A Wisconsin Registered Agent is your essential liaison for legal documents and official notices; discover its pivotal role in maintaining your business's compliance and legal status.
One of the very first things you’ll need to determine before filing your paperwork to form a limited liability company (LLC) in Wisconsin is who will serve as your registered agent. The state requires all LLCs to have one, but what exactly is a registered agent? What do they do, and what are the requirements to be one?
A registered agent is an individual or company that is designated by the owners of the LLC to receive important legal documents on behalf of the business. This position is needed for ensuring that the appropriate people within an LLC are notified in person whenever there are time-sensitive events, such as service of process for lawsuits. The agent also receives important notifications from the state, such as garnishment notices against employees, notices of the annual report due dates, and tax notifications.
According to Wisconsin Statute 183.0105, every Wisconsin LLC must continuously maintain a registered office in this state and a registered agent. The registered office may, but need not, be the same as any of its places of business, but must be a physical street address. The registered agent must be one of the following:
(a) A natural person who resides in this state and whose business office is identical with the registered office.
(b) A domestic corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, or corporation organized in this state or that has in effect a statement of qualification under s. 178.0901, whose business office is identical with the registered office.
(c) A foreign (meaning out of state) corporation, nonstock corporation, limited partnership, registered limited liability partnership, or limited liability company authorized to transact business in this state, whose business office is identical with the registered office.
Although it may seem like the simplest and cheapest option is to be your own registered agent, there are some serious drawbacks. Here are some reasons to use a registered agent service instead, such as:
A registered agent is initially appointed when forming the LLC. You must name your registered agent when you complete the official paperwork with the state to form your LLC, so you need to decide who your registered agent or registered agent service will be before you begin that process. Of course, you need to be sure to inform whomever you’re appointing as your agent.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
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