Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Certificate of Existence/Good Standing?

Certificates of Good Standing, also known as Certificates of Status, Certificate of Existence or Certificate of Facts, are frequently needed in the course of day to day business operation. This document states that a Corporation or Limited Liability Company ("LLC") is authorized to do business in the state and that its state requirements have been satisfied. It shows the official evidence of an entity’s existence and provides a statement of an entity’s status, legal name, and other legal formation. It bears the official seal of the Georgia Secretary of State.

Why a Certificate of Existence/Good Standing is needed?

Open a business bank account
Apply for business loans / lines of credit
Renew a business license
Tax purposes
Other business purposes

What is a Labor Law Poster?

Labor law posters are the mandated state and federal employment law notices that employers with at least one employee or more are required to prominently posted in an area frequented by all employees. Federal contractors and subcontractors are required to inform employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the primary law governing relations between unions and employers in the private sector. See 29 CFR Part 471. The notice, prescribed in the Department of Labor’s regulations, informs employees of Federal contractors and subcontractors of their rights under the NLRA to organize and bargain collectively with their employers and to engage in other protected concerted activity. Additionally, the notice provides examples of illegal conduct by employers and unions, and it provides contact information to the National Labor Relations Board (www.nlrb.gov), the agency responsible for enforcing the NLRA.

Who is required to post a Labor Law Poster?

Federal contractors and subcontractors with at least 1 employee must post the employee notice prominently and around their plants and offices so that it is prominent and readily seen by employees. In particular, contractors and subcontractors must post the notice where other notices to employees about their jobs are posted. For more information, you may visit the Department of Labor at DOL.gov.

Why do I need to post a Labor Law Poster?

Businesses with at least 1 employee are required by Federal Law 29 USC Sec. 666 (I) & 29 Sec. 2005 to post an up-to-date compliant Labor Law Poster in the workplace. Penalties and risks of non-compliance with posting regulations can lead to potential fines in excess of $7,000 per instance for failure to post federally required information, and could possibly even lead to lawsuits.

What is an EIN (Federal Tax ID Number)?

An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is a nine-digit number issued by the IRS used to identify businesses and certain other entities. An EIN number is also called a Federal Tax ID. It is commonly used for taxing and banking purposes and to register your business with the federal government. All businesses are required to have an EIN.

Why an EIN is needed?

Open a business bank account
Apply for business loans / lines of credit
To hire employees
File taxes

About your Annual Report:

An annual report must be filed each year for your business entity to maintain an “active status” with the Georgia Department of State.
It updates or confirms your records with the Georgia Department of State, Division of Corporations, displaying your business’s most current data on file.
It is required, whether or not you need to make changes.
It is not a financial statement.
If a business files late, a $25 late fee will be imposed on you by The State.
If you do not file within 60 days of being late, your business entity will be administratively dissolved or revoked by the State. Businesses may suffer additional reinstatement fees.

Why your information is needed?

The information provided is used to complete processing with the state and IRS. Without it, we can not proceed with your requests. We do not use your information for any other purposes outside of our business purposes.

When should I expect my documents?

All orders are typically processed the following business day. A physical copy of your Certificate of Existence/Good Standing and EIN/Tax ID may take up to 14 business days to arrive. Electronic deliveries may take up to 2 business days and will be sent to the email provided by the customer. If you ordered your EIN/Tax ID together with your Certificate of Existence/Good Standing, they will arrive together in the and sent to the electronic provided. Labor Law Posters ordered via USPS may be shipped and arrive separately from other documents order due to availability at the time of purchase. Poster orders are usually processed the next business day and may take up to 14 business days to arrive. It is possible that documents may arrive a lot sooner.

What if I need to make changes to my information?

When it comes to updating your information with the Internal Revenue Services, we currently do not provide this assistance. For more information on how to do this, we suggest you directly visit IRS.gov. When it comes to your business information on ecorp.sos.ga.gov, we can only update or change your information during the time of Annual Filing. The only other changes we can assist with are with ones in reference to our own database.

Are you affiliated with a government agency?

Georgia Business Filings is not a Government Agency and is not affiliated with the Internal Revenue Service or any other federal or state organizations. Georgia Business Filings acts as a Third Party application assisting company. We do not provide legal, financial or other professional advice. We are not a law or an accountancy firm nor are we affiliated with either.

What if I want a refund?

Since transactions on this site are based on services provided which cost Georgia Business Filings time and money to perform, we unfortunately cannot offer refunds on any purchase that has already been processed. If you make a purchase, send us a message right away requesting to cancel, and we have not had the chance to process the order, then we may, on a special case bases, decide to issue you a refund minus any merchant processing fees which may range up to $20.

What if my document(s) arrive damaged?

Any item which arrives damaged or defective will gladly be exchanged within 10 days of purchase. We will ship a replacement free of charge, but only once. Any additional shipments may have processing and shipping costs attached.

What if I never received my order?

If you ordered your items electronically, please double check your spam folder. If you still have any issues locating your order, contact us right away via email! We will assist in locating your documents and resending them to. If you ordered them USPS, we have complete access to all our customer’s tracking information, so we will be able to look up the status. If your documents are still unable to be located, we will gladly resend you your order free of charge, but only once. Any additional requests may require additional postage charges on your behalf.