Vermont Foreign Qualification

Why You Need To Do It – Any LLC or corporation will have to foreign qualify if it wishes to begin operations outside its home state. This includes opening a warehouse or rental shop and even includes just having a single employee working as a representative for your business within Vermont.

When Should You Do It? – As soon as a company decides that it will be operating in Vermont, it should begin the process of foreign qualification in order to ensure full compliance and that no delays impede its business plans. Generally, you will need to receive Vermont foreign qualification if your company falls under any of the following criteria:

• Has a physical presence in Vermont
• Buying a property there
• Have remote employees
• Accepts orders in Vermont
• Owns a bank account in Vermont

There are a few steps that must be taken in order to obtain your Vermont foreign qualification. These include the following.

1. Obtain Certificates – You will have to start by filing an Application for Certificate of Authority. You will need to request this form if you want to mail it in, otherwise you can file online through the Secretary of State website. You should also obtain a Certificate of Good Standing or the equivalent from your company’s home state. Vermont also requires you to include a self-addressed envelope.

2. Collect And Submit Information – The forms will request a variety of information about your business.

LLC

• LLC name or a similar identifier
• Name of the home state
• Fiscal year end month
• Purpose of the business
• Business email address (optional)
• Principal office street address and mailing address
• Name and address of the registered agent in Vermont
• The management structure
• Names and addresses of managers and members
• Effective date of application
• An authorized signature

Corporation

• Corporation name
• Verify if nonprofit or profit
• The month when the fiscal year ends
• Purpose of the business
• Name of the home state
• Date of formation of the corporation
• Business email address (optional)
• Name and address of the registered agent
• Principal office street address and mailing address
• Names and addresses of current officers and directors
• Effective date of application
• An authorized signature

3. Appoint Registered Agent – The registered agent is the person responsible for handling the specifics of your foreign qualification as well as the ongoing compliance. Most businesses will allow a third party organization like DoMyLLC to serve as their registered agent to simplify their daily workload.

4. File The Application – Upon finishing the application file it with the Secretary of State along with the filing fee of $125 for both an LLC and Corporation. You may file by mail or through the online portal.

5. Ongoing Maintenance – Businesses must file annual reports to remain compliant in Vermont. For a corporation or LLC this is due 2 and a half months after the end of the fiscal year, generally around the middle of February. It costs $200 for a corporation to file the annual report and $100 for an LLC to do so.

Business leaders today have a tremendous amount of things to focus on. The red tape involved in foreign qualification means that they have to spend hours away from leading their business. We take over for you and take the hard work off your shoulders. We provide:

•     Dedicated account manager
•     Name availability checks
•     Full filing and registration
•     Ongoing support when you need it

We handle the entire process of Vermont foreign qualification so you can focus on running your business the way you want. Contact us to learn more.

Vermont Office of Secretary of State
Phone Number:
(802) 828-2386

Address:
Vermont Secretary of State
128 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05633-1104