Delaware Annual Report: Notices, Agent and Scam Letters

17 October 2026 · Informational only · No affiliate links · 3 min read

General information, not tax, legal or financial advice. We are not the State of Delaware and are not affiliated with it. Check corp.delaware.gov or ask a qualified professional. Sources read on October 17, 2026 (passages cited). Dates after 2026 are expected; the amounts shown are the current rates on the State pages, not confirmed 2027 rates. Examples use made-up numbers. This page contains no affiliate links.

Short answer: the State's alert says to view suspiciously any mail or e-mail that does not come directly from the State or your Delaware registered agent (corp.delaware.gov/consumeralert). According to the State's FAQ (read earlier today; the page returned an error when we tried to re-read it), tax notices are printed in December and sent to the registered agent. The official filing is online at corp.delaware.gov and the State lists the filing fee as $50 for non-exempt domestic corporations ($25 if exempt).

Real amounts to compare with any letter

Report filing fee: $50 or $25 (exempt).
Franchise tax: calculated on authorized shares or assumed par value, minimum $175 or $400.
Late penalty: $200 plus interest.
Payments over $5,000: ACH debit required.

What the State says about official notices and scams

An official Division notice carries the Delaware Coat of Arms and the Division's contact information, and the annual report does not require the names of shareholders or all officers (directors are required).
Past examples reported by the State included forms from private companies asking for payment for "annual records" or corporate minutes, which Delaware does not require to be filed with the Division.
If you received a deceptive solicitation or paid one, the State asks you to file a complaint with the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit and to contact the Division of Corporations (phone numbers as listed on the State alert page; they may change).

Checklist when a letter arrives

Check who sent it. The State's notice goes to your registered agent first.
Compare the amounts with the list above.
Go to corp.delaware.gov by typing the address yourself rather than using a link in the letter.
If you pay a service provider, remember you can file yourself; a service may charge for something free to do online (we did not research prices).
Keep the registered agent's address up to date, because the report lists the registered office and agent.

You can file without an EIN

The State's FAQ says you can file without a federal ID number.

Example (made-up numbers)

A founder abroad receives a letter asking $300 to "file your annual report". The State's fee is $50 (non-exempt), plus tax. The founder checks corp.delaware.gov and compares.

Due date

FAQ

Is the registered agent mandatory? The report lists a registered office and agent (§502); agent services and prices are not covered here.

What we could not verify

The December notice timing: from the State FAQ, which we could not re-read (access error).
Which solicitations are legitimate or not: do not assume; verify each one.
2027 rates: the State pages do not date amounts by year, so everything here is described as current rates; recheck on corp.delaware.gov.
Any extension or grace period for the March 1 deadline: none was found in the sources read. 8 Del. C. §510 mentions further time for good cause, which is exceptional.
Registered agent prices and comparisons: not researched here (no official source).
LLC and limited partnership tax: only the June 1 due date is mentioned; we give no amount because the State's own pages were inconsistent. Check corp.delaware.gov.

Sources (official)

Delaware Division of Corporations, Pay taxes (read October 17, 2026)
Delaware Division of Corporations, Consumer alert (read October 17, 2026)
Delaware Division of Corporations, Franchise tax FAQ (read October 17, 2026)
Delaware Code, Title 8, Chapter 5 (8 Del. C. §§ 502-514, statute text read) (read October 17, 2026)