Navigating Compliances On Significant Beneficial Ownership By Limited Liability Partnerships

MCA has recently notified the Limited Liability Partnership (Significant Beneficial Owners) Rules, 2023 (“LLP SBO Rules”) (November 9, 2023) which lay down the rules and compliances required to be adhered by the reporting LLPs in India with respect of Significant Beneficial Owners (“SBO”). These Rules are issued pursuant to the MCA Notification dated February 11, 2022 under which Section 90 of Companies Act, 2013 (“Act, 2013”) for maintaining register of SBOs was made applicable to the Limited Liability Partnerships (“LLP”).

Typically, LLPs provide limited liability to their partners, meaning that the personal assets of the individuals involved are protected from the business's liabilities. However, there are situations where the corporate veil may be pierced to hold individuals personally responsible for the LLPs actions or debts. The LLP SBO Rules notified provisions to achieve a similar outcome. The LLP SBO Rules are designed to identify and disclose the SBO of an LLP, who ultimately indirectly control or have significant rights or holding in the LLP. Under the LLP SBO Rules all the existing LLPs would now have to identify and declare their SBO and undertake related compliances.

Key Compliances under the LLP SBO Rules:

• Who qualifies as SBO: An individual who acting alone or together or through one or more persons or trust, has one or more of the following rights:
• holds indirectly or together with any direct holdings, not less than 10% of the contribution in a reporting LLP;
• holds indirectly or together with any direct holdings, not less than 10% of voting rights in respect of management or policy decision;
• has right to receive or participate in not less than 10% of the total distributable profits, or any other distribution through indirect holdings alone or together with any direct holdings; and
• has right to exercise/ actually exercise, significant influence or control, in any manner other than through direct holdings alone.

The LLP SBO Rules have clarified that if an individual does not hold any indirect right or entitlement prescribed then he shall not be considered as an SBO.

• Indirect and Direct Entitlement in the reporting LLP: An individual shall be considered to hold a direct right or entitlement if the contribution in the reporting LLP representing such right or entitlement are held in the name of the individual or if he has made a declaration to the reporting LLP that he holds or acquires a beneficial interest in the contribution of reporting LLP as per Rule 22 B of the LLP Rules.

The various criteria under which an individual shall be considered to hold indirect right in the reporting LLP, vis a vis a partner of a reporting LLP is summarized below:

It is interesting to note that as per the provisions of the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 only individuals and body corporate can become partners in an LLP. Resultantly, there is no possibility of any HUF getting admitted as a partner. The LLP SBO Rules overlook the same.

• Duties of the reporting LLP:

Under the SBO LLP Rules the reporting LLP is required to undertake the following duties:

• To undertake necessary steps to find out and identify the SBO and cause him to make a declaration in the prescribed form. In case where the partners of reporting LLP holds not less than ten percent of its contribution or voting rights or right to distributable profits or any other distribution, the reporting LLP is required to give notice in the prescribed form in accordance with sub-section 5 of section 90 of the Act, 2013 to such partner, seeking the requisite information.
• To file a return with the Registrar within a period of thirty days from receipt of the declaration by SBO.
• To maintain a register of SBOs based on the declaration made by the SBOs.
• To apply to the Tribunal in case a person fails to give the information required by notice within a specified period or where the information provided is unsatisfactory.
• Declaration by SBO: SBO is meant to file a declaration to the reporting LLP within ninety days of the commencement of the Rules, deadline for which is soon approaching. Every individual who subsequently becomes a SBO or whose significant beneficial ownership further undergoes any change has to file a declaration to the reporting LLP within thirty days of acquiring SBO or any change thereto.
• Non-Applicability of the LLP SBO Rules: If the contribution of the reporting LLP is held by (i) the Central Government, State Government or any local authority; (ii) a reporting LLP or a body corporate or entity controlled by the Central Government or by one or more of State Government or either partly by both of them; (iii) an investment vehicle registered with, and regulated by Securities and Exchange Board of India; or (iv) an investment vehicle regulated by Reserve Bank of India, or the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India; or the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority then the LLP SBO Rules will not be applicable.

The growing recognition of the merits of LLP structure over other models has resulted in an increased popularity of LLP structure amongst various businesses. The inclusion of LLPs in regulatory frameworks for the identification and reporting of SBO aligns with existing obligations imposed on companies, indicating a governmental commitment to elevating transparency standards regarding the ultimate beneficial ownership of LLP structures.

Authors: Jayshree Navin Chandra, Senior Partner And Nikita Chhabra, Associate at ZEUS Law Associates.