What is Illinois LLC Foreign Qualification
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You want to do business in Illinois but are registered as a Domestic LLC in another state.
In order to legally conduct business in the state of Illinois you must register with the Illinois Secretary of State as
a Foreign LLC.
The process of registering as a Foreign LLC in Illinois is called Illinois LLC Foreign Qualification.
The process of Illinois LLC Foreign Qualification is similar to the process of forming a Domestic LLC in Illinois.
Your original formation documents (usually called Articles of Organization) and Operating Agreement apply to your Illinois Foreign LLC.
The Members and Officers of your Domestic LLC have the same roles in the Illinois Foreign LLC.
Specific requirements to qualify as a Foreign LLC in Illinois are explained below.
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Once you have made the decision to Qualify as a Foreign LLC in Illinois,
an Illinois lawyer can file your documents and act as a middle man for a few hundred dollars an hour;
or you can use an online service provider like PCF to perform these services.
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Put the money you save with PCF right where it belongs - into your new
Illinois Foreign LLC
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What do I have to do to Qualify as a Foreign LLC in Illinois
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1. Prove that you are registered in a state other than Illinois as a Domestic LLC
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- PCF can get your Certificate of Existence as quickly as possible from any state
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In order to register as a Foreign LLC in the state of Illinois, you must first prove that you are registered in another state as a
Domestic LLC.
You usually prove this with a Certificate of Good Standing, sometimes referred to as a Certificate of Existence or a Certificate of Fact, from the
state in which you are registered as a Domestic LLC.
Cost of a Good Standing Certificate for your Domestic LLC varies from state to state.
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2. Choose a name for your Illinois Foreign LLC
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- PCF will check to make sure that your Illinois Foreign LLC name is available, conforms to state of Illinois
LLC naming regulations, and will reserve the Foreign LLC name with the Illinois Secretary of State.
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Your Illinois Foreign LLC name can identify the type of products and services your business will provide;
or it may be the name of the founder; or it can be a combination of the two or something else.
In any case, the Illinois Foreign LLC name that you choose must be distinguishable from the name of any other registered Illinois LLC or other
business entity and the name must also be different from any reserved names on record with the state of Illinois.
Your Illinois Foreign LLC name must not imply that it was formed for a purpose other than that stated in the
Articles of Organization for your Domestic LLC
and your Illinois Foreign LLC name must not be a name that is likely to mislead the public.
The name of an Illinois Foreign LLC must include the word "Corporation" or
"Incorporated" or an abbreviation of one of these words.
It's important to choose a good name for your Illinois Foreign LLC because if you want to change it after you qualify you
will have to file amended documents with the Illinois Secretary of State (and pay a fee).
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3. Select an official address and a Registered Agent for your Illinois Foreign LLC
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- PCF can act as the official Registered Agent for your Illinois Foreign LLC.
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Every Illinois Foreign LLC must have an address that is physically located in the state of Illinois.
This address is "registered" with the Illinois Secretary of State.
The Registered Address is where official and legal correspondence can be delivered.
The individual or company that is registered with the state of Illinois to receive all correspondence on behalf of the Illinois
Foreign LLC is called a "Registered Agent".
You may act as your own Registered Agent, however, many Illinois Foreign LLCs hire a Registered Agent because they don't have a physical
address within the state of Illinois or to provide a distinct level of privacy.
PCF provides Registered Agent services in Illinois as well as any other state.
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4. File Registration Documents with the Illinois Secretary of State
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PCF can compile Registration Documents that are specific to your Illinois business and file them with
the Illinois Secretary of State.
Should the need arise, PCF can also draft and file amendments to your Registration Documents.
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In order to Qualify as a Foreign LLC in Illinois you must file Registration Documents with the Illinois Secretary of State.
The Registration Documents must include certain specific information about your Illinois business.
If the Registration Documents do not conform exactly to state of Illinois requirements they will be rejected.
You may subsequently amend the Registration Documents for your Illinois Foreign LLC but you will have to pay a fee to
the state of Illinois in order to make the changes official.
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What do I have to do after I form my Illinois Foreign LLC
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1. Obtain Business Licenses from the cities and counties in which you plan to do business
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The business licenses or permits that are required for your Illinois Foreign LLC vary depending on your specific business
activities and the Illinois locations in which you want to conduct business.
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2. File the required reports for your Illinois Foreign LLC
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| The Annual Report includes basic information about your Illinois Foreign LLC including information on your Members and Officers.
Failure to submit a properly completed Illinois Annual Report to the Illinois Secretary of State on or before the
due date may subject the Illinois Foreign LLC to being administratively dissolved in the state of Illinois or having its authority to
transact business in the state of Illinois revoked by the Illinois Secretary of State.
Penalties may accrue if you fail to file any Illinois LLC Annual Report to the Illinois Secretary of State by the due date.
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3. Keep proper records of your Illinois Foreign LLC on file
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Keep the following records on file and available at the principal business office of your Illinois Foreign LLC:
- Names and addresses of all Members and Officers of the Illinois Foreign LLC
- Articles of Organization and any Amendments to them
- Copies of all tax returns and reports for the Illinois Foreign LLC for the last 3 years
- If the Illinois Foreign LLC has an Operating Agreement, a copy of the Operating Agreement and any Amendments
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4. Pay your taxes to the state of Illinois
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Foreign LLCs that either do business in the state of Illinois or that derive income from sources within the state of Illinois are subject to Illinois
tax laws.
If you are engaged in intrastate business and derive income from other states besides Illinois, you must allocate the amount of income derived
from the state of Illinois in order to determine your Illinois state taxes.
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