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Dissolve a Washington LLC or corporation

File with the Washington Secretary of State. Some companies also need a tax sign-off.

The catch

Corporations get the Revenue certificate before the Secretary of State will touch the filing. LLCs skip that step.

How to close a company in Washington

  1. Get the tax sign-off

    Washington has no filing fee and splits corporations from LLCs on tax clearance.

  2. Wind up the business

    Hold the vote your governing documents and Washington law require. Pay or set aside what you owe, in the order your lawyer advises.

  3. File with the Washington Secretary of State

    LLC and corporation: No form number, No state fee.

  4. Pick how to file

    Online, by mail or in person. No fixed time is published.

  5. Check your records

    Before you close accounts or delete Slack, work out what you must keep and whether a buyer may want it.

Facts and sources

Washington dissolution facts, each with a link to its source
FactWhat we foundSource
Filing office

Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Filing, 360-725-0377

sos.wa.gov
corporation: dissolve

No form number: Articles of Dissolution (profit corporation)

Fee: No state fee. No filing fee. Expedited service adds $100 per entity (about three working days). Same-day adds $150.

Full notes

How to file: File online, or mail to 801 Capitol Way S, Olympia (P.O. Box 40234). Include the Revenue Clearance Certificate.

sos.wa.gov
LLC: dissolve

No form number: Certificate of Dissolution (LLC and PLLC)

Fee: No state fee. No filing fee. Same expedited options. 120 days after filing, the entity can no longer be reinstated.

How to file: Online instructions are on the Secretary of State site.

sos.wa.gov
Tax clearance

Varies. Washington Department of Revenue.

Revenue Clearance Certificate Application (Withdrawal or Dissolution of a Corporation and Guaranty)

Form REV 31 0037

Washington Department of Revenuesos.wa.govWashington Department of Revenue
Before you file
  • Corporation: Revenue Clearance Certificate attached to the filing
  • Corporation: all excise tax returns filed and paid through the closing date, or the application cannot be processed
  • Close your Department of Revenue account and file the final excise return by the 25th of the following month
Full notes
  • File final unemployment tax and wage reports within 10 days of closure
Washington Department of Revenue
How long it takes

Varies. No fixed time is published.

Washington Department of Revenue
Other tax stops
  • Washington Department of Revenue: Clearance certificate (corporations), account closing, final excise return by the 25th of the next month
  • Employment Security Department: Business Change Form and final quarterly reports within 10 days
sos.wa.gov

Fees and form numbers change, so check the source before you file.

A checklist can keep you from forgetting things. It cannot tell you what your state requires today. Have your lawyer or CPA look at it before you rely on it. Vaultfish helps you run the process. We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice. If you need counsel who knows this area, we can point you to one. Ask for a referral

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to close a Washington LLC or corporation?

LLC and corporation (No form number): no state filing fee. Fees change, so check the source link before you pay.

Do I need tax clearance to close a Washington company?

It depends on the business type. Corporations get the Revenue certificate before the Secretary of State will touch the filing. LLCs skip that step.

Where do I file in Washington?

File with the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Filing. You can file online, by mail or in person.

How long does it take to close a company in Washington?

Washington publishes no fixed processing time that we could find.

What happens to my Slack, email and CRM when I close?

Closing the company does not decide what happens to your records. Keep what tax and payroll rules ask for. The IRS gives retention periods on its site. Then check what the rest could be worth before you delete it.

Is this legal advice?

No. We read the state pages so you don't have to, then link to them so you can check our work. Have your lawyer or CPA read it too. They like that.