Jun. 17—West Virginia's Secretary of State issued a notice Wednesday for business owners to file their Annual Report by the statutory deadline of June 30.

Businesses that miss the June 30 deadline will be flagged in the state's database as out of compliance. Late filers will be assessed a $50 late fee as required by law, according to Secretary of State Mac Warner.

With West Virginia boasting the highest number of registered businesses recorded in state history, more Annual Reports will need to be filed than ever before. Almost 99 percent of all Annual Reports are filed online. Online filings can take less than five minutes at the WV One Stop Business Portal found at Business4.WV.gov. Guest filing is available for business owners who prefer not to establish an online account.

The fee to file an Annual Report is $25, according to the Secretary of State's Office. Warner encouraged business owners to be wary of third-party solicitations that charge as much as $375 to file the Annual Report on behalf of the business. A third party is not required to file.

For assistance, call the WV Secretary of State's Office during regular business hours at 304-558-8000 to speak to a Business & Licensing specialist, or use SOLO, our new virtual assistant, accessible from the bottom right corner of wvsos.gov.

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com