Short answer: yes, you can absolutely file your own BOIR — no lawyer, no accountant, no service required. But here’s the part nobody selling you a “$199 filing package” wants to lead with: if your company was formed in the United States, as of 2026 you probably have nothing to file at all. And in the narrow case where you do, FinCEN charges you exactly nothing to do it yourself.
This guide does three honest things. It helps you check whether you’re even on the hook. It walks you through the free self-file steps if you are. And it tells you the real, narrow situations where paying $99 for a done-for-you filing is a sensible convenience — never because someone scared you into it.
Current status (as of June 2026): Under FinCEN’s interim final rule issued March 26, 2025, all entities formed in the United States and all US persons are exempt from beneficial ownership (BOI) reporting. The term “reporting company” now applies only to entities formed in a foreign country and registered to do business in the US. Self-filing is free — FinCEN charges no filing fee. The final rule is still pending, but the interim final rule is current law, and FinCEN has stated there are no fines, penalties, or enforcement against domestic companies.
Are you even on the hook? A 30-second check
Before you spend a minute (or a dollar) on this, figure out whether the rule even applies to you. It comes down to one thing: where your company was formed.
The decision box
- Formed in the US? → No filing. If your LLC, corporation, or other entity was created by filing with a US state or Tribal authority, the March 2025 interim final rule exempts you. You have nothing to file with FinCEN. Full stop.
- Formed abroad and registered to do business in the US? → Yes, you file. If your entity was formed in another country and then registered to operate in a US state, you’re a “foreign reporting company” under the current rule, and you do still need to file a BOIR.
One point of confusion worth clearing up, because it trips up a lot of people: it’s where the company was formed that matters, not who owns it. A US-formed LLC owned by a non-US person is still a US-formed entity — and therefore exempt. A Wyoming LLC owned by someone in Canada doesn’t become a “foreign company” because of the owner; it was formed in Wyoming, so it’s domestic and exempt. The “foreign reporting company” label is strictly about the entity’s place of formation.
So if you formed in the US, you can stop reading here with a clear conscience. You don’t have to file, and any letter telling you otherwise (more on those below) is wrong or outright fraudulent.
Can I file my own BOIR myself? (Yes — and it’s free)
If you’ve landed in the “yes, I file” group, here’s the good news: you do not need to hire anyone. FinCEN’s own guidance is clear that you are not required to use an attorney, a CPA, or a third-party service to submit a BOIR. People file these for themselves all the time.
It’s also genuinely free. There is no government filing fee. You submit directly through FinCEN’s official e-filing system, and the whole thing takes about ten minutes once you have your information ready — business owners who’ve done it describe roughly a ten-minute process after they’ve scanned their ID.
What you’ll want on hand before you start:
- Your company’s basic details (legal name, any trade names, US address, and taxpayer ID).
- Identifying information for each beneficial owner.
- An acceptable photo ID for each beneficial owner to upload.
How to self-file your BOIR for free, step by step
Here’s the straightforward path for a foreign reporting company filing on its own:
- Go to the official FinCEN e-filing portal. Start at boiefiling.fincen.gov/fileboir. This is the only place you file, and it costs nothing.
- Choose to file online. The portal lets you complete and submit the report directly in your browser.
- Enter your company information. Provide the legal name, any alternate/trade names, your US address, and your taxpayer identification number.
- Enter beneficial owner information. Add the required identifying details for each beneficial owner of the entity.
- Upload an acceptable ID. Attach a valid identification document for each beneficial owner.
- Review and submit. Check everything for accuracy, then file.
- Save your confirmation. Keep the submission confirmation for your records.
That’s it. No fee, no middleman, about ten minutes of work. On timing: foreign reporting companies registered before March 26, 2025 had a deadline of April 25, 2025; those registering on or after March 26, 2025 have 30 days from registration to file. If your deadline has already passed, file as soon as you can — but note that the free, direct route is always the FinCEN portal.
DIY vs. done-for-you ($99): an honest comparison
So if it’s free and takes ten minutes, why would anyone pay? Honestly, sometimes it’s worth it — and sometimes it isn’t. Here’s the straight version.
| File it yourself (DIY) | Done-for-you ($99) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $99 |
| Time from you | ~10 minutes | A few minutes to hand over info |
| Who controls accuracy | You | The service prepares and submits it |
| Best for | A single foreign entity with simple, clear ownership and time to do it | Multiple entities, complex ownership, ongoing updates, or simply no time to deal with it |
The case for DIY is simple: it costs nothing, it’s quick, and you stay in full control. If you have one foreign reporting company and the ownership is straightforward, doing it yourself is the obvious move.
The honest case for paying: if you’re juggling several foreign entities, the ownership structure is genuinely complicated, you expect to file updates over time, or you just don’t want to spend your own time on it, a flat $99 to have it prepared and submitted correctly can be money well spent. That’s a convenience decision — not a fear-based one.
For context, the market for this free task is all over the place. We’ve seen services charging $39.99 on the low end, others in the $119–$199 range (CorpNet and LegalZoom sit around $199), and CPAs and law firms quoting anywhere from $250 to $600 or more. Knowing the filing itself is free puts that spread in perspective: you’re paying for someone else’s time and assurance, not for access to the government system. That’s a fair trade for the right person — and an easy “no thanks” for everyone else.
Watch out: the “BOI fee” letters are a scam
Red flag — this is fraud, not compliance. If you’ve received a letter referencing “Form 4022,” “Form 5102,” or a sender like the “US Business Regulations Dept” demanding a payment to “complete your filing,” it’s a scam. FinCEN flagged exactly this correspondence as fraudulent in its alert FIN-2024-Alert005.
Two things make these letters easy to spot once you know the rules. First, FinCEN never requests payment — the real filing is free. Any mailer that wants a fee (we’ve seen fake “$119” and “$149” demands) is fake by definition. Second, the letters often try to manufacture urgency with “late fees” and official-looking form numbers that don’t exist in the real process.
If one lands in your mailbox: don’t pay, don’t scan any QR codes, and don’t send your details back. Report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov. And remember — if your company was formed in the US, you don’t owe a filing at all, which makes any “fee” letter doubly bogus.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still have to file a BOIR in 2026?
If your company was formed in the US, no. Under the March 26, 2025 interim final rule, all US-formed entities and US persons are exempt. Only foreign-formed entities registered to do business in the US still file. The interim final rule is current law (the final rule is pending).
Is BOI filing free?
Yes. FinCEN charges no filing fee. You can file directly at boiefiling.fincen.gov for free.
Do I need a lawyer or accountant to file?
No. FinCEN does not require you to use an attorney, CPA, or any service. You can file it yourself.
How long does self-filing take?
About ten minutes once you’ve gathered your company details and a beneficial owner ID.
How much do services charge?
For a task that’s free to do yourself, prices range widely — from about $39.99 to $199 (CorpNet and LegalZoom around $199), up to $250–$600 or more from some CPAs and law firms.
Are US LLCs exempt?
Yes. A US-formed LLC is a domestic entity and is exempt under the current rule — even if it’s owned by a non-US person. What matters is where the company was formed, not who owns it.
What is a “reporting company” now?
Under the interim final rule, a reporting company is an entity formed in a foreign country and registered to do business in the United States. US-formed entities are no longer reporting companies.
What’s the deadline for foreign companies?
Foreign reporting companies registered before March 26, 2025 had until April 25, 2025; those registering on or after March 26, 2025 have 30 days from registration to file.
Is the “Form 4022 / Form 5102 fee” letter a scam?
Yes. FinCEN identified correspondence referencing “Form 4022,” “Form 5102,” and the “US Business Regulations Dept” as fraudulent. FinCEN never requests payment. Report these letters to IC3.gov.
Will BOI reporting come back?
The final rule is still pending as of June 2026. For now, the interim final rule governs: US-formed entities and US persons are exempt, and only foreign reporting companies file.
The bottom line
Most people who ask “can I file my own BOIR?” don’t need to file one at all. If your company was formed in the US, the current rule exempts you — there’s nothing to submit and no fee to pay. If you’re a foreign reporting company, you can file it yourself in about ten minutes, free, at FinCEN’s portal. And if you ever get a letter demanding a payment, treat it as the scam it is.
If you’re a foreign reporting company — or you simply want the whole thing handled without spending your own time on it — we’ll prepare and submit your BOIR for a flat $99. No scare tactics, no upsells: just an accurate filing, done for you. Otherwise, take the free route with our blessing.
Sources
- FinCEN — Beneficial Ownership Information hub: https://www.fincen.gov/boi
- FinCEN — Interim Final Rule Q&A: https://www.fincen.gov/boi/ifr-qa
- FinCEN — News release removing BOI reporting for US companies and US persons: https://www.fincen.gov/news/news-releases/fincen-removes-beneficial-ownership-reporting-requirements-us-companies-and-us
- Federal Register — Interim Final Rule (March 26, 2025): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/03/26/2025-05199/beneficial-ownership-information-reporting-requirement-revision-and-deadline-extension
- FinCEN — Free BOIR e-filing portal: https://boiefiling.fincen.gov/fileboir
- FinCEN — Fraud/scam alert (FIN-2024-Alert005) PDF: https://www.fincen.gov/system/files/2024-12/Alert-FinCEN-Scams-FINAL508.pdf
- FinCEN — BOI FAQs: https://www.fincen.gov/boi-faqs
