Filing guide
Late S-Corp Election: The Rev. Proc. 2013-30 Fix, Plainly
Missing the Form 2553 deadline feels fatal and almost never is. Rev. Proc. 2013-30 lets most businesses elect S-corp status retroactively — up to 3 years and 75 days after the intended effective date — if four things are true and one statement is written properly.
The four requirements
You intended S-corp status as of the effective date; you failed to qualify only because the form wasn't filed on time; you have reasonable cause for the miss and acted diligently once discovered; and all shareholders reported their income consistent with an S-corp election for every affected year.
The mechanics
The same Form 2553 is filed with 'FILED PURSUANT TO REV. PROC. 2013-30' written across the top margin, plus a reasonable-cause statement signed under penalties of perjury. The statement is where late elections live or die — vague excuses bounce; specific, honest chronology with diligent-correction facts gets accepted.
That statement is the heart of our $249 late package: your facts, framed the way the revenue procedure asks, with the whole filing faxed and receipted the same day.
Want it handled?
S-Corp Election Filing does this for $149 — or follow the steps above yourself, free.
See pricingStraight answers
What counts as reasonable cause?
Commonly accepted: reliance on a professional who didn't file, not knowing a separate election was required after forming the LLC, or administrative error — told specifically and honestly. What fails: no explanation at all.
What if I'm past 3 years and 75 days?
The standard relief window has closed; options narrow to a private letter ruling (expensive) or electing prospectively for the current/next year. The free checker shows your exact dates.