Why You Need A Certificate Of Good Standing?

A certificate of good standing is absolutely necessary once you have a company in order to show that your business is actually registered and that it is authorized to do business within your home state. It also signals that your business is following all of the requirements of the state. This certificate is also known as a certificate of authorization, status certificate, certificate of existence etc. This document is actually issued by the state and you should be able to provide it once you are asked for it.

The necessity of a certificate of good standing is dependent on the state that you’re in as well as the type of business you have. This certificate isn’t required if you have a sole proprietorship. However, if you have a limited liability company or corporation, then you will absolutely need to get this certificate. If you have a partnership, limited liability partnership or limited partnership then the necessity of this certificate will be dependent on the specific state that your business is in. Now, even if you are in a state that doesn’t require it for your business type, once you are conducting business with another entity that needs to have this certificate, then you will be required to have one as well.

Certificate of good standing

Get a Certificate of Good Standing for your business

A Certificate of Good Standing (also called a Certificate of Status, a Certificate of Existence, or a Certificate of Fact) provides evidence that your company has submitted all required reports and paid all required fees to the state. We can help you obtain a Certificate of Good Standing in all 50 states.

certificate of good standing

What Does It Mean Having A Certificate Of Good Standing?

This certificate shows that your business has filed the necessary reports as well as paid all the necessary fees as determined by the Secretary of State’s office. This shows that your company actually exists and can legally do business in that state.

Is It Possible To Lose Good Standing?

If there is a failure to maintain good standing, then this is something that you will need to quickly address. There are many ways that your company can lose good standing and these include not paying franchise taxes or not paying them on time, not filing annual reports in a timely manner, not maintaining an office that is registered or a registered agent

So, if your business is not in compliance, this will result in the change of its status in the state. Now, the seriousness of these consequences would be dependent on the state your business is in since some states are more lenient than others. There are certain states that provide a lot more time than others for corrections before they place an adverse status on your business.

If your company loses good standing, then you’ll need to deal with various fines and penalties. It is even possible for your company to lose individual limited liability protection and the entity itself may be dissolved. So, as you can see, it is critical that you ensure your business is always in good standing and you should check its status at least once per month.

Conclusion

In summary, we have just covered why you need a certificate of good standing for your business and the consequences of not remaining in good standing. So, once you are in the process of setting up your business or already have one, make sure that you obtain this certificate as soon as possible.