资本制度变革下的资本法律责任——公司法修改的理性解读

Capital-Related Legal Liabilities in the Reform of the Corporate Capital System

公司法资本制度的重大变革并未否定资本制度的基本原理和与之相关的股东出资义务和责任。取消最低资本额,改变的只是股东出资义务的范围或数额,而非股东出资义务本身。公司资本从有限制的认缴制到无限制的认缴制,改变的只是股东履行出资义务的期限,股东以其认缴而非实缴的出资额为限对公司债务负责,资本的"认而不缴"并不免除股东的出资义务或责任。认缴资本的采用也不能终结或取代实缴资本的独特作用。资本真实的法律要求不因取消法定最低资本额和实行完全的认缴资本制而改变,取消验资的特定法律程序,决非否定资本真实性的法律要求,而只是改变资本真实的实现方式。

The major reform on the capital system in the corporate law does not contradict the basic principles of capital system and the related capital contribution obligations or liabilities of the share- holders. The abolition of the requirement on the minimum amount of capital changes only the legal scope of shareholders＇ obligation of capital contribution or the minimum amount of capital that share- holders are responsible for, rather than shareholders＇ obligation of capital contribution itself. The shift from the system of capital subscription with limitation to that without limitation merely changes the time period in which shareholders perform their capital contribution obligations. The shareholde- rs＇ limited liability for the debt of the company is based on the capital they have subscribed for, rath- er than the capital they have paid in and, as a result of which, the subscribed but not paid in capital shall not relieve shareholders of their capital contribution liability for the subscribed capital they have not paid in. The adoption of the capital subscription system shall not terminate or replace the func- tions of the paid-in capital, which is still a statutory basis for, inter alia, reflecting the company＇ s actual property status, determining the actual rights enjoyed by shareholders, implementing the com- pany＇ s financial systems and principles, and determining torts against corporate properties. The cap- ital authenticity, including the authenticity of paid-in capital and subscribed capital, is the value choice and legal bottom line that the corporate law system must stick to, has not crossed, and should never cross and it shall not be changed with the elimination of statutory minimum capital amount and the adoption of the subscription capital system. The abolition of the mandatory capital verification pro- cedure does not in any sense negate the legal requirements of capital authenticity, but only alters the means of realizing capital authenticity.