Partners
01. What are the restrictions in respect of minimum and maximum number of partners in an LLP?
A minimum of two partners will be required for formation of an LLP. There will not be any limit to the maximum number of partners.
02. Whether a body corporate may be a partner of an LLP?
Yes.
03. What are the qualifications for becoming a partner?
Any individual or body corporate may be a partner in a LLP. However an individual shall not be capable of becoming a partner of a LLP,
- he has been found to be of unsound mind by a Court of competent jurisdiction and the finding is in force;
- he is an undischarged insolvent; or
- he has applied to be adjudicated as an insolvent and his application is pending.
04. What are the requirements in respect of Designated Partners?
Appointment of at least two Designated Partners shall be mandatory for all LLPs. “Designated Partners” shall also be accountable for regulatory and legal compliances, besides their liability as ‘partners, per-se”.
05. Who can be a “Designated Partner”?
Every LLP shall be required to have atleast two Designated Partners who shall be individuals and at least one of the Designated Partner shall be a resident of India.
LLPs, particularly those as may be engaged in the services or technology-based sectors, may provide services globally. This may require any number of its partners to locate them abroad.
07. Whether there would be any requirement of identification number of Designated Partner?
Every Designated Partner would be required to obtain a Designated Partner’s Identification Number (DPIN) on the lines similar to Director’s Identification Number (DIN) required in case of directors of companies.
Enabling provisions have been made to prescribe under rules conditions, which would have to be fulfilled by an individual who is eligible to be appointed as a ‘designated-partner’.
The mutual rights and duties of partners inter se and those of the LLP and its partners shall be governed by the agreement between partners or between the LLP and the partners. This Agreement would be known as “LLP Agreement”.
10. How can a person become a partner of an LLP?
Persons, who subscribed to the “Incorporation Document” at the time of incorporation of LLP, shall be partners of LLP. Subsequent to incorporation, new partners can be admitted in the LLP as per conditions and requirements of LLP Agreement.
11. How can an existing partner cease to be a partner of an LLP?
A person may cease to be a partner in accordance with the agreement or in the absence of agreement, by giving 30 days notice to the other partners
A person shall also cease to be a partner of a limited liability partnership
- on his death or dissolution of the limited liability partnership; or
- if he is declared to be of unsound mind by a competent court; or
12. What will be the obligation of a partner in case he changes his name or address?
Every partner shall inform the LLP of any change in his name or address within a period of fifteen days of such change. The LLP, in turn, would be under obligation to file such details with the Registrar within thirty days of such change.
Partner’s contribution may consist of both tangible and/or intangible property and any other benefit to the LLP. The monetary value of contribution of each partner shall be accounted for and disclosed in the accounts of the limited liability partnership in the manner as may be prescribed in the rules.
A partner may lend money to and transact other business with the LLP and shall have the same rights and obligations with respect to the loan or other transactions as a person who is not a partner.
15. Whether a partner would be able to transfer his economic rights?
A partner’s economic rights (i.e. rights of a partner to a share of the profits and losses of the LLP and to receive distribution at the time of winding up) in the LLP shall be transferable. However, such a transfer shall not by itself cause the partner’s disassociation or a dissolution and winding up of the LLP.
16. Nature & extent of liability of a partner of an LLP?
Every partner of an LLP would be, for the purpose of the business of the LLP, an agent of the LLP but not of the other partners. Liability of partners shall be limited except in case of unauthorized acts, fraud and negligence. But a partner shall not be personally liable for the wrongful acts or omission of any other partner.
17. Whether a ‘partner by holding out’ will be liable under the Act?
The Act provides that any person (not being a partner in any LLP), who by words spoken or written or by conduct, represents himself, or knowingly permits himself to be represented to be a partner in a LLP (known as ‘partner by Holding out’) is liable to any person who has on the faith of any such representation given credit to the LLP, whether the person representing himself or represented to be a
18. How penal action on errant partners who are not residents of India will be taken?
For statutory compliances provisions of at least one resident designated partner (DP) in every LLP is would ensure that at least one partner is available in India for at least six months for regulatory compliance requirements. The LLPs would have freedom to appoint more than one resident as DP. LLP as an entity would always remain liable for regulatory or other compliances.
