# Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report

Country: United States
When: Domestic companies: no filing is required. Foreign reporting companies registered before 26 March 2025 had to file by 25 April 2025. Foreign reporting companies registered on or after 26 March 2025 must file within 30 calendar days after notice that their registration is effective.

Domestic companies no longer have to file beneficial ownership information (BOI) reports with FinCEN. In March 2025 FinCEN's interim final rule exempted entities created in the United States, and a final rule making those exemptions permanent took effect on 14 August 2026. Only entities formed under foreign law that are registered to do business in a US state or tribal jurisdiction, and that do not qualify for another exemption, still have to report.

## Who this applies to

- Entities formed under the law of a foreign country that registered to do business in any US state or tribal jurisdiction, unless exempt
- Not required: companies formed in the United States, and US persons who are beneficial owners or company applicants of a reporting company

## What to file

BOI report via FinCEN's online filing system listing beneficial owners (25%+ ownership or substantial control), their full legal name, DOB, address, and ID document. Foreign reporting companies list their beneficial owners only if those owners are not US persons.

## How to file

Online via fincen.gov BOI E-Filing System. Free. Foreign reporting companies file through the BOI E-Filing system on FinCEN's website at no charge.

## Payment due

No payment: informational filing.

## What happens if you miss it

For domestic companies and US persons there is no reporting duty and so no BOI penalty. For foreign reporting companies the Corporate Transparency Act civil and criminal penalties for willful failure to report remain in the statute. FinCEN says it does not send initial correspondence about CTA penalties by email or phone, so unsolicited messages of that kind should be treated with suspicion.

## Submission checklist

- Confirm whether the entity was formed under foreign law and is registered to do business in a US state or tribal jurisdiction. If not, no report is needed
- For a foreign reporting company, collect the name, date of birth, address and ID document for each non-US beneficial owner
- File the BOI report through FinCEN's online system if the entity is a foreign reporting company
- Update the report if the information changes, following FinCEN's current instructions

## Documents you need

- Certificate of authority or registration to do business in a US state
- Passport or other approved ID of each non-US beneficial owner
- Company legal name, trade names, EIN or foreign tax ID
- Address of the principal place of business

## Common mistakes to avoid

- Assuming a US LLC or corporation must still file: the domestic exemption is now final
- Ignoring the 30-day registration window for a foreign company that registers to do business in a US state
- Paying a third party for a BOI filing that the company does not need
- Sharing passport or ID copies with websites that are not FinCEN

Source: https://www.fincen.gov/boi