Alabama

Foreign registration · Form 521

Alabama LLC Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

To do business in Wisconsin, an LLC formed in Alabama registers there on Form 521, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin needs nothing from Alabama: no Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services using your Alabama records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Alabama and Wisconsin side by side

	Alabama formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	Alabama Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form 521, Foreign Registration Statement
State fee	$25	$100 at order
How it is handled	Alabama: online as an instant printable certificate with a seal and authentication number	Filed online with Wisconsin
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	sos.alabama.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Yearly filing	Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5), $80, every year
Due		March 31
Agent	Your Alabama registered agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

How Alabama companies register with Wisconsin

We prepare and file Form 521
It lists us as your Wisconsin registered agent, next to your Alabama name and formation date. No Alabama paperwork holds up the Wisconsin filing. Once Wisconsin approves it, the Alabama company can do business there.

Your Alabama name and Wisconsin's rules

We check your exact Alabama name against Wisconsin's records before filing.

Agents: Wisconsin and Alabama

Alabama and Wisconsin both call it a registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Alabama; ours takes Wisconsin's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Alabama and Wisconsin

Alabama wants the Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report every year; Wisconsin wants the Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) every year ($80). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Alabama to Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Alabama files Form 21 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($25)). After that come Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Wisconsin into Alabama

An LLC formed in Wisconsin that registers with Alabama files Alabama's registration (no form number) with $184 in state fees; no Wisconsin certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Alabama to Wisconsin

Does my Alabama company need to register in Wisconsin?

Yes, once an Alabama business operates there; Wisconsin law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does the Wisconsin registration cost?

$299 at checkout, with nothing to pay Alabama.

Do I need Alabama's certificate of good standing?

No, Wisconsin takes Form 521 without it.

What are the yearly costs for Alabama and Wisconsin?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Alabama's report (fee set by the state) and Wisconsin's report ($80).

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

An Alabama company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Wisconsin can add up to $97.50 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

Yes: the Alabama registered agent stays, and ours covers Wisconsin for year one.

Can I form a new Wisconsin LLC instead?

Yes, but Alabama keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25), and the original keeps Alabama's yearly report.

How do I withdraw from Wisconsin later?

Alabama companies leave by filing a Withdrawal of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company; until then, Wisconsin's report stays due alongside Alabama's filings.

Official sources

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