NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett issued a new warning about a deceptive mail scam involving annual business reports on the rise across Tennessee.
As part of the scam, businesses receive an official-looking mailer from a third party called Tennessee Business Filing Center. Wording on the mail piece threatens recipients with additional fees and business dissolution if they do not file their reports through the Tennessee Business Filing Center before the April 1 deadline.
“Our office has seen a steady increase in complaints from businesses about this misleading mailer requesting hundreds of dollars in fees to file annual reporting documents,” said Secretary Hargett. “This situation is similar to what we have seen in recent years, and we want all Tennessee businesses to know we provide these very same services at substantially lower costs.”
Businesses are required to complete annual renewals with the state by April 1 each year. These documents update or confirm records with the Secretary of State’s office and are required for entities to maintain “active status” so they can legally operate in Tennessee.
You can contact the Division of Business and Charitable Organizations to report suspicious activity by calling (615) 741-2286 or emailing TNSOS.corpinfo@tn.gov.
To file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office, call (615) 741-3491 or visit Attorney General & Reporter.
Entities needing to file annual reports can do so through the Secretary of State’s Tennessee Charity and Business Filing System (TNCaB) by clicking here.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at amelia.young@newschannel5.com.
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