(a)General rule.--Every domestic limited liability partnership or limited liability limited partnership in existence on December 31 of any year and every foreign limited liability partnership or limited liability limited partnership that is registered to do business in this Commonwealth on December 31 of any year shall deliver to the Department of State for filing with respect to that year, and on or before April 15 of the following year, a certificate of annual registration on a form provided by the department, signed by a general partner and accompanied by the annual registration fee prescribed by subsection (b). The department shall not charge a fee other than the annual registration fee for filing the certificate of annual registration.
(b)Annual registration fee.--
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(a) General rule.--Every domestic limited liability partnership or limited liability limited partnership in existence on December 31 of any year and every foreign limited liability partnership or limited liability limited partnership that is registered to do business in this Commonwealth on December 31 of any year shall deliver to the Department of State for filing with respect to that year, and on or before April 15 of the following year, a certificate of annual registration on a form provided by the department, signed by a general partner and accompanied by the annual registration fee prescribed by subsection (b). The department shall not charge a fee other than the annual registration fee for filing the certificate of annual registration.
(b) Annual registration fee.--
(1) The annual registration fee to be paid when filing a certificate of annual registration shall be equal to a base fee of $200 times the number of persons who were general partners of the partnership on December 31 of the year with respect to which the certificate of annual registration is being filed and who:
(i) in the case of a natural person, had his principal residence on that date in this Commonwealth; or
(ii) in the case of any other person, was incorporated or otherwise organized or existing on that date under the laws of this Commonwealth.
(2) The base fee of $200 shall be increased on December 31, 1997, and December 31 of every third year thereafter by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Workers during the most recent three calendar years for which that index is available on the date of adjustment. Each adjustment under this paragraph shall be rounded up to the nearest $10.
(c) Notice of annual registration.--Not later than February 1 of each year, the department shall give notice to every partnership required to file a certificate of annual registration with respect to the preceding year of the requirement to file the certificate. The notice shall state the amount of the base fee payable under subsection (b)(1), as adjusted pursuant to subsection (b)(2), if applicable, and shall be accompanied by the form of certificate of annual registration to be filed. Failure by the department to give notice to any party, or failure by any party to receive notice, of the annual registration requirement shall not relieve the party of the obligation to file the certificate of annual registration.
(d) Credit to Corporation Bureau Restricted Account.--The annual registration fee shall not be deemed to be an amount received by the department under Subchapter C of Chapter 1 for purposes of section 155 (relating to disposition of funds), except that $25 of the fee shall be credited to the Corporation Bureau Restricted Account.
(e) Failure to file or pay annual fee.--
(1) Failure to file the certificate of annual registration required by this section for five consecutive years shall result in the automatic termination of:
(i) the status of the limited liability partnership or limited liability limited partnership as such, if it is a domestic partnership; or
(ii) the registration of the limited liability partnership or limited liability limited partnership, if it is a foreign partnership.
(1.1) Any annual registration fee that is not paid when due shall be a lien in the manner provided in this subsection from the time the annual registration fee is due and payable. If a certificate of annual registration is not filed within 30 days after the date on which it is due, the department shall assess a penalty of $500 against the partnership, which shall also be a lien in the manner provided in this subsection. The imposition of that penalty shall not be construed to relieve the partnership from liability for any other penalty or interest provided for under other applicable law.
(2) If the annual registration fee paid by a partnership is subsequently determined to be less than should have been paid because it was based on an incorrect number of general partners or was otherwise incorrectly computed, that fact shall not affect the existence, status or foreign registration of the partnership, but the amount of the additional annual registration fee that should have been paid shall be a lien in the manner provided in this subsection from the time the incorrect payment is discovered by the department.
(3) The annual registration fee shall bear simple interest from the date that it becomes due and payable until paid. The interest rate shall be that provided for in section 806 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, with respect to unpaid taxes. The penalty provided for in paragraph (1) shall not bear interest. The payment of interest shall not relieve the partnership from liability for any other penalty or interest provided for under other applicable law.
(4) The lien created by this subsection shall attach to all of the property and proceeds thereof of the partnership in which a security interest can be perfected in whole or in part by filing in the department under 13 Pa.C.S. Div. 9 (relating to secured transactions; sales of accounts, contract rights and chattel paper), whether the property and proceeds are owned by the partnership at the time the annual registration fee or any penalty or interest becomes due and payable or whether the property and proceeds are acquired thereafter. Except as otherwise provided by statute, the lien created by this subsection shall have priority over all other liens, security interests or other charges, except liens for taxes or other charges due the Commonwealth. The lien created by this subsection shall be entered on the records of the department and indexed in the same manner as a financing statement filed under 13 Pa.C.S. Div. 9. At the time an annual registration fee, penalty or interest that has resulted in the creation of a lien under this subsection is paid, the department shall terminate the lien with respect to that annual registration fee, penalty or interest without requiring a separate filing by the partnership for that purpose.
(5) If the annual registration fee paid by a partnership is subsequently determined to be more than should have been paid for any reason, no refund of the additional fee shall be made.
(6) Termination of the status or foreign registration of a partnership under this section, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, shall not release it from the obligation to pay any accrued fees, penalties and interest and shall not release the lien created by this subsection.
(f) Exception for bankrupt partnerships.--A partnership that would otherwise be required to pay the annual registration fee set forth in subsection (b) shall not be required to pay that fee with respect to any year during any part of which the partnership is a debtor in bankruptcy. The partnership shall, instead, indicate on its certificate of annual registration for that year that it is exempt from payment of the annual registration fee pursuant to this subsection. If the partnership fails to file timely a certificate of annual registration, a lien shall be entered on the records of the department pursuant to subsection (e) which shall not be removed until the partnership files a certificate of annual registration indicating its entitlement to an exemption from payment of the annual registration fee as provided in this subsection. See section 8201(e) (relating to scope).