(a) Every company incorporated under the provisions of section 29 of an act, entitled “An act to provide for the incorporation and regulation of certain corporations,” approved April 29, 1874, and its supplements, or any other act of Assembly heretofore or hereafter approved, for the insurance of owners of real estate, mortgages, and others interested in real estate, from loss by reason of defective titles, liens, and encumbrances, commonly known as title insurance companies,¹ except any such companies, all of the shares of capital stock of which (other than shares necessary to qualify directors) are owned by a company which is liable to pay to the Commonwealth a tax on shares, shall, on or before March 15 in each and every year, make to the Department of Revenue a report in writing, setting forth the full number of shares of the capital stock subscribed for or issued by such company, and the taxable amount of such shares of capital stock determined pursuant to section 801.1.² It shall be the duty of the Department of Revenue, to assess such shares for taxation for calendar years beginning January 1, 1971 through January 1, 1983, at the rate of fifteen mills and for the calendar years beginning January 1, 1984, through January 1, 1988, at the rate of one and seventy-five one thousandths per cent and for the calendar year beginning January 1, 1989, at the rate of 10.77 per cent and for the calendar year beginning January 1, 1990, and each calendar year thereafter at the rate of 1.25 per cent upon each dollar of the taxable amount thereof, the taxable amount of each share of stock to be ascertained and fixed pursuant to section 801.1, and dividing this amount by the number of shares.

(b) It shall be the duty of every such company, at the time of making every report required by this section, to compute the tax and to pay the amount of said tax to the State Treasurer, through the Department of Revenue, either from its general fund, or from the amount of said tax collected from its shareholders: Provided, That for the calendar years beginning January 1, 1971 through January 1, 1991, every such company shall, at the time of making its report for the calendar years beginning January 1, 1971 through January 1, 1991, compute the tax and pay to the State Treasurer, through the Department of Revenue, either from its general fund, or from the amount of said tax collected from its shareholders, not less than eighty per cent of the tax due to the Commonwealth by it for such calendar year and the remaining tax due shall be paid at the time when the report herein required for the year next succeeding is made: Provided, That upon the payment of the tax fixed by this act into the State Treasury, through the Department of Revenue, the shares and so much of the capital stock, surplus, profits, and deposits of such company as shall not be invested in real estate, shall be exempt from all other taxation under the laws of this Commonwealth. The procedure, in case the Department of Revenue be not satisfied with the report made by any title insurance company, and the penalties for failing to make such report and pay the tax, shall be as provided by law.