For Corporations, Wisconsin has a couple of filings that resemble franchise taxes, either in name or format that are typically field by an accountant: an annual report filing and a franchise tax filing.
Foreign registered Corporations in Wisconsin must report on "Capital representation" in Wisconsin on the state's annual report, which is used to calculate the filing fee. It requires detailed financial information, as a result, this is typically filed by an accountant.
Wisconsin's Annual Report for Corporations is due at the end of the quarter of the anniversary of when the entity was initially registered in Wisconsin (e.g. if the entity registered in Wisconsin February 1 in a given year, the annual report would be due March 31 the year after, and then annually thereafter).
Wisconsin also has Franchise Taxes that must be filed each year for certain entities. Wisconsin’s Franchise Tax more closely resembles Corporate Income Taxes than an average Franchise Tax filing in other states. The state has a concise Q&A on Corporate Taxes on their website.
As a result, for Corporations, Wisconsin Franchise Taxes are typically filed by an accountant, as they are virtually identical to Corporate Income Taxes. A Corporation will only pay Franchise Taxes or Corporate Income Taxes in a given year, not both.
Talk to your Tax Accountant to determine which Tax you may owe. Franchise Tax applies to Foreign corporations (that are not tax exempt) doing business in Wisconsin, as well as Domestic Corporations.
Form 4 and 6 (Corporation franchise or income tax return) are due:
