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FEES PAID BY THE FUND AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
FEES PAID BY THE FUND AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS  
FEES PAID BY THE FUND AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

NOTE 3 — FEES PAID BY THE FUND AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

USCF Management Fee

Under the LP Agreement, USCF is responsible for investing the assets of BNO in accordance with the objectives and policies of BNO. In addition, USCF has arranged for one or more third parties to provide administrative, custody, accounting, transfer agency and other necessary services to BNO. For these services, BNO is contractually obligated to pay USCF a fee, which is paid monthly, equal to 0.75% per annum of average daily total net assets.

Ongoing Registration Fees and Other Offering Expenses

BNO pays all costs and expenses associated with the ongoing registration of its shares subsequent to the initial offering. These costs include registration or other fees paid to regulatory agencies in connection with the offer and sale of shares, and all legal, accounting, printing and other expenses associated with such offer and sale. For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, BNO did not incur registration fees and other offering expenses.

Independent Directors’ and Officers’ Expenses

BNO is responsible for paying its portion of the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance for BNO and the Related Public Funds and the fees and expenses of the independent directors who also serve as audit committee members of BNO and the Related Public Funds. BNO shares the fees and expenses on a pro rata basis with each Related Public Fund, as described above, based on the relative assets of each Related Public Fund computed on a daily basis. These fees and expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $556,951 for BNO and the Related Public Funds. BNO’s portion of such fees and expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $19,301. For the year ended December 31, 2018, these fees and expenses were $521,689 for BNO and the Related Public Funds. BNO’s portion of such fees and expenses for the year ended December 31, 2018 was $15,970. For the year ended December 31, 2017, these fees and expenses were $536,375 for BNO and the Related Public Funds. BNO’s portion of such fees and expenses for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $13,325.

Investor Tax Reporting Cost

The fees and expenses associated with BNO’s audit expenses and tax accounting and reporting requirements are paid by BNO. These costs were approximately $90,200 for the year ended December 31, 2019, approximately $111,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018 and approximately $190,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017. Tax reporting costs fluctuate between years due to the number of shareholders during any given year.

Other Expenses and Fees and Expense Waivers

In addition to the fees described above, BNO pays all brokerage fees and other expenses in connection with the operation of BNO, excluding costs and expenses paid by USCF as outlined in Note 4 – Contracts and Agreements below. USCF paid certain expenses on a discretionary basis typically borne by BNO, where expenses exceed 0.15% (15 basis points) of BNO’s NAV, on an annualized basis. USCF has no obligation to continue such payments into subsequent periods. For the year ended December 31, 2019, USCF waived $80,032 of BNO’s expenses. This voluntary expense waiver is in addition to those amounts USCF is contractually obligated to pay as described in Note 4 – Contracts and Agreements.