WV Secretary of State Mac Warner is issuing an important notice to West Virginia business owners regarding third-party solicitations offering to file 2025 Annual Reports on their behalf.

According to Secretary Warner, these solicitations may appear to be official government forms, but are not government approved, reviewed, or official notices in any manner. These are advertisements.

Warner urges business owners to read the fine print in any solicitation they receive.

Third-party providers have been reported to charge business owners more than 500% of the statutory $25 filing fee and often advertise the wrong deadline for state compliance.

Business owners can use free tools provided by the Secretary of State's Office to avail themselves of the most convenient and least costly filing method directly at Business4.WV.gov.

In-person assistance is available weekdays from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. by contacting the WV Secretary of State's Business Division at 304-558-8000.

The 2025 Annual Report filing period begins Jan.1, 2025, and ends June 30, 2025.