file (a form or document) with (an organization)

"Filing" a document means completing it and sending it to the correct organization. Documents which people file include:

  • tax returns
  • applications for financial aid
  • insurance claims
  • marriage certificates
  • a police report regarding a crime

We don't use the verb "file" to talk about some documents, though. For example, you don't "file" an application for a job.

If you want to explain where a form was sent, use the preposition "with":

I filed a formal complaint with H.R., but they didn't do anything about it.

This phrase appears in these lessons: