Company registration
In general, you will need to register your company at least in the Trade Register and the Prepayment Register. If your turnover will exceed EUR 15 000, register your company also in the VAT Register. Make sure you evaluate your turnover for the financial period well in advance. If you hire employees, register your company also in the Employers’ Register. You can register your company in all the registers already at the company’s start-up phase.
If you set up a limited liability company, a general partnership, a limited partnership or a cooperative, you should always register your company in the Trade Register of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office. A private trader may also register in the Trade Register. However, it is mandatory only if
- under the Accounting Act, the trader must report the financial statements for registrationOpens in a new window. or
- the trader has a residence outside the EEA.Opens in a new window.
Your company should also be registered in the Prepayment Register of the Tax Administration. It indicates that your company’s tax matters are in order. Moreover, your customers will not have to pay for withholding taxes when they deal with your company.
Register your company also in the VAT Register of the Tax Administration, if your turnover during the financial year exceeds EUR 15,000. If you intend to hire employees, register your company also in the Employer Register of the Tax Administration. Please note that if you register in the VAT or Employers’ Register, your notification obligation normally starts immediately.
A registration fee is charged for joining the Trade Register, whereas the Tax Administration registers are free of charge.
When you want to register your company in the Finnish Patent and Registration Office’s trade register submit a start-up notification.
Submit the notification either electronically in the Business Information System or on paper, depending on your company form. Currently, you can notify the Trade Register electronically about a new private entrepreneurship, and in most cases, a limited liability company. Other company forms require a notification on paper.
The following documents should be attached to the start-up notification:
- Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association of a limited liability company
- partnership agreement of a partnership and a limited partnership
- rules and Memorandum of Association of a cooperative
A notification on a new private trader to the Trade Register does not require any separate documents; the start-up notification suffices.
If you submit your start-up notification electronically with a guided start-up package, the Business Information System will create a Memorandum of Association automatically.
If you file your start-up notification on paper, you can find both the forms and templates for the Memorandum of Association in the start-up packages compiled by the Finnish Patent and Registration Office.
Go to the Finnish Patent and Registration Office's Business Information System (YTJ) to submit a start-up notification.
You can register your company in the Tax Administration registers either when filing your start-up notification or later.
If you file your start-up notification electronically in the Business Information System, you can register your company in the Tax Administration registers in the same session.
If you file the start-up notification on paper, you can use the same form to register your company in the Tax Administration registers.
If you do not join the Tax Administration registers when setting up your company, you can do it later by filing a notification of changes. The notification of changes should primarily be filed electronically regardless of the company form.