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Updating Your Formation Playbooks for the BOI Era



By: Jack Nicholaisen author image
article image

You have formation playbooks.

You need to add BOI.

You need updated processes.

You need integration.

Formation playbooks. BOI integration. Updated checklists. Your process.

This guide shows you how.

Playbook updates. Checklist integration. Process improvement. Your compliance.

Read this. Update your playbooks. Integrate BOI.

article summaryKey Takeaways

  • Add BOI to initial formation checklist—include BOI filing as a required step in your entity formation process
  • Update ownership documentation procedures—ensure your playbooks include identifying and documenting beneficial owners
  • Create BOI update workflows—establish procedures for filing updates when ownership or information changes
  • Integrate BOI into compliance calendars—add BOI deadlines and review dates to your existing compliance tracking
  • Train team members—ensure everyone involved in formation knows about BOI requirements and procedures
BOI formation playbook checklist update integration process

Why Updates Matter

Updates ensure compliance.

What happens without updates:

  • BOI is forgotten
  • Compliance fails
  • Penalties accumulate
  • Processes break down

What happens with updates:

  • BOI is included
  • Compliance is maintained
  • Penalties are avoided
  • Processes work smoothly

The reality: Updates enable compliance.

Initial Formation Checklist

Add BOI to your formation checklist:

Pre-Formation Steps

What to add:

  • Identify beneficial owners
  • Gather beneficial owner information
  • Prepare BOI filing information
  • Set BOI filing deadline reminder

Why it matters: Preparation ensures timely filing.

Formation Steps

What to add:

  • File entity formation documents
  • Complete BOI filing within deadline
  • Verify BOI filing confirmation
  • Document BOI filing date

Why it matters: Formation includes BOI filing.

Post-Formation Steps

What to add:

  • Confirm BOI filing received
  • Store BOI filing confirmation
  • Set up update tracking
  • Schedule compliance reviews

Why it matters: Post-formation ensures completion.

Pro tip: Update checklist. Pre-formation, formation, post-formation. See our BOI guide for filing requirements.

BOI initial formation checklist pre-formation post-formation steps

Ownership Documentation

Update ownership documentation procedures:

Beneficial Owner Identification

What to document:

  • Who are beneficial owners
  • Ownership percentages
  • Control arrangements
  • Supporting documentation

Why it matters: Identification enables filing.

Information Gathering

What to gather:

  • Full legal names
  • Dates of birth
  • Residential addresses
  • Unique identifying numbers

Why it matters: Complete information ensures accuracy.

Documentation Storage

What to store:

  • Ownership records
  • Beneficial owner information
  • Supporting documents
  • Filing confirmations

Why it matters: Storage supports compliance.

Pro tip: Update documentation. Beneficial owner identification, information gathering, documentation storage. See our BOI documentation guide for record-keeping.

Update Workflows

Create BOI update workflows:

Change Detection

What to detect:

  • Ownership changes
  • Control changes
  • Information changes
  • Address changes

Why it matters: Detection triggers updates.

Update Process

What to process:

  • Identify change date
  • Gather updated information
  • File BOI update within 30 days
  • Confirm update filing

Why it matters: Process ensures timely updates.

Update Tracking

What to track:

  • Change events
  • Update filing dates
  • Update confirmations
  • Compliance status

Why it matters: Tracking maintains compliance.

Pro tip: Create workflows. Change detection, update process, update tracking. See our BOI timeline guide for update deadlines.

BOI update workflows change detection process tracking

Compliance Calendar

Integrate BOI into compliance calendar:

Initial Filing Deadlines

What to add:

  • New entity 90-day deadline
  • Existing entity January 1, 2025 deadline
  • Reminder dates
  • Follow-up dates

Why it matters: Deadlines ensure timely filing.

Update Deadlines

What to add:

  • 30-day update windows
  • Change tracking dates
  • Update reminder dates
  • Compliance check dates

Why it matters: Update deadlines ensure compliance.

Review Dates

What to add:

  • Quarterly compliance reviews
  • Annual assessments
  • Change audits
  • Status checks

Why it matters: Reviews maintain compliance.

Pro tip: Integrate calendar. Initial filing deadlines, update deadlines, review dates. See our BOI routine guide for compliance habits.

Team Training

Train team members on BOI:

BOI Requirements Training

What to train:

  • What BOI is
  • Who must file
  • When to file
  • How to file

Why it matters: Training ensures understanding.

Process Training

What to train:

  • Formation checklist updates
  • Ownership documentation procedures
  • Update workflows
  • Compliance calendar usage

Why it matters: Process training ensures execution.

Responsibility Assignment

What to assign:

  • Who handles BOI filing
  • Who tracks deadlines
  • Who manages updates
  • Who reviews compliance

Why it matters: Assignment ensures accountability.

Pro tip: Train team. BOI requirements, process training, responsibility assignment. See our BOI governance guide for responsibility management.

Your Next Steps

Update playbooks. Integrate BOI. Train your team.

This Week:

  1. Review this guide
  2. Assess current playbooks
  3. Identify update needs
  4. Create update plan

This Month:

  1. Update formation checklists
  2. Integrate BOI workflows
  3. Update compliance calendars
  4. Train team members

Going Forward:

  1. Maintain updated playbooks
  2. Review and improve processes
  3. Train new team members
  4. Stay current with requirements

Need help? Check out our BOI filing guide for filing requirements, our 2024 BOI rule guide for rule changes, our BOI routine guide for compliance habits, and our registered agent guide for business address setup.


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FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions About Updating Your Formation Playbooks for the BOI Era

Business FAQs


What BOI-related steps should be added to a business formation checklist?

Add identifying beneficial owners before formation, completing the BOI filing within the deadline after formation, and confirming receipt of the filing post-formation.

Learn More...

Pre-formation steps include identifying beneficial owners, gathering their personal information (legal names, dates of birth, addresses, and ID numbers), and setting a BOI filing deadline reminder.

During formation, you should file the BOI report within the required deadline and verify filing confirmation. Post-formation, confirm the filing was received, store the confirmation, set up update tracking for ownership changes, and schedule regular compliance reviews.

What beneficial owner information must be documented in your updated playbooks?

You must document full legal names, dates of birth, residential addresses, and unique identifying numbers for each beneficial owner, plus ownership percentages and control arrangements.

Learn More...

Beneficial owner identification requires determining who qualifies as a beneficial owner based on ownership stakes and control arrangements. Each owner's full legal name, date of birth, current residential address, and a unique identifying number must be collected.

Supporting documentation like ownership records and filing confirmations should be stored securely. Your playbooks should include procedures for both the initial identification process and ongoing documentation updates whenever ownership information changes.

When must a BOI update be filed after an ownership or information change?

You must file a BOI update within 30 days of any change to ownership, control, or beneficial owner information.

Learn More...

Your update workflow should include change detection mechanisms that flag ownership changes, control changes, information changes, and address changes as they happen.

Once a change is detected, the update process is: identify the change date, gather the updated information, file the BOI update within 30 days, and confirm the update filing. Track every change event, update filing date, and confirmation to maintain a complete compliance record.

How should BOI deadlines be integrated into an existing compliance calendar?

Add the initial filing deadline (90 days for new entities), 30-day update windows for any changes, and quarterly compliance review dates to your calendar.

Learn More...

For initial filings, new entities must file within 90 days of formation, and existing entities had a January 1, 2025 deadline. Set reminder dates before these deadlines and follow-up dates after filing.

For ongoing compliance, add 30-day update windows triggered by any ownership change, schedule quarterly compliance reviews, and plan annual assessments. Include change audit dates and status check reminders so BOI compliance becomes a routine part of your calendar rather than an afterthought.

Why is team training critical when updating formation playbooks for BOI?

Team members handling formations must understand what BOI is, who must file, when to file, and how to file, plus they need clear responsibility assignments for accountability.

Learn More...

BOI requirements training covers the basics: what BOI reporting is, which entities must file, filing deadlines, and the filing process. Process training ensures team members know the updated formation checklists, ownership documentation procedures, update workflows, and compliance calendar.

Responsibility assignment is equally important: designate who handles BOI filing, who tracks deadlines, who manages updates when ownership changes, and who reviews overall compliance. Without clear assignments, BOI tasks fall through the cracks and penalties accumulate.

What happens if you don't update your formation playbooks to include BOI requirements?

Without updates, BOI filing gets forgotten, compliance fails, penalties accumulate, and your entire formation process breaks down.

Learn More...

BOI reporting carries penalties of up to $500 per day for non-compliance, so forgetting to include it in your formation workflow can be very expensive. When BOI isn't embedded in your standard process, it becomes an ad-hoc task that's easy to overlook.

Updated playbooks ensure BOI is systematically included at every stage: pre-formation identification of beneficial owners, timely filing during formation, post-formation confirmation and tracking, and ongoing update workflows for ownership changes. This systematic approach prevents costly oversights.



Sources & Additional Information

This guide provides general information about updating formation playbooks for BOI requirements. Your specific situation may require different considerations.

For BOI filing, see our BOI Filing Guide.

For 2024 BOI rule, see our 2024 BOI Rule Guide.

For BOI routine, see our BOI Routine Guide.

For registered agent services, see our Registered Agent Guide.

Consult with professionals for advice specific to your situation.

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About the Author

jack nicholaisen
Jack Nicholaisen

Jack Nicholaisen is the founder of Businessinitiative.org. After acheiving the rank of Eagle Scout and studying Civil Engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), he has spent the last 5 years dissecting the mess of informaiton online about LLCs in order to help aspiring entrepreneurs and established business owners better understand everything there is to know about starting, running, and growing Limited Liability Companies and other business entities.