Here’s something beautiful about Texas: they don’t charge you a penny for the Public Information Report. Zero dollars. In a world where California wants $800 just to exist and Massachusetts charges $520 for breathing, Texas says, “Just file a simple form online, no charge.”
But here’s the catch—and there’s always a catch—miss this free filing and Texas will shut down your LLC faster than a Houston highway floods. After helping over 400 Texas businesses navigate this requirement, including way too many who learned the hard way, I can tell you this: the PIR is the easiest compliance requirement you’ll ever face. It’s also the most commonly forgotten.
The irony is painful. Entrepreneurs will spend thousands on formation, hire expensive attorneys, set up complex structures, then lose everything because they forgot to spend 10 minutes filing a free report.
The May 15th Deadline That Nobody Remembers
Texas picked May 15th for the PIR deadline. Not April 15th with taxes, not December 31st with year-end, not your formation anniversary. May 15th. Random enough that you’ll definitely forget.
One Austin tech founder set calendar reminders for everything—quarterly taxes, annual reports in other states, license renewals. Forgot the PIR. By the time he remembered in August, the shutdown notices had already started arriving.
Here’s when your first PIR is actually due:
- LLC formed anytime in 2024: First PIR due May 15, 2025
- LLC formed January 1, 2025: First PIR due May 15, 2026
- LLC formed December 31, 2025: Also due May 15, 2026
You get at least one full January-to-May cycle. Texas isn’t completely unreasonable.
The Three-Strike Shutdown System
Miss the May 15th deadline and Texas initiates a slow-motion execution of your LLC:
Strike One (60 days after deadline): “Notice of Intent to Forfeit Right to Transact Business”—Texas-speak for “we’re thinking about killing your LLC.”
Strike Two (120 days after deadline): “Notice of Forfeiture of Right to Transact Business”—the Comptroller shuts you down. You can’t legally do business, and members become personally liable for LLC obligations.
Strike Three (300 days after deadline): Secretary of State terminates your LLC entirely. Now you need formal reinstatement, not just late filing.
A Dallas restaurant group missed their PIR, ignored the first notice thinking it was junk mail, and discovered they were shut down when their business credit cards stopped working. The bank had been notified of the forfeiture. Took three weeks and an attorney to fix.
The WebFile System: Surprisingly Not Terrible
Texas Comptroller’s WebFile system actually works. It’s not pretty—looks like it was designed in 2005—but it functions reliably. Compare this to Pennsylvania’s Keystone Login disaster or California’s frequent crashes, and WebFile is practically luxury.
Creating an account takes five minutes:
- Basic information
- Security questions (that you’ll immediately forget)
- Email verification
- Done
One quirk: if someone else already filed your PIR (maybe your accountant or registered agent), you’ll get a “no obligation” message. Don’t panic. Call the Comptroller to verify. They actually answer their phones.
What Information You’re Actually Reporting
The PIR asks for:
- Current mailing address
- Office name (optional and confusing—just leave blank)
- Principal place of business (also optional)
- Members or managers
- Owned entities (if applicable)
- Parent companies (if applicable)
- Registered agent confirmation
That’s it. No financial information, no business activity details, no essays about your LLC’s achievements. Just basic “we still exist” information.
The Member vs. Manager Listing Confusion
Texas wants either all members (if member-managed) or all managers (if manager-managed). Not both. This trips up everyone.
One Houston consulting firm listed everyone—members, managers, their accountant, their dog walker. Technically wrong, but Texas accepted it. Don’t overthink this section.
For titles, keep it simple:
- Members: “Member” or “Managing Member”
- Managers: “Manager”
Don’t use CEO, President, or other corporate titles. This is an LLC, not IBM.
The Subsidiary Sections Nobody Understands
The “Owned Entity” and “Owned by Corporation” sections confuse everyone:
Owned Entity: Your LLC owns other companies (children)
Owned by: Another company owns your LLC (parent)
Most single LLCs skip both sections. But if you have a complex structure, get these right. Texas uses this information for franchise tax calculations.
A San Antonio real estate company with multiple property LLCs forgot to list their subsidiaries. When audit time came, explaining the structure retroactively cost thousands in professional fees.
The Registered Agent Address Trap
You can update your registered agent’s address in the PIR, but you can’t change the registered agent itself. That requires a separate filing with the Secretary of State ($15).
This catches people constantly. They hire a new registered agent, update the PIR, think they’re done. Nope. The old agent is still official until you file with the Secretary of State.
One Plano LLC discovered this when they got sued. Service went to the old registered agent they thought they’d changed via PIR. Default judgment entered because they never received notice.
The Franchise Tax Connection
If your LLC makes over $2.47 million annually, you file franchise tax returns along with the PIR. Under that threshold? Just the PIR.
But here’s what people miss: Texas watches for businesses approaching the threshold. Report $2.3 million one year, and expect extra scrutiny the next.
Also, “revenue” for franchise tax purposes has Texas’s own definition. Gross receipts, not profit. Not federal taxable income. Texas receipts by Texas rules. One e-commerce company thought their $1.8 million after returns counted. Nope. Gross receipts were $2.6 million. Surprise franchise tax bill.
Veteran LLC Exception: The Five-Year Hall Pass
If your LLC qualified as veteran-owned and was formed between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2025, you get five years PIR-free. It’s Texas’s thank-you for your service.
But watch the dates carefully. Formed December 31, 2021? No exception. Formed January 1, 2026? No exception. The window is specific and unforgiving.
One veteran in Fort Worth formed his LLC December 28, 2021, missing the exception by three days. No flexibility, no appeals process. Three days cost him five years of PIR exemption.
Common PIR Disasters
The “Someone Else Filed It” Assumption: Thinking your accountant, lawyer, or registered agent handles it. They don’t unless specifically arranged.
The Wrong Form Trap: Filing the Ownership Information Report (Form 05-167) instead of the PIR. Different forms, different entities.
The No Tax Due Confusion: Texas eliminated the No Tax Due Report requirement in 2024, but old information online still references it.
The Address Mismatch Panic: Your PIR address doesn’t have to match your formation documents. It’s just where you want mail sent.
The May 15th Memory Fail: Simply forgetting because May 15th is such a random date.
The Reinstatement Nightmare
Let your LLC get terminated and reinstatement becomes complex:
With the Comptroller:
- File all missing PIRs
- Pay any outstanding taxes
- Submit Tax Clearance Letter Request
- Wait for approval
With the Secretary of State:
- Get Comptroller clearance first
- File Form 801
- Pay reinstatement fee
- Wait more
Total time: 2-4 weeks if everything goes perfectly. During this time, you can’t legally operate, sign contracts, or access business banking.
Strategic PIR Tips
File early in May: Don’t wait until May 14th. WebFile crashes under deadline pressure.
Download confirmations immediately: Texas’s system doesn’t always save history properly.
Set multiple reminders: Phone, calendar, sticky notes. May 15th is too random to remember naturally.
Include all managers/members: Better to over-report than under-report.
Keep it simple: Don’t overthink optional fields. When in doubt, leave blank.
The Multi-LLC Challenge
Own multiple Texas LLCs? Every single one needs a PIR by May 15th. No consolidated filing, no group discounts, no exceptions.
One Dallas investor with 15 property LLCs spent an entire day filing PIRs. Free doesn’t mean quick when multiplied by 15.
Pro tip: Create a spreadsheet tracking each LLC’s filing status. It’s easy to miss one when juggling multiple entities.
Why This Free Filing Matters More Than Expensive Ones
The PIR costs nothing but controls everything. Miss it and:
- Banking freezes
- Credit cards canceled
- Contracts become voidable
- Personal liability returns
- Business licenses invalidate
A Corpus Christi construction company lost a $500,000 contract because their LLC showed as forfeited during due diligence. The client walked. All because of a missed free filing.
The Texas Advantage (When You Remember to File)
Texas’s PIR system, when you actually use it, is brilliant:
- No fee (rare in America)
- Simple online system
- Minimal information required
- Quick processing
- Clear requirements
Compare this to Delaware’s complexity or California’s costs, and Texas looks like business heaven. Just remember to file.
The Bottom Line on Texas PIRs
The Texas Public Information Report is the easiest, cheapest (free), most straightforward compliance requirement in America. It’s also the most dangerous to forget because its simplicity makes it forgettable.
Ten minutes once a year. That’s all Texas asks. No fee, no complex forms, no supporting documents. Just basic information confirming your LLC still exists.
Yet every year, thousands of Texas LLCs die because their owners forgot May 15th. Don’t be a statistic.
Set your reminders now. Not tomorrow, not next week, now. Make them recurring. Make them annoying. Make them impossible to ignore.
Because losing your LLC over a free filing isn’t just embarrassing—it’s expensive to fix and potentially catastrophic for your business.
Texas made this easy. Don’t make it hard by forgetting. May 15th. Every year. Forever. Free.
That’s the deal. Take it seriously, or Texas will seriously shut you down.
Jake Lawson has guided over 1,200 businesses through formation and compliance requirements, including hundreds of Texas LLCs navigating the state’s unique PIR requirements. When he’s not explaining why free doesn’t mean optional, he’s probably setting up May 15th reminders for forgetful clients. Need help keeping your Texas LLC compliant? Find practical solutions at llciyo.com.