What the Account Status Terms Mean
"Temporary Good Standing" is the status granted all franchise tax accounts during our peak filing period to allow the Comptroller's office sufficient time to process all tax reports.
As tax reports are processed, account status will change to one of the following:
- Good Standing: if all filing and payment requirements are met, or
- Not in Good Standing: if all filing and payment requirements are not met.
A Certificate of Account Status cannot be issued to an entity in Temporary Good Standing.
If your account is in temporary good standing, or not in good standing, and you need information on what you need to file to be in good standing, call us at (800) 252-1381.
If you already filed your report, you can call us at (800) 252-1381 to verify the status of your filing. It may be that the report contained errors that prevented it from being processed, or that additional information is required. If you have an immediate need for a Certificate of Account Status for a private business transaction or to renew a license or permit, notify the specialist you are speaking with, or visit one of our local field offices with a copy of the report that you filed.
"Good Standing" reflects that an entity is current in all of its franchise tax responsibilities at the time the account status search is run. An entity remains in Good Standing through the date the next franchise tax report or payment is due for that entity.
"Not In Good Standing" means an entity has not met all of its franchise tax filing requirements. Below are the top three reasons an entity is shown to be "Not in Good Standing":
- The Comptroller's records reflect that the required franchise tax reports have not been filed, or the appropriate amount due (tax, penalty, or interest) has not been paid by the entity.
- The Comptroller's records reflect that Public Information reports or Ownership Information reports have not been filed for the entity.
- A beginning date for a non-Texas entity's business activities in the state has not been provided to the Comptroller's office.
Certificates of Account Status
A Certificate of Account Status certifies that a taxable entity doing business in Texas is in good standing with its franchise tax reports and payments, or that the entity is exempt from the state franchise tax. A Certificate of Account Status may be required in order to conduct real estate or financial transactions.
A Certificate of Account Status is required with most filings to end an entity's existence with the Secretary of State. However, CERTIFICATES OF ACCOUNT STATUS FROM THIS WEB SITE ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR FILINGS WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE. To obtain a Certificate of Account Status suitable for that purpose, complete Form 05-359, Request for Certificate of Account Status to Terminate a Taxable Entity’s Existence in Texas (PDF, 225KB).
Detailed Instructions for Franchise Account Status
For More Information
Find answers to your franchise tax questions by reviewing our Frequently Asked Questions. For further assistance, submit an e-mail to Franchise Tax Help or call (800) 252-1381. Information on registering in Texas is available from the Secretary of State or by calling 512-463-5555.