New service for working with the register of branches and representative offices of foreign legal entities

Evgeny Voronov, lawyer

At the end of March 2018, the renewed service for work with the register of accredited branches and representative offices (RAFP) has been set to work: https://service.nalog.ru/rafp/. It was developed in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs 4, 5 and 8 of clause 11 of the article 21 of the Federal Law of 09.07.1999 No. 160-FZ «On Foreign Investments in the Russian Federation» (with amendments and additions). The composition of public and public information posted on the site and provided by the service is determined by Order of the Federal Tax Service of Russia No. MMV-7-14 / 683 @ of 26.12.2014 «On Approving the Procedure for the Creation, Operation and Maintenance of the State Register of Accredited Branches, Representative Offices of Foreign Legal Entities and Granting information from it, the composition of the information contained therein, as well as the information to be placed in the information and telecommunications network Internet».

Access to the information of this register is provided to interested persons on the website of the Federal Tax Service of Russia. The form of access to this information has been changing over time: when the tax service became an accrediting body, the data of all branches and representative offices could be obtained in the form of a large tablet with the most basic information about each branch and representative office (the number of the accreditation record (NZA), the tax identification number (TIN), the name of the parent company and branch / representative office). Later in 2017, the service was provided with a search system, thanks to which it became possible to search for information on the company name, TIN and NZA, and then it was provided in a broader format: an extract from the register included data such as the location of the branch / representative office , types of activity, information on the head of the branch / representative office, the date of registration with the tax authority, information on the issued certificate of registration with the tax authority.

At the moment, the service allows not only to gain access to the list of accredited branches and representative offices, but also to form a full extract from the RAFP or a certificate of absence of data in the register: now the extract contains the same information as the extract from the RAFP under Form 15VFP, including information about the parent company. Such documents are supplied with enhanced qualified electronic signature. Extracts from the register and information on the lack of requested information provided by the service, in accordance with the provisions of Article 6 of Federal Law No. 63-FZ of 06.04.2011 «On Electronic Signature», are recognized as equivalent to a paper document signed with a handwritten signature and are provided free of charge. Such innovation will eliminate the need to wait for a written extract within 5 working days, as it was before, and will allow providing information about the branch / representative office more quickly to state authorities, banks, etc.