Yes, filing an annual return or report is mandatory for most registered business entities (corporations, LLCs) in nearly all U.S. states and many jurisdictions to maintain "good standing". Failure to file can lead to late fees, penalties, administrative dissolution, and loss of liability protection.
If you don't file an annual report, your business risks late fees, suspension of its right to do business, and eventually administrative dissolution (being shut down by the state), which can lead to losing your liability protection, making it hard to get financing or contracts, and having your business name taken by others. Reinstatement is often possible but involves back payments, penalties, and extra paperwork, according to NCH inc..
Annual Return
All companies, including inactive and dormant companies, are required to file annual returns. As long as a company's status is "live", it must file its annual return with ACRA even if IRAS has exempted the company from filing its income tax return. Read our guide on filing Annual Returns.
If you do not complete your annual return, the Registrar may remove your company from the register, which means it would cease to exist. This could have serious consequences. For example: Your business would have difficulty obtaining credit, goods or services.
Persons liable for filing Annual Return:
(a) An Input Service Distributor; (b) A person paying tax under Section 51 (i.e. TDS deductor); (c) A person paying tax under Section 52 (i.e. TCS collector); (d) A Casual Taxable Person; and (e) A Non Residential Taxable Person.
If you don't file an annual report, your business risks late fees, suspension of its right to do business, and eventually administrative dissolution (being shut down by the state), which can lead to losing your liability protection, making it hard to get financing or contracts, and having your business name taken by others. Reinstatement is often possible but involves back payments, penalties, and extra paperwork, according to NCH inc..
Penalty Charge
More than 15 days and up to 30 days (Sections 93, 139 and 157) and up to 30 days in remaining forms. The penalty for not filing a company's annual return (Form MGT-7 and Form AOC-4) is set to be increased to Rs. 200 per day.
If you don't file an annual report, your business risks late fees, suspension of its right to do business, and eventually administrative dissolution (being shut down by the state), which can lead to losing your liability protection, making it hard to get financing or contracts, and having your business name taken by others. Reinstatement is often possible but involves back payments, penalties, and extra paperwork, according to NCH inc..
Penalty for non-compliance
Failure to file CIT returns attracts a penalty of NGN 25,000 for the first month and NGN 5,000 for each subsequent month of default.
You generally don't have to file U.S. federal taxes if your income falls below the standard deduction for your filing status (e.g., single, married) and age, but you might still need to if you have self-employment income over $400, certain investment income, or received Social Security benefits that become taxable due to other income. Even if not required, filing is smart to claim refundable credits or get refunds, but some people, like certain low-income seniors or those with only non-taxable income, are typically exempt.
Types of Annual Returns (GSTR-9, 9A, 9C)
It is mandatory if your business's turnover is more than ₹2 crore during the financial year.
At a glance
The minimum income amount to file taxes depends on your filing status and age. For 2025, the minimum income for Single filing status for filers under age 65 is $15,750 . If your income is below that threshold, you generally do not need to file a federal tax return.
The penalty for not filing financial statements is governed by Section 137(3). The company faces a penalty of ₹10,000, plus ₹100 for each day of continuing default (max ₹2,00,000).
No, you generally cannot skip a year of filing taxes if you meet the IRS filing requirements (income thresholds, self-employment earnings, etc.), as it's a legal obligation that can lead to significant penalties and interest if you owe taxes, though you might not need to file if your income is below the standard deduction and you have no other filing triggers. It's always better to file a late tax return (even if you can't pay immediately) to avoid penalties, especially if you're owed a refund, which you can lose if you file more than three years late.
Yes, annual reports are mandatory for the entities that need to file them to remain in good standing.
The total number of companies fined for filing accounts more than six months late was 11,463 in 2023-24 compared to just 3,418 in 2019-20. Businesses that file accounts less than one month late will incur a penalty of £150, rising steeply to £1,500 where accounts are filed more than six months late.
§ 1.6011-1(a). Any taxpayer who has received more than a statutorily determined amount of gross income is obligated to file a return. Failure to file a tax return could subject the noncomplying individual to criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment, as well as civil penalties.
One of the first things all working professionals should know is that under Section 139 of the Income Tax Act, it is mandatory to file Income Tax Returns (ITR) every year within the due date prescribed under Section 139(1).
If you don't file taxes for a year and owe money, you face significant penalties and interest, including a 5% per month failure-to-file penalty (up to 25%), a separate failure-to-pay penalty, and accruing interest, potentially leading to wage garnishment, bank levies, and even criminal charges in extreme cases; however, if you are due a refund, there's no penalty, but you must file within three years to claim it.
If you don't file an annual report, your business risks late fees, suspension of its right to do business, and eventually administrative dissolution (being shut down by the state), which can lead to losing your liability protection, making it hard to get financing or contracts, and having your business name taken by others. Reinstatement is often possible but involves back payments, penalties, and extra paperwork, according to NCH inc..
An Annual Return Date (ARD) of a company is the latest date to which an annual return must be made up. The annual return must be filed with the CRO within 56 days of the date to which it is made up.
According to section 705(1) of the Companies' Act, if a Company neglects to submit the Annual Return or submits one that does not comply with section 705(3), both the Company and any officer in default are subject to conviction for an offense, with each liable to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand shillings.
Who is required to file GSTR 9C? Every registered person under GST whose turnover during a financial year exceeds the prescribed limit of Rs. 5 crore must file a self-certified reconciliation statement in Form GSTR-9C. This statement must be filed by every GST-registered taxpayer, i.e. every GSTIN.
Penalty - 20% of tax involved is charged. Offence - Failure to file annual returns by the due date. Penalty - Additional tax equal to 5% of the normal tax, or Ksh. 10,000 in for Non-Individual Taxpayers.
If you do not file your return by the due date, you will have to pay a penalty for late filing. Additionally, you will lose certain benefits like carrying forward losses or faster processing of refunds.