Filing Your Maryland Annual Report

This section will cover the basics of filing your annual report both online and mailed-in. Having your Department ID (SDAT ID) handy along with other basic information about your business make this process easier for you.

Filing your annual report online

Online filing is preferred by the state. You’ll start by logging onto your Maryland Business Express account, or creating one if you don’t have one already. Then:

• From your Online Filings tab, select “Start A New Filing,” then select “File Annual Report/Personal Property Tax Return.”
• Follow the prompts and submit the information requested. You’ll need:
  • Your business name and mailing address. (If your mailing address has changed, you can make updates to it here.)
  • Your Department ID number (SDAT ID), the type of business entity you’ve registered, its date of incorporation or formation, and its state of incorporation. Optional fields you can complete include your Federal Employer ID Number, Federal Principal Business Code, and Trading as Name. You’ll also need to provide an email address that can receive reminders from SDAT.
  • Your NAICS code, which is the same as your Federal Principal Business Code. It also requires you to report your Total Gross Sales, or any income generated by this business entity. You have an option to enter the number of workers affiliated with your business—this is helpful for the state to understand how many jobs local businesses create.
  • If you’re a corporation, you’ll need to provide the names and addresses for at least one officer of the corporation. You’ll also need to provide the names of at least one director.
  • If your business has received more than $1 million in state benefits this year, including capital grants, tax credits, or state contracts, you might need to provide corporate diversity information. If required, this just means you’ll disclose the representation of various underrepresented communities on your board or in executive leadership, and you’ll select the corporate diversity indicator statements that apply to your business. These are statements like whether you offer DEI training to your workforce, or maintain written diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
  • If you’ve sold, transferred, or disposed of any business personal property before the start of the calendar year, you’ll need to attach a completed Form SD-1 in the supplemental documentation section later.
  • If you meet specific business criteria, you may also need to file a completed Business Personal Property Tax Return with your Annual Report.
• You can pay for your filing online with any major credit card or via Paypal for a 3% service fee.

Filing your annual report by mail

If you can’t file your annual report online, you can still mail in a paper document. Here’s how:

• Visit SDAT’s Departmental Forms & Applications page.
• Download the current year’s filing forms and instructions from the Annual Reports & Personal Property Tax Returns section.
• Complete the forms and return with a check for the filing amount. See Fees & Filing Methods for more details.

Fees & Filing Methods

The fee to file your Maryland Annual Report starts with a base filing fee as shown in the table below. Expedite fees, service fees, and any taxes assessed from your Business Personal Property Tax Return may modify the base filing fee.

All reports must be submitted on or before April 15th each calendar year unless you have previously applied for an extension online through Maryland Business Express or SDAT’s website. Late filings may be assessed up to $500 in penalties.

A few specific types of businesses need to file a different version of the annual report form:

• Credit Unions: 2025 Form 3
• Financial Institutions, Banks, Savings Banks, Savings & Loans, and Trust Companies: 2025 Form 5
• Rental Property (Condos, Townhouses, Cottages, Room Rentals, etc.) in Ocean City, Worcester County: 202​5 Form 7

Online filings can be paid by PayPal or most major credit cards, but SDAT’s payment processor will charge you an additional 3% service fee.

If you’re submitting a paper filing by mail, include a check made payable to Dept. of Assessments & Taxation. The mailing addresses vary by filing form, so pay close attention to the instructions.

How Our Annual Report Filing Service Works

When you qualify for our Compliance Enrollment service, we’ll file your Maryland Annual Report for you. Here’s how that works:

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to file an Annual Report?

Yes, you really do need to file an Annual Report every calendar year. Sole proprietors and general partnerships, domestic and foreign LLCs and corporations, statutory trusts and credit unions—everyone files on or before April 15th every year.

What happens if I don’t file an Annual Report?

If you miss the filing deadline and don’t have an extension, the state may impose late fees of up to $500. Your business will lose its good standing status, which may impact your ability to do business outside of Maryland, and eventually failure to file will result in the forfeiture of your business. It’s a whole lot easier to file every year than it is to reinstate a forfeited business, so we recommend keeping up with your required yearly filing!

Do I need to file a Business Personal Property Tax Return?

Whether you need to file a business personal property tax return depends on your answers to two questions:

• Do you own, lease, or use personal property located in Maryland?
• Do you maintain a trader’s license with local government in Maryland?

If your answer to either of those questions is “yes,” then, yes, you need to file the Business Personal Property Tax Return with your Annual Report. If you have questions about this document, you can email [email protected] and they’ll reply within two to five business days.

How can I request an extension for my Annual Report?

SDAT maintains a page specifically for extension requests here.

I submitted my report. How can I check on its status?

As long as your filing shows a status of “Submitted,” you’ve just got to wait for SDAT to work its magic. It can take anywhere from 3-5 business days for them to process your business status update to “Good Standing” as long as it isn’t forfeited, 7-10 business days if they need to review a business personal property assessment, and up to 90 calendar days if your filing is particularly complex or if it’s the first time you’ve filed online.

What happens if you can’t file my Maryland Annual Report?

We don’t ever want money to get in the way of a working business relationship. If we can’t file your Annual Report, you can either request a direct refund or roll the funds over for next year. The money will remain in your account’s digital wallet, and we’ll pull from there first before charging your card on file. You can also give us a call and ask that we use the funds for something else, like your resident agent service fee.

Where can I find my tax rate?

You can find your local tax rates here, and if you need more information, you can contact your county tax billing and collection office.

I can’t find my real property records?

If you need help finding your real property records, try SDAT’s Real Property Data Search.