West Virginia Officials Warn Businesses About Unofficial Annual Report Mailers

CHARLESTON, WV, December 10th
The WEST VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF STATE issued a formal warning to business owners today, noting that a new wave of unofficial annual report solicitations has spread across the state; these documents resemble government correspondence, and they request payments for services that the state offers directly for a standard fee of 25. The office emphasized that the solicitations are not endorsed by the state, and that no private entity is authorized to collect filing fees or deliver compliance notices on West Virginia’s behalf.

The agency explained that such solicitations appear each year as the annual reporting period approaches: private companies use publicly available business information to design forms that appear official, preloading them with business identification numbers, references to West Virginia Code, and filing deadlines. These details create a sense of urgency, and the resemblance to legitimate state documents often leads new business owners to believe that a response is required; however, the state clarified that these notices are optional services provided by private third-party companies, not official government correspondence.

Officials stated that the documents are not illegal; however, their presentation can be misleading, since many forms include language that implies legal consequences for inaction. The Secretary of State clarified that only the WEST VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF STATE may communicate matters of good standing, delinquency, or compliance; the state does not communicate such matters through private mailers, and it does not outsource regulatory authority under any circumstance.

The official filing process remains simple: all annual reports must be filed directly through the One Stop Business Portal, which is operated solely by the state, and the filing fee is fixed at 25. The portal represents the only legitimate route for fulfilling this requirement, and the state does not impose additional service charges, does not contract with private processors, and does not send filings through intermediary companies.

The Secretary of State also expressed concern for first-time business owners, since new registrants may not yet recognize the formatting or language of legitimate state notices; private companies rely on this unfamiliarity, and their mailers often appear convincing because they include accurate business information pulled from public databases. The office urged owners to verify the sender of any annual report paperwork before making a payment: the safest approach is to confirm all notices through the state’s official website, the One Stop Business Portal, or through direct contact with the WEST VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF STATE.

The notice concluded with a reminder: legitimate annual report guidance will always come from the state, and businesses should exercise caution when responding to unsolicited mail that demands payment or uses wording that suggests government authority.

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Sources

Primary First-Hand Sources
• WEST VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF STATE public notice on unofficial solicitations
• WEST VIRGINIA ONE STOP BUSINESS PORTAL official annual report instructions

Secondary Attribution-Based Sources
• WV News reporting for contextual reference only