A. Every domestic corporation and every foreign corporation authorized to conduct its affairs in the Commonwealth shall pay into the state treasury on or before the last day of the twelfth month next succeeding the month in which it was incorporated or authorized to conduct its affairs in the Commonwealth, and by such date in each year thereafter, an annual registration fee of $25. At the discretion of the Commission, the annual registration fee due date for a corporation may be extended, on a monthly basis for a period of not less than one month nor more than 11 months, at the request of its registered agent of record or as may be necessary to distribute annual registration fee due dates of corporations as equally as practicable throughout the year on a monthly basis.

The annual registration fee shall be irrespective of any specific license tax or other tax or fee imposed by law upon the corporation for the privilege of carrying on its business in the Commonwealth or upon its franchise, property or receipts. Nonstock corporations incorporated before 1970 which were not liable for the annual registration fee therefor shall not be liable for an annual registration fee hereafter.

B. Each year, the Commission shall ascertain from its records each domestic corporation and each foreign corporation authorized to conduct its affairs in the Commonwealth, as of the first day of the second month next preceding the month in which it was incorporated or authorized to conduct its affairs in the Commonwealth and shall assess against each such corporation the annual registration fee herein imposed. In any year in which a corporation's annual registration fee due date is extended pursuant to subsection A, the annual registration fee assessment shall be increased by a prorated amount to cover the period of extension. A statement of the assessment, when made, shall be forwarded by the clerk of the Commission to the Comptroller and to each such corporation.

C. Any domestic or foreign corporation that fails to pay the annual registration fee herein imposed within the time prescribed shall incur a penalty of $10, which shall be added to the amount of the annual registration fee due. The penalty shall be in addition to any other penalty or liability imposed by law.

D. (Effective until October 1, 2019) The fees paid into the state treasury under this section shall be set aside as a special fund to be used only by the Commission as it deems necessary to defray all costs of staffing, maintaining and operating the office of the clerk of the Commission, together with all other costs incurred by the Commission in supervising, implementing and administering the provisions of Part 5 (§ 8.9A-501 et seq.) of Title 8.9A, this title, except for Chapters 5 (§ 13.1-501 et seq.) and 8 (§ 13.1-557 et seq.) and Article 6 (§ 55-142.1 et seq.) of Chapter 6 of Title 55, provided that one-half of the fees collected shall be credited to the general fund. The excess of fees collected over the projected costs of administration in the next fiscal year shall be paid into the general fund prior to the close of the fiscal year.

D. (Effective October 1, 2019) The fees paid into the state treasury under this section shall be set aside as a special fund to be used only by the Commission as it deems necessary to defray all costs of staffing, maintaining and operating the office of the clerk of the Commission, together with all other costs incurred by the Commission in supervising, implementing and administering the provisions of Part 5 (§ 8.9A-501 et seq.) of Title 8.9A, this title, except for Chapters 5 (§ 13.1-501 et seq.) and 8 (§ 13.1-557 et seq.) and Article 7 (§ 55.1-653 et seq.) of Chapter 6 of Title 55.1, provided that one-half of the fees collected shall be credited to the general fund. The excess of fees collected over the projected costs of administration in the next fiscal year shall be paid into the general fund prior to the close of the fiscal year.

1988, c. 405; 1991, c. 311; 1997, c. 216; 2007, c. 925; 2010, c. 753.