Filing a BOI Report
Overview
A Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report is a federal filing requirement under the Corporate Transparency Act. Most LLCs and corporations must report their beneficial owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). StartGlobal simplifies this process with a guided wizard that collects the required information and files the report on your behalf.
Before You Begin
- Your business formation must be complete through StartGlobal.
- You must be logged in to the StartGlobal client portal.
- Have a valid payment method ready for the $199 filing fee.
- Have the following information ready for each beneficial owner (individuals who directly or indirectly own 25% or more of the company, or who exercise substantial control): Full legal name. Date of birth. Residential address. Government-issued identification document (passport, driver's license, or state ID) including the document number and issuing jurisdiction.
1. Navigate to the Legal Section
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What to do: Click "Legal" in the left sidebar navigation.
- What you will see
The Legal section with multiple tabs.
2. Open the BOI Filing Tab
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What to do: Click the "BOI Filing" tab.
- What you will see
The BOI Filing section showing the filing amount of $199 and an option to begin the filing process. If a BOI report has already been filed or is in progress, you will see the current status instead.
3. Begin the BOI Data Collection Wizard
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What to do: Click the button to start the BOI filing process.
- What you will see
A multi-step data collection wizard opens, guiding you through each section of information required for the BOI report.
4. Enter Company Information
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What to do: Confirm or update your company's legal name, any trade names or DBAs, jurisdiction of formation, and tax identification number (EIN).
- What you will see
Form fields pre-populated with data from your business formation. Review for accuracy and make corrections if needed.
5. Enter Beneficial Owner Information
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What to do: For each beneficial owner, provide their full legal name, date of birth, residential address, and identification document details. Upload a copy of their government-issued ID.
- What you will see
A form for each beneficial owner with fields for personal details and a file upload area for the identification document.
6. Enter Company Applicant Information
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What to do: Provide information about the individual(s) who filed the formation documents. This may be pre-filled if StartGlobal handled the formation.
- What you will see
Form fields for the company applicant's name, address, and identification.
7. Review All Information
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What to do: Review the summary of all entered information across all steps. Make corrections by navigating back to the relevant step.
- What you will see
A complete summary showing company details, all beneficial owners, and company applicants.
8. Submit Payment and File the Report
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What to do: Confirm the $199 filing fee and complete the payment.
- What you will see
A secure payment form. After successful payment, a confirmation message indicating your BOI report has been submitted for processing.
9. Monitor the Filing Progress
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What to do: Return to the BOI Filing tab to check the status.
- What you will see
A progress card showing: "We are currently processing your BOI Filing", a service badge "BOI Report Filing", and an estimated processing time of 5-7 Days.
What Happens Next
- After you submit payment and your information, StartGlobal will compile and file your BOI report with FinCEN.
- The processing typically takes 5-7 days.
- Once the filing is accepted by FinCEN, the status on your BOI Filing tab will update to reflect the completion.
- You will receive confirmation that the filing has been successfully submitted.
- If any information needs correction or if FinCEN requests additional details, StartGlobal will contact you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| The BOI Filing tab does not appear. | Ensure your business formation is complete. The BOI Filing tab becomes available once your business has been registered with the state. |
| I cannot upload the identification document. | Ensure the file is in an accepted format (PDF, JPG, PNG) and is under the maximum file size limit. Try a different file or reduce the image resolution. |
| The wizard gets stuck or will not advance to the next step. | Check that all required fields are filled in. Required fields are typically marked with an asterisk. Refresh the page if the issue persists. |
| Processing has exceeded 7 days. | While uncommon, processing delays can occur. Contact StartGlobal support for a status update on your filing. |
| I made an error in the submitted information. | If the report has not yet been filed with FinCEN, contact StartGlobal support immediately. If it has already been filed, you will need to submit an amendment. See Amending a BOI Filing. |
The BOI Filing tab does not appear.
Ensure your business formation is complete. The BOI Filing tab becomes available once your business has been registered with the state.
I cannot upload the identification document.
Ensure the file is in an accepted format (PDF, JPG, PNG) and is under the maximum file size limit. Try a different file or reduce the image resolution.
The wizard gets stuck or will not advance to the next step.
Check that all required fields are filled in. Required fields are typically marked with an asterisk. Refresh the page if the issue persists.
Processing has exceeded 7 days.
While uncommon, processing delays can occur. Contact StartGlobal support for a status update on your filing.
I made an error in the submitted information.
If the report has not yet been filed with FinCEN, contact StartGlobal support immediately. If it has already been filed, you will need to submit an amendment. See Amending a BOI Filing.
Need more help?
Our support team is available to help you with any questions about your StartGlobal account.