If you change the principal business address or mailing address of your Limited Liability Company (LLC), it’s critical to update your information with the IRS, state, and local tax and licensing authorities. If you don’t, important tax and legal documents might go to the wrong place — and you could even risk your LLC status by failing to inform government agencies of your new address.
Fortunately, changing your LLC’s address in the federal, state, and local records isn’t rocket science; however, it does demand some of your time and attention.
1. Update Your LLC Address With the IRS
LLC owners must file IRS Form 8822-B (Change of Address or Responsible Party — Business) to change their company’s physical and mailing addresses with the IRS. The form must be mailed to the appropriate IRS address (per the form’s instructions).
Keep a copy of your completed and signed Form 8822-B in your LLC’s records file at your principal office location.
2. Change Your LLC Address With Your State
The requirements to update an address depend on where the LLC has moved. Remember to keep copies of all forms and correspondence in your LLC records book.
New Address in the Same State
If an LLC has moved its principal location but remains in the same state, it must update its existing records in that state. Most states require business owners to submit Articles of Amendment or a similar form — and pay a fee — to change an LLC address with the Secretary of State (or comparable office) where the LLC’s formation documents were filed.
For example, in California, CorpNet’s home state, an LLC must submit a change of principal address by filing an updated Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) with the Secretary of State. There is no fee for filing a Statement of Information for making a change to an LLC’s formation documents between the required bi-annual Statement of Information filings.
An LLC must also notify the state’s tax agency. In California, that involves filing form FTB 3533-B (Change of Address for Businesses, Exempt Organizations, Estates and Trusts) with the Franchise Tax Board.
In addition, an LLC with an unemployment compensation account through the state’s labor department must also notify that agency of the address change. The required forms and the process vary by state. You may be able to find the information on the state’s website or request instructions by calling or emailing the agency.
Moving an LLC to a New State
Some states allow LLCs to transfer their existence from another state by domesticating to the new state, while others require they go through the entire formation process of filing Articles of Organization. Either way, the LLC must designate a registered agent in the new state and obtain any required tax IDs, licenses, and permits to legally operate there.
If the LLC will no longer operate in its old state, it must file Articles of Dissolution to end the entity’s existence there and take care of other tasks required to wind down the business. If the LLC will operate in both states with its principal office in the new state, its owners should research what must be done to change the LLC’s status in the old state from a domestic LLC to a foreign LLC.
4. Change Your LLC Address With Your Local Tax Authority and Licensing Agencies
The form an LLC must use and the process it must follow will depend on the county or municipality’s requirements. Many local tax agencies have that information on their websites, or you can contact them to learn what’s involved. As I mentioned earlier, make copies of all forms and documents for your LLC’s records.
If an LLC has licenses or permits, it must inform the issuing agencies of its change of address. Even if your LLC didn’t need licenses at its old location, it might need them at its new location because licensing requirements vary from one jurisdiction to another. Also, remember to cancel licenses you no longer need if you’ve moved out of a licensing agency’s jurisdiction.
As I mentioned earlier, make copies of all forms and documentation for your LLC’s records.
5. Other Parties to Notify of Your LLC Address Change
The above considerations are the tip of the iceberg! Virtually every party your LLC conducts business with should know about your company’s new location or mailing address.
- Bank and other financial institutions
- Credit card company
- Insurance companies
- Suppliers and vendors
- Customers
In addition to notifying all of the above, update your LLC’s sales documents and marketing collateral, too.
- Website
- Social media accounts
- Local profiles like Google Business Profile, Bing Local, or Apple Maps
- Brochures and flyers
- Email signatures
- Sales letters
- Contracts
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