Pennsylvania’s docketing statement DSCB:15-134A is a one-page form that every new business entity files together with its primary formation document — articles of incorporation, a certificate of organization, a registration statement, or a foreign entity’s certificate of authority. It carries no separate filing fee, and its job is to route your entity’s basic tax information from the Department of State to the Department of Revenue so your state tax accounts get set up automatically.1Pennsylvania General Assembly. 15 Pennsylvania Code 134 – Docketing Statement You can download the blank PDF from the Department of State’s forms page, or complete the same information inside the online filing workflow.
When You Need to File It
The Department of State attaches the docketing statement requirement to specific filings by printing a notice directly on the official form for each one. If the official form for your filing says a docketing statement is required, you must include it, and the Department will not process the primary document without it.1Pennsylvania General Assembly. 15 Pennsylvania Code 134 – Docketing Statement In practice, the 15-134A applies whenever a new entity is being created or registered in Pennsylvania:
- Domestic formations: articles of incorporation (profit or nonprofit), a certificate of organization for an LLC, or a registration statement for an LP or LLP.
- Foreign registrations: an out-of-state entity applying for a certificate of authority to do business in the Commonwealth.
- Conversions and domestications: an entity changing form or moving its jurisdiction of formation into Pennsylvania, which creates a new Pennsylvania record.
One boundary worth noting. The 15-134A is only for new entities. If your entity already exists and you need to change officer information, an address, or the responsible party, that’s the DSCB:15-134B (Docketing Statement – Changes), not this form.2Pennsylvania Department of State. Registration Forms and Documents
Where to Get the Form
The blank DSCB:15-134A is on the Department of State’s Registration Forms and Documents page under Miscellaneous Forms.2Pennsylvania Department of State. Registration Forms and Documents You can fill in the PDF on-screen and print it, or complete it by hand. If you file online through the state’s Business Filing Services portal, the system collects the same fields inside the workflow, so you won’t need to upload the PDF separately.
How to Complete Each Field
The form is short — five numbered fields plus a header. Everything on it must match what appears on your primary formation document, so gather the information before you start.
Field 1: Entity Name
Enter the exact legal name of the entity as it appears on your articles of incorporation, certificate of organization, or other primary filing. Spelling, punctuation, and spacing have to match character-for-character. If you’re a foreign entity that has to use an alternate name in Pennsylvania because your actual name is unavailable or too similar to an existing one, enter the alternate name here rather than your home-state name.3Pennsylvania Department of State. DSCB:15-134A Docketing Statement
Field 2: Tax Responsible Party
List the full name and mailing address of the individual responsible for the entity’s initial tax reports, including street, city, state, ZIP, and county. Read this field carefully before you fill it in. The person named here becomes the Department of Revenue’s primary contact for tax notices, and can be held personally liable for trust fund taxes the entity owes — sales tax, employer withholding, and similar taxes the business collects on behalf of the state.4Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Business Trust Fund Taxes Responsible Party Information Anyone who signs a tax application or return for the business is presumed to be a responsible party unless there’s evidence to the contrary, so don’t name someone who isn’t actually authorized to manage the entity’s finances.
Field 3: Description of Business Activity
Describe what the entity will actually do in Pennsylvania. Keep it specific and consistent with the purpose clause in your formation document. “Retail sale of sporting goods and outdoor equipment” works; “general business activities” doesn’t. When you later register for state taxes through the Department of Revenue, you’ll be asked to select a NAICS code matching your industry, so a clear description here avoids friction later.5Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. When Registering for Business Taxes, What Do I Enter as My Business Activity
Field 4: Federal Employer Identification Number
Enter your nine-digit FEIN (EIN). The form notes that this number allows state agencies to match your Commonwealth accounts and process the filing without delay.3Pennsylvania Department of State. DSCB:15-134A Docketing Statement If you don’t have one, apply on the IRS website before you file. It’s free and takes minutes, and the form itself directs filers there.
Field 5: Fiscal Year End
Enter the month and day your entity’s tax year will end. Most businesses use 12/31, but you can choose any month-end date such as 1/31, 6/30, or 9/30.3Pennsylvania Department of State. DSCB:15-134A Docketing Statement Whatever you choose should match what you’ve elected, or plan to elect, on your federal return. Changing a fiscal year later requires IRS approval and creates complications with state filings, so decide before you file.
Fees
The docketing statement itself has no separate fee. Your cost is the statutory fee for the primary formation document you’re filing with it. For domestic corporations (profit and nonprofit), LLCs, LPs, and LLPs, that formation fee is $125.6Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Fees and Payments Foreign entity registrations and other filings carry different fees, listed on the same Department of State schedule.
How to Submit
Online
The Department of State accepts online filings through its Business Filing Services portal at hub.business.pa.gov. When you file your formation document online, the system walks you through the docketing statement fields as part of the same submission. You pay by credit card at the end and receive confirmation when the filing is accepted.
By Mail
If you file on paper, complete the DSCB:15-134A, attach it to your primary formation document, and mail the package with payment to the Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations at 401 North Street, Room 206, Harrisburg, PA 17120.7Pennsylvania Department of State. Business Use a service with tracking. Standard mail filings take roughly 15 business days to process.
Expedited Service
If you need faster turnaround, the Department offers same-day service ($100, received before 10:00 a.m.), three-hour service ($300, received before 2:00 p.m.), and one-hour service ($1,000, received before 4:00 p.m.), each on top of the standard filing fee.8Pennsylvania Department of State. Expedited Services Expedited requests are not accepted by mail — submit them in person or through the online portal, with a separate expedited request form for each paper submission.6Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Fees and Payments
Mistakes That Cause Rejections
The Bureau will not process a package that has errors, and rejected filings don’t get a refund. The most common preventable problems:
- Name mismatch. The entity name on the docketing statement doesn’t exactly match the primary document. Even a missing comma or a different abbreviation style (“LLC” versus “L.L.C.”) can trigger a rejection.
- Missing FEIN. If you don’t have one yet, apply on the IRS site before filing.
- Incomplete fields. Skipping the responsible party’s county, the fiscal year end, or any other required entry sends the package back.
- Wrong form. Using the 15-134B (changes) when you’re forming a new entity, or the 15-134A when you meant to update an existing record.
- Illegible handwriting. Type the form or complete the PDF electronically.
What Happens After You File
Once the Department of State accepts the package, it notes the filing date on the docketing statement and transmits a copy of the information to the Department of Revenue.1Pennsylvania General Assembly. 15 Pennsylvania Code 134 – Docketing Statement If your described business activity requires a license or approval from another state agency, the Department of State forwards the docketing statement to that board or commission as well.
The Department of Revenue uses the information to open your state tax accounts. Expect correspondence about registering for the taxes that apply to your business — corporate net income tax, sales tax, employer withholding, or others depending on your activity. The person you named as the tax responsible party will be the initial contact for all of it, so make sure that individual is prepared for the registration work that follows.
If any of the information changes after filing — a new responsible party, a different address, a revised fiscal year — file Form DSCB:15-134B to update the record.2Pennsylvania Department of State. Registration Forms and Documents Updating the responsible party matters in particular, because the person on file remains personally liable for trust fund taxes until the record is corrected.4Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Business Trust Fund Taxes Responsible Party Information