Customer alert – Misleading solicitations to new business owners March 2020 Tax News

We received a phone call from a concerned tax professional asking if a letter his client received was legitimate. The letter was from a company selling a service to the newly registered business that can be obtained directly from the Secretary of State (SOS). The letter directed the business owner to submit a payment and complete a form by a certain date to receive a “Certificate of Status.” Only the SOS can issue a Certificate of Status, and any “Certificate of Status” issued by a private company is fraudulent. Businesses can obtain a genuine Certificate of Status directly from the SOS for a $5.00 fee, without necessity of hiring a private company as an intermediary.

Visit SOS’s webpage, Customer Alert – Misleading Certificate of Status Solicitations, for more information about how to identify these solicitations and instructions on obtaining a Certificate of Status from the SOS.