• Home
  • Services
    • Audit
    • Small Business Accounting
    • Consulting
    • Estate & Trust
    • Forensic & Fraud Prevention Services
    • Succession & Acquisition
    • Tax Planning & Compliance
    • Valuation & Litigation Support
  • Industries
    • Construction
    • Finance and Leasing
    • Manufacturers and Distributors
    • Health Care
    • Real Estate
    • Restaurant and Retail
    • Service
    • Not-for-Profits
  • About Us
    • Affiliates
    • Memberships
    • Mission & Vision
    • Our Team
    • Our Firm’s Peer Review
    • Recognition
  • Careers
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Newsletter
    • Succession Planning Guide
    • Profit Planning Guide
    • SafeSend Tax Returns
Contact
  • Home
  • Services
    • Audit
    • Small Business Accounting
    • Consulting
    • Estate & Trust
    • Forensic & Fraud Prevention Services
    • Succession & Acquisition
    • Tax Planning & Compliance
    • Valuation & Litigation Support
  • Industries
    • Construction
    • Finance and Leasing
    • Manufacturers and Distributors
    • Health Care
    • Real Estate
    • Restaurant and Retail
    • Service
    • Not-for-Profits
  • About Us
    • Affiliates
    • Memberships
    • Mission & Vision
    • Our Team
    • Our Firm’s Peer Review
    • Recognition
  • Careers
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Newsletter
    • Succession Planning Guide
    • Profit Planning Guide
    • SafeSend Tax Returns
Call Us
Get Directions

Blog


Home / Blog / Scam Targets Corporations; LARA alerts Michigan businesses of scheme collecting $125 fee to prepare annual corporate records

Scam Targets Corporations; LARA alerts Michigan businesses of scheme collecting $125 fee to prepare annual corporate records

August 6, 2013 by Stephanie Potash

Contact: Melanie Brown 517-373-9280
Agency: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

August 1, 2013 – Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) Director Steve Arwood today warns Michigan corporations of a non-governmental entity called “Corporate Records Service” trying to collect a $125 fee to prepare corporate records.  The misleading compliance solicitation implies that Michigan requires corporations and limited liability companies to complete an Annual Corporate Records Form and is designed to look like an official document, but it is not.

“Michigan corporations are not required by law to file corporate records with LARA’s Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau,” said Arwood.  “Our corporation customers should disregard these deceptive notices as they are not from the State of Michigan.”

Michigan businesses are receiving an official-looking form called the “2013 — Annual Corporate Records Form.” The form implies that the recipient is obligated to complete and return it with a fee payment for the preparation of corporate records.  The accompanying instructions for completing the form list a return address at 5859 West Saginaw Highway, #343, Lansing, MI, 48917-2460. In February 2013, LARA warned of a similar scam requesting $125 that involved a company with the same name located at the same street address in Lansing.

“Unfortunately, these misleading mailings offering assistance for non-required services continue to go out and create confusion,” Arwood said.  “To clarify, Michigan corporations are legally required to file annual reports or annual statements (not corporate records) and may do so online directly to the State of Michigan.”

Michigan appears to be the latest state where corporations are being targeted to file annual records for a fee.  Similar solicitation mailings have occurred in several other states including California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Texas where corporations have been victimized by such scams.  These entities operate under identical or similar names and request payment fees ranging from $125, $150, $175 to $239 for the completion and submittal of annual corporate records.

The phony letters can look authentic.  They may be addressed to the corporation, the resident agent, director or officers; cite a Michigan statute or a federal statute; and may appear to be issued by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, Corporations Division.  If such notices are received, they are to be disregarded because they are neither issued by LARA nor any governmental agency.

Any Michigan corporation that receives a notice to have corporate records prepared and pay a fee to avoid dissolution of their corporation are advised to do the following:

  1. Keep the notice, mailing envelope, and return envelope.
  2. Contact the United States Postal Inspections Service to report mail fraud at: (877) 876-2455or http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx
  3. Or contact the Michigan Office of the Attorney General at P.O. Box 30212, Lansing, MI 48909.

Legitimate notices and mailings to Michigan corporations are issued from LARA’s Corporations Division and are mailed to the resident agent at the registered office address on record.  When receiving any official-looking document, please review carefully and read the small print.  If you are not sure, please contact the LARA Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau at(517) 241-6470.

Customers with questions about their corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership are encouraged to use the Business Entity Search at www.michigan.gov/entitysearch to check their status.  If an annual report or statement needs to be filed, customers may file online usingwww.michigan.gov/fileonline.  Additional information is available on the Corporations Division website at www.michigan.gov/corporations or by calling the Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau at (517) 241-6470.


Recent Posts

  • New Gordon Advisors, P.C. Shareholders Announcement
  • Nine financial KPIs construction firms should be tracking
  • How better job costing is the key to unlocking greater profitability for your construction firm
  • Biden Administration Releases Explanations of FY2022 Budget Tax Proposals
  • What Businesses and Individuals Should Know for the 2020-2021 Tax Season

Categories

  • Accounting
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Gordon Advisors, P.C.
  • Michigan

Testimonials


“Many years of accurate, thorough, prompt service regardless of which employee or department.”


— President, Manufacturing. Gordon Client for over 30 years. —

“Always there for our family and our business. 100% trust from all partners. Service could not be better. ”


— CFO, Retail. Gordon Client for 18 years. —

“Easy to work with - professional and friendly!”


— Individual, Trust Accounting. Gordon Client for 7 years. —

“Excellent service and excellent advice.”


— Individual. Gordon Client for 11 years. —

“Friendly, trustworthy, knowledgeable, quality work, at a reasonable price. ”


— Individual. Gordon Client for 15 years. —

“I & our companies have worked with Gordon Advisors for many years and they have always been high quality.”


— Owner, Restaurant. Gordon Client for over 30 years. —

“We have been with your company for many years and still have a very good relationship. We are always given the best advice and receive total co-operation. ”


— Trust. Gordon Client for 8 years. —

“Gordon Advisor has always gone the extra step addressing my needs, answer my questions and making me feel special. Even though I'm not their biggest customer. ”


— Individual. Gordon Client for 17 years. —

“We have been working with Gordon Advisors for 20+ years. Wonderful people. ”


— Controller, Manufacturing. Gordon Client for 22 years. —

“As we are a charity, I would recommend their services to other charities as they are familiar with the needs of a charity. ”


— Executive Director, Not-For-Profit. Gordon Client for 14 years. —

“The staff are all highly capable, friendly and accessible. Gordon Advisors are a great resource to our organization and have always treated myself, the staff and my Board of Directors with the utmost respect. ”


— Executive Director, Not-For-Profit. Gordon Client for 12 years. —

“Excellent relationship with Gordon Advisors for the past 34 years. They do our yearly audit and are professional, caring and efficient. We are extremely happy with the work done for us, and the board votes every year to keep them as our auditors. ”


— Executive Director, Not-For-Profit. Gordon Client for over 30 years. —

“Over 20 years of service. They are friendly and professional. We've never been disappointed. ”


— CEO, Construction. Gordon Client for 20 years. —

“We always receive good service and value. A great friendship and understanding has been developed over the years. ”


— CFO, Manufacturing. Gordon Client for 18 years. —

“They have been very helpful and responsive, and have always met our needs. ”


— Manager, Hospitality. Gordon Client for 7 years. —

“The service provided is consistently delivered on a timely basis with value.”


— CFO, Medical Device Manufacturing. Gordon Client for 14 years. —

Contact Us

248.952.0200

248.952.0290

1301 West Long Lake Road
Suite 200
Troy, MI 48098

Helpful Links

  • Home
  • Services
  • Industries
  • About Us
  • COVID-19 Resource Center
  • Our Team
  • Careers
  • Blog
  • Newsletter
  • SafeSend Tax Returns
Gordon Advisors

2022 © Gordon Advisors, P.C. | All rights reserved.