Unveils new website to offer electronic filing, payment services
Staff Report
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The State Corporation Commission has unveiled a new website – SCC eFile – the first of several steps to offer electronic filing and payment services for business entity transactions handled by the Clerk’s Office of the Commission. The newly redesigned SCC web site home page features this new electronic service offering and provides a more visible link to information from each of the Commission’s regulatory divisions. This is part of the Commission’s major initiative to make it easier and quicker for existing and new businesses to fulfill their corporate filing requirements, via the Internet.
Two of the most common and most critical business entity filings – registered agent changes and resignations – can now be completed electronically through the Commission’s web site. Once the transaction is correctly executed, the SCC eFile user will receive a real time acknowledgement message that the transaction has been successfully completed.
Each Virginia and foreign business entity of record in the Office of the Clerk of the SCC is required to continuously maintain a registered agent in Virginia. A registered agent is an individual or a firm located in Virginia that is designated by the business entity to accept service of process from the courts and official notices from the Commission. SCC eFile will allow business entities to easily keep current, accurate registered agent information on file with the Clerk’s Office.
Another new service offered through SCC eFile is a faster and simpler way to perform a name search for an existing business entity. Users will notice more displayed results per page and quicker load, or response, times than before.
SCC eFile has implemented new technology, allowing more concurrent users to perform transactions with minimal reduction in response times. The new online services offered by the Commission will be offered through an updated, fast, simple and secure web site to ensure data integrity.
This new technology ushers in a more “green” approach for the Commission – doing more with less. The new servers that support SCC eFile are very small but powerful, and they require less energy to operate. This reduces the requirements for electrical supply, air conditioning, and space, resulting in a smaller, “green” footprint.
Clerk’s Office customers more accustomed to the Clerk’s Information System for business entity and name searches will notice a few enhancements for easier navigation. Now referred to as CISiWeb, the online application is more web-based than before, allowing users to “click” on fields instead of using function keys.
Clerk of the Commission Joel H. Peck said, “These are the first of a number of many helpful features we will be offering through electronic commerce that will make it easier than ever for business entities to interact with the Clerk’s Office.” Online business entity transactions through SCC eFile should reduce the need for personal visits to the Commission and will save paper and postage used in mailing materials to and from the Commission. In addition, SCC eFile will reduce the turnaround time for completing such transactions.
During the development of SCC eFile, valuable input was obtained from selected external stakeholders from various law firms and service corporations in the Richmond area. They served as the test reference group, providing feedback on the web site’s appearance, functionality, and ease of use before its public availability. While many of their recommendations were included in the initial phase of SCC eFile, others will be implemented along with future online services.
“A suite of additional electronic services is planned to better serve Commission customers,” said Peck. “Those services will include, but are not limited to, the ability to file Uniform Commercial Code financing statements, corporate annual reports, and formation documents for new corporations and limited liability companies, as well as payments associated with such filings.”
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