Instructions for Completing the
Certificate of Surrender (Form SURC)
(Foreign Qualified Corporation ONLY)
To surrender a Foreign Qualified Corporation, complete the Certificate of Surrender (Form SURC).
Before
submitting the completed form, you should consult with a private attorney for advice about your specific
business needs.
•
Form SURC has been created for ease in filing, however, any format may be used, provided it meets statutory
requirements.
•
Upon the filing of the Certificate of Surrender by the Secretary of State, the foreign qualified corporation will be
completely surrendered and the corporate rights, powers and privileges will cease in California.
•
The status of the corporation must be active on the records of the California Secretary of State in order to file a
Certificate of Surrender. The status of the corporation can be checked online on the Secretary of State’s
Business Search at
BusinessSearch.sos.ca.gov
.
Important Additional Steps to Close a Business in California:
Final Tax Returns Required: See California Franchise Tax Board’s (FTB) Publication 1038 – Guide to Dissolve,
Surrender, or Cancel a California [or Foreign] Business Entity –
See FTB’s
“Closing a Business Entity” webpage at
https://
for additional information.
-
All final returns required under the California Revenue and Taxation Code must be filed timely (Form
100/100S) with the FTB and the $800 minimum franchise tax for the tax year of the final return must be paid. If
final returns are not filed, the corporation will remain FTB active and continue to be subject to the $800
minimum franchise tax for each taxable year.
-
For information regarding FTB forms and publications visit their website at
https://
or contact
the FTB at (800) 852-5711 (from within the U.S.) or (916) 845-6500 (from outside the U.S.).
Fees:
•
Filing Fee: There is no fee for filing Certificate of Surrender of a Foreign Qualified Corporation.
•
Faster Service Fee:
-
Counter and guaranteed expedite services are available only for documents submitted in person (drop off) to
our Sacramento office.
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Counter Drop Off: A separate, non-refundable $15.00 counter drop off fee is required if you submit in
person (drop off) your completed document at our Sacramento office. The $15.00 counter drop off fee
provides priority service over documents submitted by mail. The special handling fee is not refundable
whether the document is filed or rejected.
-
Guaranteed Expedite Drop Off: For more urgent submissions, documents can be processed within a
guaranteed timeframe for a non-refundable fee in lieu of the counter drop off fee. For detailed information
about this faster processing service through our Preclearance and Expedited Filing Services, go to
Copies: To get a copy of the filed document, include payment for copy fees when the document is submitted. Copy
fees are $1.00 for the first page and $.50 for each attachment page. For certified copies, there is an additional $5.00
certification fee, per copy.
Payment Type: Check(s) or money orders should be made payable to the Secretary of State. Do not send cash
by mail. If submitting the document in person in our Sacramento office, payment also may be made by credit card
(Visa® or MasterCard®).
Processing Times: For current processing times, go to
2017 California Secretary of State
SURC Instructions (REV 01/2017)