Yes — since House Bill 1344 (2024 Regular Session) took effect on July 1, 2024, nearly every nonprofit corporation registered with the Mississippi Secretary of State must file an annual report with the SOS Business Services Division each year. The filing window opens January 1 and the report is due on or before May 15. There is no filing fee, it is filed online, and failing to file can lead to administrative dissolution of your corporation.
Critically, this annual report is not the same thing as your charitable-solicitation (charity) renewal. Two different filings, two different divisions — and both can land on May 15. Read the "two May deadlines" callout below so you do not file one and assume the other is covered.
Start with the national rules
This page is the Mississippi-specific layer. For the federal/national rules that apply everywhere, see Annual compliance checklist.
What HB 1344 requires
For decades, Mississippi nonprofit corporations had no recurring "annual report" obligation to the Secretary of State the way for-profit businesses did. That changed with House Bill 1344, passed in the 2024 Regular Session and effective July 1, 2024. The bill created a new section of the Mississippi Nonprofit Corporation Act — Miss. Code Ann. § 79-11-407 — requiring an annual report from nonprofit corporations.
The Secretary of State's announcement is direct about it: "Effective July 1, 2024, all nonprofit organizations will now be required to file an annual report with the Secretary of State's Office" (sos.ms.gov news release). The first reports became available January 1, 2025 and were due May 15, 2025; the same cycle repeats every year.
The report itself is short. Based on the statute and the SOS portal, you confirm or update:
- The name of the nonprofit corporation and the state/country under whose law it is organized;
- The registered agent's name, email address, and street or physical address in Mississippi;
- Principal office and officer/director information; and
- Whether the organization received public funds, and a list of any governmental entity that distributed those funds.
One narrow carve-out is written into the statute itself: the requirement does not apply to water associations as defined in Miss. Code Ann. § 79-11-394. There is no general small-organization or religious exemption from the annual report.
Who must file — including churches and religious nonprofits
The trigger is simple: are you a nonprofit corporation registered with the Mississippi Secretary of State? If yes, you almost certainly file. This covers:
- Domestic nonprofit corporations — formed in Mississippi by filing Articles of Incorporation with the SOS.
- Foreign (out-of-state) nonprofit corporations authorized to transact business in Mississippi.
The requirement is keyed to your corporate registration, not to your tax status. You file the annual report whether or not you have 501(c)(3) recognition from the IRS, and whether or not you fundraise. The single statutory exception is water associations as defined in Miss. Code Ann. § 79-11-394, which have their own separate reporting rules.
Not sure whether you are registered? Search your organization's name in the Secretary of State's online business records. If a nonprofit corporation record with a Business ID comes up, you are on the hook for the annual report.
How to file, when, and what it costs
Here are the load-bearing facts, each verified against the Secretary of State.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Agency | Mississippi Secretary of State — Business Services Division |
| Statute | Miss. Code Ann. § 79-11-407 (created by HB 1344, 2024) |
| Filing window | Opens January 1; due on or before May 15 each year |
| Fee | No cost — "There is no cost associated with this report" |
| Method | Online only — "All annual reports must be filed online" |
| You'll need | Your organization's Business ID number |
| Penalty | Administrative dissolution for failure to file |
Steps to file:
- Go to the Secretary of State's online filing portal from the Annual Reports page.
- Look up your nonprofit by name and pull up its record using your Business ID.
- Confirm or update the corporate name, registered agent, officers/directors, and principal address.
- Answer the public-funds question (whether you received public funds and from which governmental entity).
- Submit. Because there is no fee, there is nothing to pay — but save the confirmation for your records.
Don't confuse these two May filings
This is the single most important thing for a Mississippi nonprofit to understand, because both filings live at the Secretary of State and both can fall on May 15 — but they are entirely separate, with different purposes, different divisions, and different fees.
| Nonprofit Annual Report | Charitable Solicitation Renewal | |
|---|---|---|
| Why it exists | Keeps your corporate registration current (HB 1344 / § 79-11-407) | Authorizes you to ask the public for donations (MS Charities Act, §§ 79-11-501 to 529) |
| Division | Business Services Division | Charities Division |
| Who must file | Every registered nonprofit corporation (except water associations) | Only nonprofits that solicit contributions in MS (unless exempt) |
| Deadline | On or before May 15 each year | 15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year-end (= May 15 for calendar-year orgs) |
| Fee | No fee | $50 renewal fee — confirm the current amount on the official site |
Charity-side exemptions to know: Organizations that do not actually receive more than $25,000 in annual contributions and whose fundraising is carried on entirely by unpaid persons (no professional/paid fundraiser) may qualify for an exemption from charitable-solicitation registration under § 79-11-505 — but that exemption is not automatic: you must file a Notice of Exemption with the Charities Division (with a $50 processing fee — confirm the current amount on the official site). And religious institutions are generally not treated as "charitable organizations" for solicitation purposes. None of those charity exemptions excuse the HB 1344 annual report — if you are a registered nonprofit corporation (and not a water association), the annual report still applies. Verify your situation on the SOS Charities pages.
Worked example: the Hope Center, a Jackson nonprofit
Suppose The Hope Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in Jackson, incorporated with the Mississippi Secretary of State, with a December 31 fiscal year-end. It runs a food pantry and solicits donations from the public. Here is its early-year compliance checklist:
| Done? | Task | Where | By when | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | HB 1344 nonprofit annual report — confirm name, registered agent, officers, public-funds answer | SOS Business Services (online) | May 15 | $0 |
| ☐ | Charitable solicitation renewal — file annual charity renewal so it can keep fundraising | SOS Charities Division (online) | May 15 (5th month after FY-end) | $50 (confirm current amount) |
| ☐ | IRS Form 990 / 990-EZ / 990-N — federal annual return | IRS (online) | May 15 (15th day, 5th month after FY-end) | $0 |
Notice that for a calendar-year nonprofit, all three deadlines converge on roughly the same date. The Hope Center's bookkeeper sets a single April reminder titled "May 15 nonprofit triple-check" and works the checklist top to bottom. The biggest risk is treating the long-familiar charity renewal as "the" Mississippi filing and missing the brand-new annual report — the one whose penalty is losing the corporation entirely.
Now suppose a second org, Delta Faith Fellowship, is an incorporated church nonprofit registered with the SOS but does not publicly solicit donations. It is likely exempt from the charity renewal, but because it is a registered nonprofit corporation, it still files the free HB 1344 annual report. Same lesson: the annual report follows your corporate registration, not your fundraising.
What happens if you miss the deadline
The consequence for skipping the annual report is serious: the Secretary of State warns that "Failure to file this report will result in administrative dissolution." (The statute itself, § 79-11-407, goes further, allowing dissolution, disallowance of nonprofit status, or both.) Administrative dissolution means the state formally ends your corporation's legal existence. For a nonprofit, the downstream effects can include:
- Loss of the legal protections of corporate status (potentially exposing directors and officers personally in some matters);
- Problems with banks, grantors, and contracts that require a corporation "in good standing";
- Risk to your registered name; and
- The administrative burden and cost of reinstatement to get the corporation back.
The good news: the filing is free, online, and short. The practical fix is purely operational — get it on a recurring calendar. Because the window opens January 1, you can file early in the year and be done well before May 15.
Before you file
This is general information for Mississippi nonprofits, not legal or tax advice, and fees and rules change. Always confirm the current fees, forms, and deadlines on the official Mississippi agency website before you file.
Funding that doesn't add another deadline
Staying in good standing is the floor — funding the mission is the goal. Good Circles is a community marketplace launching in Mississippi first (September 2026). When supporters shop, your nonprofit earns 10% of the merchant's net profit, shoppers save roughly 10%, and merchants keep 89% on a 1% fee. It's free for nonprofits — no setup cost, no monthly fee — with an estimated ~$72 per active supporter per year. It's a recurring revenue stream, not another compliance form.
See how it works for nonprofitsSources & tools
Official Mississippi sources first
- MS SOS — New Nonprofit Annual Report Filing Requirement — The Secretary of State's official announcement of the HB 1344 requirement: effective July 1, 2024; due May 15; no cost; administrative dissolution for non-filing.
- MS SOS — Annual Reports (Business Services) — Where you actually file. Confirms online-only filing, the January 1 open / May 15 due window, and the need for your Business ID.
- MS SOS — Charities Division — Charitable-solicitation registration and renewal portal — the separate $50 filing that founders confuse with the annual report. Also where to file a Notice of Exemption.
- Miss. Code Ann. § 79-11-407 — Nonprofit annual report statute — The statute created by HB 1344. Spells out the May 15 deadline, the required reporting fields, the water-association exception (§ 79-11-394), and the dissolution/disallowance penalties.
- Mississippi Legislature — House Bill 1344 (2024, As Passed the House) — The bill text that created Miss. Code Ann. § 79-11-407. Read the enacted language to see the exact statutory filing requirement and reporting fields.
Paid — optional labor-savers
- Mississippi nonprofit attorney — Licensed counsel via the Mississippi Bar's lawyer directory for dissolution, reinstatement, or governance questions. Worth it when You've been administratively dissolved, face a complex registered-agent or merger issue, or need a legal opinion you can rely on.
- Registered agent / compliance service — A commercial service that tracks Mississippi annual report and charity-renewal deadlines and can file on your behalf. Worth it when You manage filings across several states, have no reliable in-house calendar owner, or want a third party to catch the dual May 15 deadlines.
Last verified 2026-06-17. Mississippi fees and rules change — confirm on the official site before you file.
FAQ
Is the Mississippi nonprofit annual report the same as my charity renewal?
No. The HB 1344 annual report (Business Services Division) keeps your corporate registration current and is free; the charitable-solicitation renewal (Charities Division) authorizes you to ask the public for donations and carries a $50 fee. For a calendar-year nonprofit that fundraises, both can be due May 15, and filing one does not satisfy the other.
How much does the nonprofit annual report cost?
The Secretary of State states there is no cost for the nonprofit annual report. Because fees can change by legislation, confirm the current amount on the official Annual Reports page each year before you file. (The separate charity renewal does carry a fee — currently $50; confirm the current amount on the official site.)
When is it due, and when can I file?
The filing window opens January 1 and the report is due on or before May 15 each year. You can — and should — file early in the year to avoid the May crunch when your charity renewal and IRS Form 990 may also be due.
Do churches and religious nonprofits have to file?
If the church or religious organization is formed/filed with the Secretary of State as a nonprofit corporation, it is generally required to file the annual report — the SOS has stated the requirement applies to nonprofits including religious organizations and churches. If it is not registered as a corporation with the SOS, there is no corporate record to report on. The test is SOS registration, not religious purpose — verify your entity's status in the SOS business records.
Are there any exemptions from the annual report?
The statute (§ 79-11-407) carves out only water associations as defined in § 79-11-394. There is no general small-organization or religious exemption from the annual report itself. (Separate small-org and religious exemptions exist for charitable-solicitation registration, but those do not excuse the annual report.) Confirm your situation on the official SOS site.
What happens if I don't file?
Failure to file results in administrative dissolution — the state ends your corporation's legal existence, which can disrupt banking, grants, and contracts and require a reinstatement process to fix. The statute also allows disallowance of nonprofit status. The filing is free and quick, so the practical safeguard is simply putting it on a recurring calendar.
What information does the annual report ask for?
Generally your corporate name and state of organization, your Mississippi registered agent's name/email/address, principal office and officer information, and whether you received public funds (with a list of the governmental entity that provided them). You'll need your Business ID to start, and it's filed online.