a form, pay a fee, and you’re done. But as soon as you’re operating in multiple states or managing several entities, and keeping up with recurring filings, things g

Choosing the right state to form your company is a strategic decision with real operational consequences. Delaware, Texas, and Nevada are among the most common choices—each with different strengths, norms, and myths. If you’re building a venture-backed Delaware corporation, opening operations in Texas, or weighing Nevada’s perceived privacy benefits, the decision usually comes down to two questions: How do you intend to finance your company? Where will you actually do busines

Every year, thousands of legal entities lose their good standing with a state — not because of major issues, but because they missed a simple filing deadline. The annual report is one of the most overlooked parts of ongoing compliance, and yet it’s what keeps your business officially recognized, active, and in good standing. This playbook walks through what annual report filings are, when and how to file them, and what to watch for so your legal entity stays compliant across

If you’ve started a business or manage compliance filings, you’ve probably noticed that some states refer to a “registered agent,” while others use the term “statutory agent” or “resident agent” or “agent for service of process.” The terminology can be confusing — but the function is the same. Every state requires an official contact person or company authorized to receive legal and government correspondence on behalf of your business. The sole exception would be the state of

If you’ve formed an entity in the United States, you’re required to designate someone to receive official legal and government documents on your behalf. That role is performed by the registered agent . In some states you’ll see “statutory agent” or “resident agent,” but the job is the same: reliably accepting service of process (legal actions), tax notices, annual report reminders, and Secretary of State or equivalent filing office correspondence , and then getting these docu