Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS

 DAVID Y. IGE
GOVERNOR

CATHERINE P. AWAKUNI COLÓN
DIRECTOR

TY Y. NOHARA
SECURITIES COMMISSIONER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2020

State Warns of Unofficial Annual Business Report Solicitations

HONOLULU — The state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Business Registration Division (BREG) is repeating its warning to local businesses and the public of ongoing unofficial solicitations sent out regarding annual business report filings.

BREG has previously issued warnings regarding these notices.  “C.P.S.” and “Workplace Compliance Services” continue to send unsolicited mailings, most recently labeled “2020 – Annual Report Instruction Form (Hawaii Businesses)” to numerous businesses in Hawaii, with instructions to fill out the form and submit it, along with a $145 payment.

“We want businesses to know that they can easily submit their annual business report filing directly with us, for a fraction of the cost offered by these unofficial solicitations.  If businesses have questions or need assistance with their filing, BREG is here to help,” said Ty Nohara, Hawaii Commissioner of Securities.  “We are extremely concerned that those solicited could be misled and erroneously believe that it came from a state agency.  On the contrary, ‘C.P.S.’ and ‘Workplace Compliance Services’ are not government agencies, have no affiliation with one, and appear to use a mail drop as their company address.”
Neither company is registered with DCCA to conduct business in the state.

BREG does not endorse or utilize the services of “C.P.S.”, “Workplace Compliance Services”, or any other third-party company to collect or file annual business reports.  If you are ever unsure about the legitimacy of a notice you receive regarding your business filings, we encourage you to contact the Business Registration Division via email at  [email protected] or call (808) 586-2727 before responding to the notice.

All businesses registered in the State can file their annual reports directly online in the quarter that it is due.  The online fees for filing annual reports with BREG are as follows:  LLCs, profit corporations and LLPs: $12.50; nonprofit corporations: $2.50; and partnerships: $5.00.

To find your business’ annual report information online, visit: https://hbe.ehawaii.gov/annuals.  For filing-related questions, please visit www.businessregistrations.com, email [email protected], or call (808) 586-2727.

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Media Contact:
Jayson Horiuchi
Communications Officer
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (808) 586-7582