2021 IS A DECENNIAL FILING YEAR:
Protect Your Business’ Exclusive Name
You May Need to File a Report of Continued Existence to Protect Your Name!

For Pennsylvania business entities, a year that ends in “1” is a decennial year. This requires certain types of entities to file a report of continued existence. Failure to do so means loss of exclusive right to the business’ name. The entity will continue to exist, but its name becomes available for any other entity registering in Pennsylvania. If a new registration takes the name, that new registration is respected, and the existing business that failed to file the decennial report may no longer use it.

Business entities subject to this rule include all for profit and nonprofit corporations, LLCs, LPs, LLPs and business trusts. If such an entity has not made a new or amended filing since the last day of 2011, it must file a decennial report before the last day of 2021. A “new or amended filing” does not include a decennial filing, name reservation, name search, consent to appropriation of name, or fictitious name registration.

The Decennial Report of Association Continued Existence is a simple filing that informs the Corporation Bureau of the business entity’s continued existence. Filing the report carries a $70 fee, and can be filed at any time from January 1 through December 31, 2021. Filing in time maintains the business’ exclusive right to its name as a Pennsylvania entity. A late filing will cure the delinquency, unless the business’ name was appropriated while it was delinquent.

If you have questions about the decennial report, or to review whether your entity should file one, please contact a member of your HRMM&L team and we will be happy to assist you.

We are here to help!