What is the difference between a Principal Place of Business and a Registered Office?

A principal place of business is the primary location where a company operates, impacting the company’s legal jurisdiction and tax obligations. A registered office is the physical address where a company receives service of process and other official documents. Pennsylvania requires all businesses to have a registered office, which must be an actual street address (not a PO Box). If your business does not have a physical location in Pennsylvania, you may need to engage the services of a Commercial Registered Office Provider (i.e. CROP), which can be used in lieu of providing a registered office address.