Compliance 101 – Types of Reports

Who this is for

Treasurers and committee staff who want a clear mental map of the reports their committee will file — what each one is for and when each one comes due.

What you’ll find here

Three families of reports (statements of organization, periodic reports, and triggered reports), the basics of how filing works, and what to do when a report needs amending.

Statements of Organization

Statements of organization tell a filing agency that your committee exists, who’s running it, and what kind of activity it intends to conduct. They include:

• Statement of Organization (e.g., FEC Form 1) — registers the committee itself.
• Statement of Candidacy (e.g., FEC Form 2) — registers an individual as a candidate.
• Termination reports — close out a committee that’s no longer active.

These reports are filed once when your committee first registers, and again whenever the registration information materially changes (new treasurer, new bank account, new structure). They can usually be filed early.

Each agency sets its own registration thresholds and deadlines — check your filing agency’s current guidance for the specific triggers and timing that apply to you.

Periodic reports

Periodic reports cover your committee’s day-to-day financial activity over a set reporting period. They include receipts, disbursements, and non-cash activity like in-kind contributions (cases where your committee receives the benefit of goods or services paid for by someone else).

Periodic reports are filed on the schedule set by your filing agency:

• FEC reports are due on the date posted in the FEC filing schedule. Electronic filings are due by midnight Eastern on the due date.
• California reports are due on the posted deadline, but the deadline rolls to the next business day if it falls on a weekend or holiday.
• Other jurisdictions follow their own schedules — check your filing agency’s current calendar.

Triggered reports

Some reports are triggered by specific events, usually around an election. They exist so the public can see significant financial activity in real time, before the next periodic report would otherwise make it public.

• 24-hour and 48-hour reports for independent expenditures and large contributions, due within 24 or 48 hours of the qualifying transaction.
• Pre-election windows. California requires 24-hour reports of qualifying activity within the 90 days before an election (FPPC Form 496 / 497). The FEC requires 24- and 48-hour reports of qualifying independent expenditures within defined windows before an election (typically the final 20 days), with tighter rules for the last few days.
• Thresholds and exact timing vary by agency — check your filing agency’s current guidance for the version that applies to your committee.

The clock starts when the qualifying transaction occurs (receipt or disbursement), not when the report is prepared.

How to file

Each jurisdiction provides its own filing method. Some agencies accept electronic submission directly through ISP; others require you to download a generated file and upload it through the agency’s portal; a few still accept paper.

ISP supports filing with the FEC and many state and local jurisdictions. If your agency isn’t yet supported in ISP, contact ISP support and we’ll help you find the right approach.

Amendments

You can amend a filed report any time you find an inaccuracy or want to update reported information. Amendments fall into two categories:

• Voluntary — you noticed something that needs correcting and you’re filing the change on your own.
• Agency-requested — the filing agency reviewed the report and asked for additional information or corrections.

Amendments are a normal part of compliance work. The cleaner your records (see Best Practices), the easier amendments are to prepare.

Related help files

• Compliance 101 — Key Terms
• Compliance 101 — Best Practices

If you need help

Not sure which report applies to your situation, or which deadline is yours? Contact ISP support — we’ll help you sort it out.