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A BOI report is a beneficial ownership information report. It was a federal filing that told FinCEN, part of the U.S. Treasury, who owned or controlled a company. The current rule on the FinCEN BOI page is short: "U.S. companies are exempt from the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirements and therefore, are no longer required to file BOI reports."
What FinCEN says now
The page lists a final rule dated August 11, 2026, and says FinCEN has finalized its BOI reporting rule. It states that the rule became effective on August 14, 2026. The page also says that U.S. persons do not need to provide BOI to reporting companies.
If you formed an LLC in a U.S. state, you do not file a BOI report. That holds for a new LLC and for one formed years ago.
The earlier step
Before the final rule, FinCEN published an interim final rule on March 26, 2025. It changed the meaning of "reporting company" so that it applies only to foreign entities registered to do business in a U.S. state or tribal jurisdiction. The page describes the effect this way: entities created in the United States and their beneficial owners are exempt.
The FinCEN BOI questions page carries the same notice at the top. It also tells readers to disregard older guidance that says U.S. companies must report.
Who still reports
Only certain foreign companies registered to do business in the U.S. The FinCEN page gives these deadlines for them.
- Registered before March 26, 2025, the deadline was April 25, 2025.
- Registered on or after March 26, 2025, the deadline is 30 calendar days after the registration notice.
If you run a company formed abroad that registers in a U.S. state, read the FinCEN page itself. See also our guide to foreign LLC registration and LLCs for non-residents.
What this does not change
The exemption covers the federal BOI filing only. Your state rules stay in place.
- Your state may still require an annual report or a similar filing. See annual report deadlines.
- You still need a registered agent in the state where you form the company.
- You still get an EIN from the IRS for taxes and banking. See EIN for an LLC.
- Your state may collect owner or manager names in its own records. Check your state page, for example Delaware or Texas.
Watch for scam notices
FinCEN issued a public alert on December 18, 2024 about fraud schemes that use FinCEN's name. Since U.S. companies do not have to file, a letter or email that demands a BOI filing or a fee from a domestic LLC deserves a hard look. Go to fincen.gov yourself and do not use links or phone numbers from the message.
Rules can change
FinCEN has changed this requirement more than once, and a court order also played a part earlier. Open the FinCEN BOI page before you act on any BOI advice, including ours. This is general information, not legal advice. An attorney can confirm how the rule applies to your company.
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