Types of corporations
Encyclopedia
There are many types of business entity defined in the legal systems of various countries. These include corporation
s, cooperative
s, partnership
s, sole traders, limited liability company
and other specialized types of organization. Some of these types are listed below, by country.
For guidance, approximate equivalents in the company law of English-speaking countries are given in most cases, e.g. ≈ plc
(UK), ≈ Ltd. (UK), ≈ limited partnership
, etc. It should be remembered, however, that the regulations governing particular types of entity, even those described as roughly equivalent, may differ to a greater or lesser extent between countries.
Depending on which type of business entity you choose will also influence the legal structure.
The legal structure will also be influenced by the type of business entity you choose.
Argentina
Australia
Austria
See also help.gv.at (Austrian government site, in German)
Belarus
Belgium
Dutch
, French
or German
names may be used.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
In Canada entities can be incorporated under either federal or provincial (or territorial) law. Unlimited liability corporation
s can be formed in Alberta "AULC" and Nova Scotia "NSULC".
The word or expression “Limited”, Limitée, “Incorporated”, Incorporée, “Corporation” or Société par actions de régime fédéral or the corresponding abbreviation “Ltd.”, Ltée, “Inc.”, “Corp.” or S.A.R.F. forms part of the name of every entity incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act
(R.S., 1985, c. C-44). ≈ Ltd. or Plc (UK)
As an exception, entities registered prior to 1985 may continue to be designated Société commerciale canadienne or by the abbreviation S.C.C.
Under the Canada Cooperatives Act (1998, c. 1), a co-operative must have the word “cooperative”, “co-operative”, “coop”, “co-op”, coopérative, “united” or “pool”, or another grammatical form of any of those words, as part of its name.
Chile
China
See below for Hong Kong.
Colombia
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Egypt
Estonia
European Economic Area
An SE or SCE may be created by registration in any of the EU/EEA Member States, and is subject to the European Company Statute
. It may relocate its registered office to any other EU/EEA Member State with minimal formalities.
Finland
The abbreviations are usually in Finnish, but Swedish
names may also be used either as is or in combination with Finnish, e.g. Oy Yritys Ab.
In addition to native types, European Union types are implemented:
France
Germany
Greece
Haiti
Hungary
Of these, only nyrt., zrt., the formerly used rt., and kft. have legal personality
.
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Ireland
Similar to United Kingdom below, though without the class Community Interest Company. There were two forms of Company Limited by Guarantee, but only the form without a share capital is now used. Irish
names may also be used, such as cpt (cuideachta phoibli theoranta) for plc, and Teo (Teoranta) for Ltd.
Israel
Italy
Japan
Business corporations are referred to as kaisha (会社) and are formed under the Companies Law of 2005. There are currently (2010) 5 types and each of them has legal personality:
Partnerships are referred to as 'kumiai' (組合). Each of these 4 types has no legal personality though other corporations, which include 'kumiai' ("組合") in their name, have:
Corporations formed by the Professionals under the statutes governing them and their qualifications. These corporations can NOT gain limited liability except for the audit corporation:
Corporations formed as Non-Profit Organization:
Corporations formed under other statutes are as follows:
Types of Public Government Service Groups
Types of public corporations include:
Kazakhstan
Latvia
Lebanon
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
México
Business entities according to the "Ley General de Sociedades Mercantiles" (General Law of Business entities)
Note: Any of these entities can be incorporated as a "Capital Variable" entity, in which case has to add the " de C.V." sufix to its company name. Example: "S.A. de C.V.", "S. de R.L. de C.V."
Business entities according to the "Ley del Mercado de Valores" (Stock Market Law)
Mongolia
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
Companies are registered on the Companies Register and with a regional Chamber of Commerce
.
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Pakistan
Peru
Philippines
Older forms (now rarely used)
Poland
References: (Polish) Commercial Companies Code of 15 September 2000 (Dz.U. No 94 item 1037 as amended); (Polish) Civil Code of 23 April 1964 (Dz.U. No 16 item 93 as amended); (Polish) Law on Cooperatives of 16 September 1982 (Dz.U. 2003 No 188 item 1848 as amended)
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
|| Notes
|-
||AG
(Aktiengesellschaft)||SA
(Société anonyme)||SA
(Società anonima)|| ≈ plc
(UK) or Inc.
(US). Min. share capital
CHF
100,000. Bearer or registered shares, of a par value
of min. CHF
0.01 each. Details of shareholders generally not publicly available (except for main shareholders and management shares of publicly listed companies).
|-
||GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung)||Sàrl
(Société à responsabilité limitée)||Sagl (Società a garanzia limitata)|| ≈ Ltd. (UK), LLC
(US). Min. capital CHF
20,000. Registered shares only, of a par value
of min. CHF
100 each. Name, address and share of each owner (and any changes) publicly recorded in the Official Register of Commerce
|}
Switzerland
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
Company formation is regulated by the Ukrainian Civil Code and Commercial Code, Law of Commercial companies, Law of stock companies,law and order.
United Kingdom
United States
In the United States, the individual states incorporate most businesses. Very few special types are incorporated by the federal government.
For federal tax purposes, the Internal Revenue Service
has separate entity classification rules. Under the rules, an entity may be classified as a corporation
, a partnership
or disregarded entity. As a corporation
, it may be further classified as either an S corporation
or a C corporation
.
Many federal governmental units are specially formed public corporations, while some private organizations have received a charter from Congress.
The following are the main business designations and types (corporations and non-corporations):
Required designations for corporations, by U.S. state, territory or commonwealth:
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s, cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
s, partnership
Partnership
A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.Since humans are social beings, partnerships between individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments, and varied combinations thereof, have always been and remain commonplace...
s, sole traders, limited liability company
Limited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
and other specialized types of organization. Some of these types are listed below, by country.
For guidance, approximate equivalents in the company law of English-speaking countries are given in most cases, e.g. ≈ plc
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), ≈ Ltd. (UK), ≈ limited partnership
Limited partnership
A limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
, etc. It should be remembered, however, that the regulations governing particular types of entity, even those described as roughly equivalent, may differ to a greater or lesser extent between countries.
Depending on which type of business entity you choose will also influence the legal structure.
The legal structure will also be influenced by the type of business entity you choose.
ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
- S.A.S.A. (corporation)S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(Sociedad Anónima): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - S.R.L. (Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- Sociedad en Comandita: ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- S.E. (Sociedad del Estado): ≈ state enterprise
AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- Inc. (Incorporated): restricted to non-profit associations
- Ltd. (Limited): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK). The suffix Ltd. may also be used by a private company limited by guarantee, such as a charity or university (these may obtain dispensation from the Registrar of Companies to operate without the suffix). - NLNo liabilityA no-liability company in Australia is a company which, under the Corporations Act 2001 , must have as its stated objects that it is solely a mining company and that it is not entitled to calls on the unpaid issue price of shares...
(No liability): A type of mining, speculative, or research company with no right to call up the unpaid issue price of shares. - Pty. Ltd. (Proprietary Limited Company): ≈ Ltd. (UK) ATF Trust. In Australia companies can act as a trustee for a trust.
- Pty.Unlimited CompanyAn unlimited company or private unlimited company is a hybrid company incorporated either with or without a share capital but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited - that is, its members or shareholders have a joint, several and unlimited obligation to meet any...
(Unlimited Proprietary) company with a share capital: A company, similar to its limited company (Ltd., or Pty. Ltd.) counterpart, but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited.
AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
- Gen (Genossenschaft; types: Erwerbs- und Wirtschaftsgenossenschaft): ≈ cooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
- Privatstiftung: ≈ private foundation
- Verein: ≈ nonprofit associationVoluntary associationA voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
- European business entities
- e.U. (eingetragenes Einzelunternehmen): ≈ sole trader (UK), sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
(US) - Kapitalgesellschaften: ≈ companies
- AGAktiengesellschaftAktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e. owned by shareholders, and may be traded on a stock market. The term is used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland...
(Aktiengesellschaft): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK). Minimum capital €70,000. - GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter HaftungGesellschaft mit beschränkter HaftungGesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung is a type of legal entityvery common in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other Central European countries...
): ≈ Ltd. (UK). Minimum capital €35,000.
- AG
- Personengesellschaften: ≈ partnerships
- unincorporated (i.e. unregistered and without legal personality):
- stG (stille Gesellschaft): ≈ silent partnership or partnership by proof of existence (ie., no partnership agreement)
- GesbR (Gesellschaft des bürgerlichen Rechts): ≈ partnership by contract (ie., formed by partnership agreement); statutes and regulations concerning Austrian companies, especially with regards to the companies register (Firmenbuch), do not apply.
- incorporated (i.e. registered and with legal personality):
- OG (offene Gesellschaft): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- KGKommanditgesellschaftA Kommanditgesellschaft is the German name for a limited partnership business entity and is used in German, Austrian and some other European legal systems....
(Kommanditgesellschaft): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- GmbH & Co. KG: KGKommanditgesellschaftA Kommanditgesellschaft is the German name for a limited partnership business entity and is used in German, Austrian and some other European legal systems....
in which a GmbHGesellschaft mit beschränkter HaftungGesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung is a type of legal entityvery common in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other Central European countries...
is the general partner.
- GmbH & Co. KG: KG
- OG (offene Gesellschaft): ≈ general partnership
- unincorporated (i.e. unregistered and without legal personality):
- Obsolete:
- Erwerbsgesellschaft: small-sized partnerships (not qualifying as OG or KGKommanditgesellschaftA Kommanditgesellschaft is the German name for a limited partnership business entity and is used in German, Austrian and some other European legal systems....
, respectively. Converted into OGs or KGs as of 1. 1. 2007)- OEG (Offene Erwerbsgesellschaft): small general partnership
- KEG (Kommanditerwerbsgesellschaft): small limited partnership
- Erwerbsgesellschaft: small-sized partnerships (not qualifying as OG or KG
See also help.gv.at (Austrian government site, in German)
BelarusBelarusBelarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
- ААТ (Адкрытае акцыянернае таварыства Adkritae Aktsiyanernae Tavaristva): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), open - ЗАТ (Закрытае ацыянернае таварыства Zakritae Aktsiyanernae Tavaristva): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), closed - ІП (індывідуальны прадпрымальнік Individualni Pradprimalnik): sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
- ПУП PUP (Прыватнае унітарнае прадпрыемства Privatnae Unitarnae Pradptiemotva): private unitary enterprise
- ТАА (Таварыства з абмежаванай адказнасцю Tabaristva z Abmezabanaj Adkaznastsu): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
DutchDutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
or German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
names may be used.
- foundations:
- private stichting / fondation privée: ≈ private foundation
- stichting van openbaar nut / fondation d'utilité publique: ≈ public foundation
- coentreprises (joint ventures):
- ESV (economisch samenwerkingsverband) / GIE (groupement d'intérêt économique): ≈ economic interest grouping
- stille handelsvennootschap / société interne: ≈ contractual joint ventureJoint ventureA joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
(ie., no JV company is created) - tijdelijke handelsvennootschap / société momentanée: ≈ equity joint ventureJoint ventureA joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
(ie., JV company is created)
- VZW (vereniging zonder winstoogmerk) / ASBL (association sans but lucratif) / VoG (Vereinigung ohne Gewinnerzielungsabsicht): ≈ nonprofit associationVoluntary associationA voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
- vereniging in deelneming / SEP (société en participation): ≈ equity partnership
- feitelijke vereniging / société de fait: ≈ de facto partnership, partnership by estoppel
- eenmanszaak / entreprise individuelle: ≈ sole trader (UK), sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
(US) - VOF (vennootschap onder firma) / SNC (société en nom collectif): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- Comm.V (gewone commanditaire vennootschap) / SCS (société en commandite simple): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- Comm.VA (commanditaire vennootschap op aandelen) / SCA (société en commandite par actions): ≈ publicly traded partnership
- BVBA (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) / SPRL (société privée à responsabilité limitée): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- EBVBA (eenpersoons besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) / SPRLU (société privée à responsabilité limitée unipersonnelle): single member company
- NVNaamloze Vennootschapis the Dutch term for a public limited liability company. The company is owned by shareholders, and the company's shares are not registered to certain owners, so that they may be traded on the public stock market....
(naamloze vennootschap) / SAS.A. (corporation)S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(societé anonyme): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - co-operative companies:
- CVBA (coöperatieve vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) / SCRL (société coopérative à responsabilité limitée): ≈ limited liability cooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
- CVOA (coöperatieve vennootschap met onbeperkte aansprakelijkheid) / SCRI (société coopérative à responsabilité illimitée): ≈ unlimited liability cooperative
- CVBA (coöperatieve vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) / SCRL (société coopérative à responsabilité limitée): ≈ limited liability cooperative
Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
- d.d.(dioničko društvo): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) ≈ AGAktiengesellschaftAktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e. owned by shareholders, and may be traded on a stock market. The term is used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland...
(Germany) - a.d.(akcionarsko društvo): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) ≈ AGAktiengesellschaftAktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e. owned by shareholders, and may be traded on a stock market. The term is used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland...
(Germany) - d.n.o.(društvo s neograničenom solidarnom odgovornošću): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- d.o.o.(društvo s ograničenom odgovornošću): ≈ Ltd. (UK) ≈ GmbHGesellschaft mit beschränkter HaftungGesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung is a type of legal entityvery common in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other Central European countries...
(Germany) - k.d.(komanditno društvo): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
- Ltda. (Limitada): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- S.A.S.A. (corporation)S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(Sociedade Anônima): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - Sociedade em Conta por Ações: limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
with shares - Sociedade em Comandita Simples: ordinary limited partnership
- Sociedade em Nome Coletivo: ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
- AD / АД (aktsionerno drujestvo / акционерно дружество): joint stock companyJoint stock companyA joint-stock company is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more individuals that own shares of stock in the company...
≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - ADSITz / АДСИЦ (aktsionerno druzhestvo sus spetsialna investitsionna tsel / акционерно дружество със специална инвестиционна цел): real estate investment trustReal estate investment trustA real estate investment trust or REIT is a tax designation for a corporate entity investing in real estate. The purpose of this designation is to reduce or eliminate corporate tax. In return, REITs are required to distribute 90% of their taxable income into the hands of investors...
- EAD / ЕАД (ednolichno aktsionerno druzhestvo / еднолично акционерно дружество): type of AD with a single member
- EOOD / ЕООД (ednolichno druzhestvo s ogranichena otgovornost / еднолично дружество с ограничена отговорност): type of OOD with a single member
- ET / ЕТ (ednolichen turgovetz / едноличен търговец): sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
- OOD / ООД (drujestvo s ogranichena otgovornost / дружество с ограничена отговорност): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- KD / КД (komanditno druzhestvo / командитно дружество): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- KDA / КДА (komanditno druzhestvo s aktzii / командитно дружество с акции): limited partnership with shares
- SD / СД (subiratelno druzhestvo / събирателно дружество): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
, but having legal personalityLegal personalityLegal personality is the characteristic of a non-human entity regarded by law to have the status of a person....
CambodiaCambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
- SP (Sole Proprietorship)
- GP (General Partnership)
- LP (Limited Partnership)
- SM Pte Ltd. (Single Member Private Limited Company):
- Pte Ltd. (Private Limited Company): ≈ [private limited company (Ltd.)] (UK)
- Plc Ltd. (Public Limited Company): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - PEEC (Public Establishment with Economic characteristics)
- State Company: ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
- State Joint Venture Company: ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
In Canada entities can be incorporated under either federal or provincial (or territorial) law. Unlimited liability corporationUnlimited liability corporation
Unlimited Liability Corporations exist in three of Canada's 10 provinces - Alberta , Nova Scotia , and British Columbia....
s can be formed in Alberta "AULC" and Nova Scotia "NSULC".
The word or expression “Limited”, Limitée, “Incorporated”, Incorporée, “Corporation” or Société par actions de régime fédéral or the corresponding abbreviation “Ltd.”, Ltée, “Inc.”, “Corp.” or S.A.R.F. forms part of the name of every entity incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act
Canada Business Corporations Act
The Canada Business Corporations Act, also known as Bill C-44, is a Canadian act respecting Canadian business corporations.-External links:*...
(R.S., 1985, c. C-44). ≈ Ltd. or Plc (UK)
As an exception, entities registered prior to 1985 may continue to be designated Société commerciale canadienne or by the abbreviation S.C.C.
Under the Canada Cooperatives Act (1998, c. 1), a co-operative must have the word “cooperative”, “co-operative”, “coop”, “co-op”, coopérative, “united” or “pool”, or another grammatical form of any of those words, as part of its name.
ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
- SpA (Sociedad por acciones): limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
with shares - EIRL (Empresa Individual de Responsabilidad Limitada): individual enterprise with limited liability
- S.A.S.A. (corporation)S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(Sociedad Anónima): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - LTDA. (Sociedad de responsabilidad limitada): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
- 有限公司: ≈ Ltd. (UK). See also Partnership (China)Partnership (China)A partnership in the People's Republic of China is a business entity governed by the passed by order of the President of the People's Republic of China to authorize and govern partnership enterprises...
. - 股份有限公司: ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK)
See below for Hong Kong.
ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
- companyCompanyA company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
, shares with minor partners - SCA (Comandita por acciones): publicly traded partnership
- S. en C. (Comandita simple): limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
; commonly used for family businessFamily businessA family business is a business in which one or more members of one or more families have a significant ownership interest and significant commitments toward the business’ overall well-being.... - Ltda. which is more comparable to a General PartnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- S.A. (Sociedad anónima)S.A. (corporation)S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
: ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), corporationCorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
(US) - E.U. (Empresa unipersonal): ≈ sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
- S.A.S. (Sociedades por acciones simplificada): Similar to the French S.A.S (societé par actions simplifieé)
- Suc. de Descendants: successors of a previous company
CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
- d.d. (dioničko društvo): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - d.o.o. (društvo s ograničenom odgovornošću): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- javno trgovačko društvo: ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- komanditno društvo: ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- obrt: ≈ sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
- a.s., akc. spol. (Akciová společnost): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK). Minimum share capital CZKCzech korunaThe Czech koruna or Czech crown has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 8 February 1993 when, together with its Slovak counterpart, it replaced the Czechoslovak koruna at par....
2m (20m for IPOs). Must have a supervisory boardSupervisory boardA supervisory board or supervisory committee, often called board of directors, is a group of individuals chosen by the stockholders of a company to promote their interests through the governance of the company and to hire and supervise the executive directors and CEO.Corporate governance varies...
in addition to the management board. - s.r.o., spol. s r.o. (Společnost s ručením omezeným): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- v.o.s. (veřejná obchodní společnost): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- k.s. (komanditní společnost)
DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
- ApSApSApS is an abbreviation for "", the Danish term for a limited liability company. ApS, when appended to the end of a Danish company name, is similar to Ltd. after the name of a British company. An ApS is required to have capital of at least 80,000 DKK .-References:*...
(Anpartsselskab): ≈ Ltd. (UK). Minimum capital DKK 80,000. - A/SAktieselskabAn aktieselskab is the Danish name for a stock-based corporation. An aktieselskab can be both publicly traded and private.-Liability:...
(Aktieselskab): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK). Minimum capital DKKDanish kroneThe krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...
500,000. - A.M.B.A. (Andelsselskab med begrænset ansvar): limited liability cooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
- I/S (Interessentskab): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- K/SKommanditselskabA kommanditselskab is the Danish equivalent of the limited partnership. The owners are divided into general partners and limited partners...
(Kommanditselskab): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
Dominican RepublicDominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
- S.A. (Sociedad Anónima): ≈ public limited companyPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
- SRL. (Sociedad de Resposabilidad Limitada): ≈ LTDLTD- Business and finance :*Ltd. or Ltd, denotes a business incorporated under the laws of England, Wales, Scotland, Canada, other Commonwealth countries, the Republic of Ireland, Cyprus, Israel and some Anglophone countries in Africa, like Ghana or Nigeria....
- EIRL. (Empresa Individual de Responsabilidad Limitada)
- Sociedad En Comandita Simple.
EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
- SAE (Sharikat al-Mossahamah) ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK). Minimum capital EGPEgyptian poundThe Egyptian Pound is the currency of Egypt. It is divided into 100 Qirsh , or 1,000 Milliemes ....
250,000. - LLC (Limited Liability Company) ≈ Ltd. (UK). No Minimum capital .
- Sharikat Tadamun ≈ شركة تضامن general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- Sharikat Tawssiyah Bassita ≈ شركات توصية بسيطة limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- Sharikat Tawssiyah Belashom ≈ LLPLimited liability partnershipA limited liability partnership is a partnership in which some or all partners have limited liability. It therefore exhibits elements of partnerships and corporations. In an LLP one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence. This is an important...
EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
- OÜ (Osaühing) ≈ LtdLimited companyA limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
. (UK). Minimum capital €2500. Starting from January 1, 2011 one can establish an OÜ without contribution. The share capital may be contributed later. Until the contribution is made the shareholders are personally liable for their company's activities. - AS (Aktsiaselts) ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK). Minimum capital €25,000. - Tulundusühistu ≈ limited liability cooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
- MTÜ (Mittetulundusühing) ≈ non-profit organizationNon-profit organizationNonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
- TÜ (Täisühing) ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- UÜ (Usaldusühing) ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- FIE (Füüsilisest isikust ettevõtja) ≈ sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
European Economic AreaEuropean Economic AreaThe European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal...
(including the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
)
- Partnerships:
- EEIG (European Economic Interest Grouping): an EU legal entity designed to enable cross-border cooperation between companies. It has unlimited liability and is not liable for corporation tax.
- Companies:
- SCE (Societas Cooperativa Europaea): a European CooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
(Societas Cooperativa Europaea is Latin for "European Cooperative Society"). - SE (Societas Europaea): a European (Public) Limited Company (Societas Europaea is LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "European Company"). - (proposed) SPEEuropean Private CompanyA European Private Company is a legal form for a limited liability company that is currently being proposed by the European Commission to be introduced across the European Union. It forms a company of limited liability, similar to the English limited company, the Austrian or the German GmbH, the...
(Societas Privata Europaea): a European private limited company, corresponding to Ltd., GmbH, etc. This form of company is currently being proposed by the European CommissionEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
.
- SCE (Societas Cooperativa Europaea): a European Cooperative
An SE or SCE may be created by registration in any of the EU/EEA Member States, and is subject to the European Company Statute
European Company Statute
The Council Regulation on the Statute for a European Company is an EU Regulation containing the rules for a public EU company, called a Societas Europaea, or "SE". An SE can register in any member state of the European Union, and transfer to other member states. , at least 702 registrations have...
. It may relocate its registered office to any other EU/EEA Member State with minimal formalities.
FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
- Ay (avoin yhtiö, Swedish: öppet bolag): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
(use optional) - Ky (kommandiittiyhtiö, Swedish kommanditbolag, Kb): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- Oy (osakeyhtiöOsakeyhtiöOsakeyhtiö, literally a "stock company", is the Finnish equivalent of a limited company or Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung . It is abbreviated to Oy and is used either before or after the company's name, sometimes with the addition of the Finland-Swedish equivalent Ab...
, Swedish: aktiebolag, Ab): ≈ Ltd. (UK). Minimum share capitalShare capitalShare capital or issued capital or capital stock refers to the portion of a company's equity that has been obtained by trading stock to a shareholder for cash or an equivalent item of capital value...
€2500. - Oyj (julkinen osakeyhtiö, Swedish: publikt aktiebolag, Abp): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - Ok (osuuskunta, Swedish: andelslag, Anl.): ≈ cooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
- T:mi (toiminimi), Yksityinen elinkeinonharjoittaja (Swedish: firma/F:ma, enskild näringsidkare): sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
(use optional) - ry (rekisteröity yhdistysRy (suffix)In Finland, a ry is a suffix ending which generally denotes a registered, non-profit organization. In this instance, ry is an abbreviation for rekisteröity yhdistys, or "registered association", e.g. tAAt ry. Registration requires the organization to create legally sound constitution, which must...
, Swedish förening): incorporated associationVoluntary associationA voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association... - rp (rekisteröity puolue, Swedish: registrerat parti): registered political party
- säätiö (Swedish: stiftelse): foundation
- valtion liikelaitos (Swedish: statens affärsverk): commercial government agency, expected to fund themselves, but debts directly backed by state funds — distinguished from regular companies where the government owns stock. (See: List of Finnish government enterprises)
- kunnallinen liikelaitos (Swedish: kommunal affärsverk): municipal enterprise, similar as previous but run by a municipality
- paliskuntaSiidaThe siida is a Sami local community that has existed from time immemorial. A siida , or a "reindeer pastoralistic district," is a Sami reindeer foraging area, a group for reindeer herding and a corporation working for the economic benefit of its members...
: a reindeer herding corporation, governed like a stock company except that the "stocks" are reindeer
The abbreviations are usually in Finnish, but Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
names may also be used either as is or in combination with Finnish, e.g. Oy Yritys Ab.
In addition to native types, European Union types are implemented:
- SE (Eurooppayhtiö), European CompanyEuropean Company StatuteThe Council Regulation on the Statute for a European Company is an EU Regulation containing the rules for a public EU company, called a Societas Europaea, or "SE". An SE can register in any member state of the European Union, and transfer to other member states. , at least 702 registrations have...
- SCE (Eurooppaosuuskunta), European Cooperative SocietyEuropean Cooperative SocietyThe European Cooperative Society is, in company law, a European co-operative type of company, established in 2006 and related to the European Company. European Cooperative Societies may be established, and may operate, throughout the European Economic Area...
- EEIG (Eurooppalainen taloudellinen etuyhtymä, Swedish: europeisk ekonomisk intressegruppering), European Economic Interest GroupingEuropean economic interest groupingA European Economic Interest Grouping is a type of legal entity created on 1985-07-25 under European Community Council Regulation 2137/85...
FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- Auto-entrepreneur: ≈ sole trader (UK), sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
(US/Can), both with an income cap - EI (Entreprise individuelle/entreprise en nom personnel): ≈ sole trader (UK), sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
(US/Can) - Investment funds/companies:
- FCP (Fonds commun de placementFonds commun de placementFonds commun de placement translates to "investment funds" or "mutual funds", and are open-ended collective investment funds based that are neither trust or company law based...
): unincorporated investment fund - SICAF (Société d'investissement à capital fixe): ≈ investment trustInvestment trustAn Investment trust is a form of collective investment found mostly in the United Kingdom. Investment trusts are closed-end funds and are constituted as public limited companies....
(UK); closed-end fundClosed-end fundA closed-end fund is a collective investment scheme with a limited number of shares. It is called a closed-end fund because new shares are rarely issued once the fund has launched, and because shares are not normally redeemable for cash or securities until the fund liquidates.Typically an...
(CEF), closed-end company (US); listed investment company (LIC) (Au) - SICAVSICAVA SICAV is an open-ended collective investment scheme common in Western Europe, especially Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Belgium and France...
(Société d'investissement à capital variable): ≈ investment company with variable capitalICVCAn Open-ended investment company or Investment Company with Variable Capital is a type of open-ended collective investment formed as a corporation under the Open-Ended Investment Company Regulations 2001 in the United Kingdom...
(ICVC), open-ended investment company (OEIC) (UK); mutual fundMutual fundA mutual fund is a professionally managed type of collective investment scheme that pools money from many investors to buy stocks, bonds, short-term money market instruments, and/or other securities.- Overview :...
, open-end company (US)
- FCP (Fonds commun de placement
- GIE (Groupement d'intérêt économique): economic interest grouping
- Association: ≈ nonprofit associationVoluntary associationA voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
- Association non-déclarée: ≈ unincorporated association (UK)
- Association déclarée: ≈ incorporated association (Au)
- Partnerships (société de personnes):
- SEP (Société en participation): ≈ equity partnership
- SNC (Société en nom collectif): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
(GP) - SCS (Société en commandite simple): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
(LP) - SCA (Société en commandite par actions): ≈ publicly traded partnership (PTP) (US)
- Companies (société de capitaux):
- SARLSociété à responsabilité limitéeA Société à responsabilité limitée, also known by the acronym SARL , is a private limited liability corporate entity that exists in France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Macau, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Lebanon and has commerce as its purpose.A SARL is a company whose liability is limited to the...
, SàRL (Société à responsabilité limitée): ≈ private limited company (Ltd.) (UK), limited liability companyLimited liability companyA limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
(US)- EURL (Entreprise unipersonnelle à responsabilité limitée): ≈ single member company (SME Pvt) (UK)
- stock companies (société par actions)
- SAS.A. (corporation)S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(Société anonyme): ≈ public limited company (plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
) (UK), corporationCorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
(US/Can)- SCOP (Société coopérative de production): ≈ cooperative corporation (Can)
- SEM (Société d'économie mixte): ≈ government-owned corporationGovernment-owned corporationA government-owned corporation, state-owned company, state-owned entity, state enterprise, publicly owned corporation, government business enterprise, or parastatal is a legal entity created by a government to undertake commercial activities on behalf of an owner government...
- SASSociété par actions simplifiéeSociété par actions simplifiée is the first hybrid law enacted under French law and based on common law principles rather than civil. It is similar to a limited liability company under United States law, as the Delaware limited liability company was the model used by the French Government...
(Société par actions simplifiée): ≈ unlisted public company (Au), close corporation (CC) (S.Africa), private corporation (Can); often used for subsidiariesSubsidiaryA subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
; minimum of one director and two members/shareholders; no limit on share capital; liability can be restricted to director; no "one share - one vote" principle- SASU (Société par actions simplifiée unipersonnelle): single member close corporation
- SA
- SARL
GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- Einzelunternehmen: ≈ sole trader (UK), sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
(US) - Partenreederei: A form of combined and continued ownership of a single merchant vessel.
- e.G. (eingetragene Genossenschaft): ≈ cooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
- e.V. (eingetragener Verein): ≈ associationVoluntary associationA voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
- Partnerships (Personengesellschaften)
- GbR (Gesellschaft bürgerlichen Rechts): no minimum capital, unlimited liability of partners, non-business or small-business activities only.
- Innengesellschaft: ≈ anonymous partnership (S.Africa)
- registered business partnerships (Personenhandelsgesellschaften)
- OHG (offene Handelsgesellschaft): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
; no minimum capital, unlimited liability of partners. - KG (KommanditgesellschaftKommanditgesellschaftA Kommanditgesellschaft is the German name for a limited partnership business entity and is used in German, Austrian and some other European legal systems....
): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- GmbH & Co. KG and GmbH & Co. KGaA: a special type of Kommanditgesellschaft in which the general partner is a GmbH. The GmbH & Co. KGaA it is a variant with shares.
- AG & Co. KG and AG & Co. KGaA: a special type of Kommanditgesellschaft in which the general partner is an Aktiengesellschaft. The AG & Co. KGaA is a variant with shares.
- OHG (offene Handelsgesellschaft): ≈ general partnership
- PartG (Partnerschaftsgesellschaft): ≈ professional (service) partnership
- Companies (Kapitalgesellschaften)
- KGaA (Kommanditgesellschaft auf AktienKommanditgesellschaft auf AktienFor the radio station formerly known as KGAA, see KARR Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien – abbreviated KGaA – is a German corporate designation standing for 'partnership limited by shares', a form of corporate organization roughly equivalent to a master limited partnership. A...
): ≈ publicly traded partnership (US) - GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter HaftungGesellschaft mit beschränkter HaftungGesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung is a type of legal entityvery common in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other Central European countries...
): ≈ private limited company (Ltd.) (UK), limited liability companyLimited liability companyA limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
(LLC) (US). Minimum capital €25,000. If under the trade name "Unternehmergesellschaft (haftungsbeschränkt)", its minimum capital is €1 (times the number of shares). - AGAktiengesellschaftAktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e. owned by shareholders, and may be traded on a stock market. The term is used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland...
(Aktiengesellschaft): ≈ public limited companyPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(plc) (UK), corporation (US). Minimum capital €50,000.
- KGaA (Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien
GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
- A.E. (Anonimi Eteria/Ανώνυμη Εταιρία): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), minimum capital €60,000 - E.E. (Eterorithmos Eteria/Ετερόρρυθμος Εταιρία): limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- E.P.E. (Eteria Periorismenis Euthinis/Εταιρία Περιορισμένης Ευθύνης): ≈ Ltd. (UK), minimum capital €4,500
- M.E.P.E. (Monoprosopi Eteria Periorismenis Euthinis/Μονοπρόσωπη ΕΠΕ): type of E.P.E. with a single member
- O.E. (Omorithmos Eteria/Ομόρρυθμος Εταιρία): general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- Α.Β.Ε.Ε. (Anonimi Biomixaniki Emporiki Eteria/ Ανώνυμη Βιομηχανική Εμπορική Εταιρεία)
- Ο.Β.Ε.Ε. (Omorithmi Biomixaniki Emporiki Eteria/ Ομόρρυθμη Βιομηχανική Εμπορική Εταιρεία)
HaitiHaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
- Standardized Company; Legal Form, Sociedad Anónima (SA) – Stock Corporation; Minimum Capital Requirement, 25,000
Hong Kong
- Ltd. (Limited / 有限公司): may denote either a privatePrivate company limited by sharesA private company limited by shares, usually called a private limited company , is a type of company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, Scotland, that of certain Commonwealth countries and the Republic of Ireland...
or public companyPublic companyThis is not the same as a Government-owned corporation.A public company or publicly traded company is a limited liability company that offers its securities for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange, or through market makers operating in over the counter markets...
limited by shares, or a company limited by guaranteeCompany limited by guaranteeIn British and Irish company law, a private company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A guarantee company does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as...
. Under the Hong Kong Companies Ordinance (Chapter 32), the name of a Hong Kong incorporated company may be registered in either the English or Chinese language, or both.
- Unltd. or Ultd. (Unlimited / 無限公司): similar to a limited liability company (Ltd.) but whose members or shareholders do not benefit from limited liability should the company ever go into formal liquidationLiquidationIn law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
. It is not a requirement under company law to add or state the word or designation Unlimited (無限公司) or its abbreviations (Unltd., or Ultd.) at the ending of its legal company name, and most unlimited companiesUnlimited CompanyAn unlimited company or private unlimited company is a hybrid company incorporated either with or without a share capital but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited - that is, its members or shareholders have a joint, several and unlimited obligation to meet any...
do not.
HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
- e.v. (egyéni vállalkozó): sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
- e.c. (egyéni cég): sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
registered at "companies house" - bt. (betéti társaság): partnership, at least one unlimited/general partner and one limited partner
- kft. (korlátolt felelősségű társaság): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- kht. (közhasznú társaság): community interest Ltd. (UK) (not registrable anymore, must use Nonprofit Kft. instead)
- kkt. (közkereseti társaság): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- kv. (közös vállalat): joint ventureJoint ventureA joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
- rt. (részvénytársaság) limited company with shares (not registrable anymore, must use Zrt or Nyrt depending on publicness)
- zrt. (zártkörűen működő részvénytársaság): ≈ Ltd.Private company limited by sharesA private company limited by shares, usually called a private limited company , is a type of company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, Scotland, that of certain Commonwealth countries and the Republic of Ireland...
(UK) - nyrt. (nyilvánosan működő részvénytársaság): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK)
Of these, only nyrt., zrt., the formerly used rt., and kft. have legal personality
Legal personality
Legal personality is the characteristic of a non-human entity regarded by law to have the status of a person....
.
IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
| Name | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ehf. (einkahlutafélag) | ≈ Ltd. (UK) |
|
| einstaklingsfyrirtæki | sole proprietorship Sole proprietorship A sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for... |
|
| hf. (hlutafélag) | ≈ plc Public limited company A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions.... (UK) |
Icelandic króna The króna is the currency of Iceland. The króna is technically subdivided into 100 aurar , but in practice this subdivision is no longer used.... 4,000,000 (£22,000; €26,100; $34,000). Shareholder A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself .... s: 2. |
| ohf. (opinbert hlutafélag) | government-owned corporation Government-owned corporation A government-owned corporation, state-owned company, state-owned entity, state enterprise, publicly owned corporation, government business enterprise, or parastatal is a legal entity created by a government to undertake commercial activities on behalf of an owner government... |
|
| samlagsfélag | ≈ limited partnership Limited partnership A limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,... |
|
| samvinnufélag | cooperative Cooperative A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit... |
|
| sf. (sameignarfélag) | ≈ general partnership General partnership In the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:... |
|
| ses. (sjálfseignarstofnun) | non-profit organization Non-profit organization Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends... |
Icelandic króna The króna is the currency of Iceland. The króna is technically subdivided into 100 aurar , but in practice this subdivision is no longer used.... 1,000,000 (£5,500; €6,520; $8,500). |
IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
- Sole Proprietorship - liability is unlimited.
- Partnership - liability is joint and unlimited.
- Active partners take part in day-to-day operations of the business, in addition to investing in it. Active partners are entitled to a share of the enterprise's profits.
- Sleeping partners invest in the business and are entitled to a share of its profits, but do not participate in day-to-day operations.
- Limited Liability PartnershipLimited liability partnershipA limited liability partnership is a partnership in which some or all partners have limited liability. It therefore exhibits elements of partnerships and corporations. In an LLP one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence. This is an important...
- Liability is limited - HUF (Hindu Undivided Family)Hindu joint familyA Hindu Joint Family or Joint Family is an extended family arrangement prevalent among Hindus of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of many generations living under the same roof. All the male members are blood relatives and all the women are either mothers, wives, unmarried daughters, or widowed...
- businesses owned by a joint family belonging to HinduHinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
religion. Even though Jain and SikhSikhA Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
families are not governed by the Hindu law, they can still form a HUF. - CooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
- Family Owned BusinessFamily businessA family business is a business in which one or more members of one or more families have a significant ownership interest and significant commitments toward the business’ overall well-being....
- Pvt. Ltd. (Private Limited Company): ≈ Ltd. (UK). May have 2–50 shareholders; shares are held privately and can not be offered to public.
- Ltd. (Public Limited Company): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - Public Sector Unit (PSU) - Alternatively known as Public Sector Enterprise (PSE). It may be public limited company listed on stock exchanges with major ownership by a state government or a central government of India or it may be unlisted entity with major ownership by a state government or a central government of India. Some of these entities are formed as business entities through special legislation, where these entities are governed by the statutes of these legislation and may or may not be governed by company laws like a typical business entity.
- Unlimited CompanyUnlimited CompanyAn unlimited company or private unlimited company is a hybrid company incorporated either with or without a share capital but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited - that is, its members or shareholders have a joint, several and unlimited obligation to meet any...
. A company, similar to its limited company (Ltd., or Pvt. Ltd.) counterpart, but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited. - Incorporated Company
IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
- Yayasan: foundation
- UD (Usaha Daggang): sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
- Fa (Firma): a partnership firm for the purpose of dealing with third parties.
- Koperasi: a cooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
, where the clients/customers are also the owner - Maatschap (Persekutuan Pedata): a professional partnership, where the partners are treated as natural persons for tax and liability purposes e.g. Kantor Akuntan Publik Siddharta, Siddharta & Wijaya.
- Persekutuan Komanditer (Dutch: CV – Commanditaire Vennootschaap): limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- Perusahaan Umum (Perum), Perusahaan Jawatan (Perjan): state-owned entities e.g. Perum Peruri, Perjan Rumah Sakit Fatmawati
- PT (PERSERO) Tbk, PT (PERSERO): state-owned or majority state-owned PT Tbk or PT, e.g. PT Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk
- PT (Perseroan Terbatas): ≈ Ltd. (UK), e.g. PT Astra Honda Motor
- PT Tbk (Perseroan Terbatas Terbuka or Perseroan Terbuka): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK). Listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, e.g. PT Multi Bintang Indonesia Tbk. Formerly also DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
NV (Naamloze VennootschapNaamloze Vennootschapis the Dutch term for a public limited liability company. The company is owned by shareholders, and the company's shares are not registered to certain owners, so that they may be traded on the public stock market....
)
IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
- شرکت سهامی عام (Sherkat Sahami Am): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), public - شرکت سهامی خاص (Sherkat Sahami Khas): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), private - شرکت با مسئولیت محدود (Sherkat ba Masouliyat Mahdoud): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- شرکت مختلط غیر سهامی (Sherkat Mokhtalet Gheyr Sahami): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- شرکت مختلط سهامی (Sherkat Mokhtalet Sahami): mixed joint-stock partnership
- شرکت تضامنی (Sherkat Tazamoni): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- شرکت نسبی (Sherkat Nesbi): proportional liability partnership
- شرکت تعاونی تولید و مصرف (Sherkat Ta’avoni Tolid va Masraf): production and consumption cooperative
IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
Similar to United Kingdom below, though without the class Community Interest Company. There were two forms of Company Limited by Guarantee, but only the form without a share capital is now used. IrishIrish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
names may also be used, such as cpt (cuideachta phoibli theoranta) for plc, and Teo (Teoranta) for Ltd.
- Limited Company – Four types:
- Private company limited by shares – If company is wound up, members’ liability is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares they hold. Maximum number of members in the Republic of Ireland is 99.
- Company limited by guarantee not having a share capital - Public company. Must have at least seven members. Members' liability limited to amount they have undertaken to contribute to company assets. If wound up, liability does not exceed amount specified in memorandum. If a guarantee company does not have a share capital, members are not required to buy shares (such as charities).
- Company limited by guarantee having a share capital - As with a private company if the maximum number of members is 99. Members have liability either for the amount, if any, that is unpaid on the shares they hold, or for the amount they have undertaken to contribute to company assets, in the event that it is wound up.
- A public limited company. Must have at least seven members. Liability is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on shares they hold. Unlawful to issue any form of prospectus except in compliance with the Companies Acts 1963-2006. Nominal value of Company's allotted share capital must satisfy specified minimums which must be fully paid before company commences business or exercises any borrowing powers.
- Single Member Company – Private company limited by shares or a guarantee company having a share capital, which is incorporated with one member, or whose membership is reduced to one person. Must have at least two directors and one secretary. Sole member can dispense with holding General Meetings including Annual General Meetings.
- Unlimited Company - No limit on liability of members. Creditors may have recourse to shareholders for unpaid liabilities of the company. Must have at least two shareholders.
- Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) - Public limited companies formed under EU Regulation and the Companies Acts 1963-2006. Sole object of a UCIT is collective investment in transferable securities of capital raised from the public that operates on the principle of risk-spreading. Central Bank of Ireland must approve all registrations of UCITS.
- European Economic Interest Groupings (EEIG) - Mechanism for a business within the EU to engage in cross-border commerce. Purpose is to facilitate or develop economic activities of its members. Must have between two and 20 members which may be companies or individuals from different EU states.
- Societas Europaea (SE) – A European public limited liability company formed under EU Regulation and the European Communities Regulations 2007. Can be formed by merger or as a holding or subsidiary SE or by conversion of a PLC to an SE. Must have members from different Member States unless an SE itself is setting up a subsidiary SE.
IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
- B.M./BM/בע"מ (Be'eravon Mugbal) literally: by limited liability/warranty, usually translated "Ltd." in English, pronounced "BE'AM" in Hebrew.
- Company (corporation) - Formed and registered in Israel in accordance with Israeli law. Most companies limit liability of their members in the form of shares. In this case the term "Limited" or the abbreviation "Ltd." must appear as part of the full name of the Company.
- Private Company, 1-50 shareholders, 1 director, may not offer or sell stock or debentures to the public. Articles must containt restriction on transfer of shares.
- Public Company, minimum 7 shareholders, may offer stock or debentures to the public after issuing a prospectus with specified information. Must publish annual report that includes audited financial statements and directors' report, filed with Register of Companies, available to the public.
- Foreign Company (branch) - Company formed overseas may have a branch or local office in Israel. Must register as a foreign company with Register of Companies within one month of its establishment. If the company uses "limited" as part of its name, it must display its name and the country where it is formed in every invoice, letter, announcement, advertisement, or other official publication. No requirement to publish financial statements of a private company.
- Partnership - Entity that consists of persons who contract to form a partnership. Personal liability of the partners is not limited unless they are limited partners of limited partnerships. A foreign partnership is also permitted to do business in Israel.
- Self Employed - A self employed person works entirely for him/herself and is entirely liable for the business. Same rules of registration apply.
- Cooperative - Entity found mainly in agriculture (such as a kibbutz or moshav), or transportation, or certain types of marketing operations associated with agricultural products.
- Non Profit Organization - Mainly academic institutions, hospitals, charitable organizations, and municipalities. Non profits are subject to a special law governing their formation and operations.
ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- S.s. (Società semplice): ≈ sole trader (UK), sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
(US) - Partnerships:
- S.n.c. (Società in nome collettivo): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- S.a.s (Società in accomandita semplice): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- S.n.c. (Società in nome collettivo): ≈ general partnership
- Companies:
- S.p.A. (Società per azioni): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), corporationCorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
(US) - S.a.p.a (Società in accomandita per azioni): ≈ publicly traded partnership
- S.r.l., Srl, S.R.L. (Società a responsabilità limitata): ≈ Ltd. (UK), LLCLimited liability companyA limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
(US)
- S.p.A. (Società per azioni): ≈ plc
- Cooperatives:
- S.c.r.l. (Società cooperativa a responsabilità limitata) cooperative limited (liability) company
JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Business corporations are referred to as kaisha (会社) and are formed under the Companies Law of 2005. There are currently (2010) 5 types and each of them has legal personality:
- 株式会社 (kabushiki-kaishaKabushiki kaishais a type of business defined under Japanese law.-Usage in language:Both kabushiki kaisha and the rendaku form kabushiki gaisha are used. The "K" spelling is much more common in the names of companies and in English-language legal literature, whereas the "G" pronunciation is dominant in...
or kabushiki-gaisha, "K.K.") - lit. "stock company," the most typical form of business corporation. - 有限会社 (yūgen-kaishaYugen kaishaA yūgen gaisha or yūgen kaisha is a form of business organization in Japan....
or yūgen-gaisha, "Y.K.") - lit. "limited company," a close corporation form for smaller businesses, abolished in 2006 - 合同会社 (gōdō-kaishaGodo kaishaA gōdō gaisha , abbreviated GK, is a type of business organization in Japan modeled after the American limited liability company...
or gōdō-gaisha, "G.K.") - lit. "amalgamated company," a close corporation form similar to the American LLC, introduced in 2006 instead of abolished "Y.K." - 合資会社 (gōshi-kaisha or gōshi-gaisha, "GSK") - corporation similar to a limited partnership
- 合名会社 (gōmei-kaisha or gōmei-gaisha, "GMK") - corporation similar to a general partnership
Partnerships are referred to as 'kumiai' (組合). Each of these 4 types has no legal personality though other corporations, which include 'kumiai' ("組合") in their name, have:
- 任意組合 (ni n i kumiai, "NK") - general partnership (Civil Code)
- 匿名組合 (Tokumei kumiaiTokumei kumiai, literally "anonymous partnerships," are a Japanese bilateral contract governed by the Commercial Code of Japan, Article 535 et seq. In English, they are often called TK or silent partnerships...
, "TK") - anonymous partnership, a investment bilateral contract (Commercial Code, Book 2 Ch.4 Article 535 et seq) - 投資事業有限責任組合 (toushi jigyou yūgensekin kumiai, "?") - limited partnership for investment (Limited Partnership for Investment Act 1998, Rev.2004)
- 有限責任事業組合 (yūgen-sekinin-jigyō-kumiaiLimited liability partnershipA limited liability partnership is a partnership in which some or all partners have limited liability. It therefore exhibits elements of partnerships and corporations. In an LLP one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence. This is an important...
) - similar to a Limited Liability Partnership (Limited Liability Partnership Act of 2005)
Corporations formed by the Professionals under the statutes governing them and their qualifications. These corporations can NOT gain limited liability except for the audit corporation:
- 監査法人 (kansa-hōjin) - audit corporation, The certification of limited liability needs some requirements such as information disclosure (Certified Public Accountant Law)
- 税理士法人 (zeirishi-hōjin) - tax accounting corporation (Tax Accountant Law)
- 弁護士法人 (bengoshi-hōjin) - legal services corporation (Attorney Law)
Corporations formed as Non-Profit Organization:
- General Association & General Foundation, providing club goods is allowed, though these 2 types are oriented to provide public goods:
- 一般社団法人 (ippan-shadan-hōjin) - incorporated association, which needs one member, though 2 members when establishment, at least (Law concerning General Incorporated Association and General Incorporated Foundation of 2008)
- 一般財団法人 (ippan-zaidan-hōjin) - incorporated foundation, which needs asset of 3 million yen at least (Law concerning General Incorporated Association and General Incorporated Foundation of 2008)
- Public Association & Public Foundation, are the above 2 types given some advantages such as tax exemption and licensed to have "公益" (koueki, public) in its name after the Certification of Public BenefitPublic goodIn economics, a public good is a good that is non-rival and non-excludable. Non-rivalry means that consumption of the good by one individual does not reduce availability of the good for consumption by others; and non-excludability means that no one can be effectively excluded from using the good...
:- 公益社団法人 (koueki-shadan-hōjin)- incorporated public association (Law for Certification of Public Association and Public Foundation of 2008)
- 公益財団法人 (koueki-zaidan-hōjin)- incorporated public foundation (Law for Certification of Public Association and Public Foundation of 2008)
- 特定非営利活動法人 (tokutei-hieiri-katsudou-houjin, jpn. abbr."NPO法人" or "トクヒ(tokuhi)") -incorporated Non-Profit Organization, which is similar to General Association. However, it must provide public goods. Nowadays, the meaning of this corporation type is unclear because of the above 4 types (Law for Promotion of Specific Non-Profit Activities of 1998)
- 学校法人 (gakkō-hōjin) - school corporation, defined under the law as a foundation having school function (Private School Law)
- 宗教法人 (shūkyō-hōjin) - religious corporation (Religious Corporation Law)
- 社会福祉法人 (shakai-fukushi-hōjin) - social welfare corporation (Social Welfare Law)
Corporations formed under other statutes are as follows:
- 相互会社 (sōgo-kaisha or sōgo-gaisha) - mutual insurer (Insurance Business Law)
- 医療法人 (iryō-hōjin) - medical corporation, includes 6 types (Medical Care Law)
- 共同組合 (kyōdō-kumiai) - cooperative (formed under several specialized statutes)
- 信用組合 (shin'yō-kumiai) - credit union (Credit Union Law)
- 信用金庫 (shin'yō-kinko) - shinkin bankShinkin bankA is a type of Japanese bank.They are cooperative regional financial institutions serving small and medium enterprises and local residents. Anyone who lives, works, or has an office in the region served by the bank can become a member. However, companies with over 300 employees are prohibited...
(Shinkin Bank Law)
Types of Public Government Service Groups
- 地方公共団体 (chihō-kōkyō-dantai) - local authority (prefectures, cities, etc.)
- 一部事務組合 (ichibu-jimu-kumiai) - part public service joint venture of local authorities
- 全部事務組合 (zenbu-jimu-kumiai) - entire public service joint venture of local authorities
Types of public corporations include:
- 特殊法人 (tokusyu-hōjin) - public service corporation
- 公団 (kōdan) - public investment corporation
- 公庫 (kōko) - public finance corporation
- 公社 (kōsha) - public service corporation
- 独立行政法人 (dokuritu-Gyōsei-hōjin) - public service corporation, or officially Incorporated Administrative Agency
- 国立大学法人 (kokuritsu-daigaku-hōjin) - national university corporation
- 公立大学法人 (kōritsu-daigaku-hōjin) - public university corporation
KazakhstanKazakhstanKazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
- АО (Aktsionernoe obschestvo/Акционерное общество): Joint stock company
- ТОО (Tovarishchestvo s ogranichennoy otvetstvennostyu/Товарищество с ограниченной ответственностью): limited liability partnership
- ТДО (Tovarishchestvo s dopolnitelnoyu otvetstvennostyu/Товарищество с дополнительной ответственностью) Additional liability partnership
- ГП (Gosudarstvenoe predpriyatie/Государственное предприятие): State company
- КТ (Komanditnoe Tovarishchestvo; Командитное товарищество)
- ОО (Obshestvennoe Obedinenie / Общественное объединение) Social association
- ПТ (Polnoe Tovarishchestvo / Полное товарищество) Full partnership
- ПтК (Potrebibitelskii Kooperativ / Потребительский кооператив)
- ПрК (Proizvodstvenni Kooperativ / Производственный кооператив)
- РО (Relitioznoe Obedinenie / Религиозное объединение)
- Учр (Urezdenie/Учреждение)
Korea, South
- 주식회사 or 株式會社 (jusik hoesa): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - 유한회사 or 有限會社 (yuhan hoesa): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- 합자회사 or 合資會社 (hapja hoesa): corporation similar to a limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- 합명회사 or 合名會社 (hapmyoung hoesa): corporation similar to a general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
- SIA (Sabiedrība ar ierobežotu atbildību): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- AS (Akciju sabiedrība): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - IK (Individuālais komersants)
- PS (Pilnsabiedrība)
- KS (Komandītsabiedrība)
LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
- SALSociété anonyme libanaise“Société anonyme libanaise,” abbreviated s.a.l., is the French term for a joint stock company in Lebanon. Its main characteristic is the intuitus pecuniae—the financial involvement of each associate....
(Societe Anonyme Libanaise ): a form of a joint stock companyJoint stock companyA joint-stock company is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more individuals that own shares of stock in the company...
LithuaniaLithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
- UAB (Uždaroji akcinė bendrovė): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- AB (Akcinė bendrovė): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - VšĮ (Viešoji įstaiga): ≈ non-profit organizationNon-profit organizationNonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
- IĮ (Individuali įmonė): ≈ sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
- TŪB (Tikroji ūkinė bendrija): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- KŪB (Komanditinė ūkinė bendrija): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
LuxembourgLuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
- S.A.S.A. (corporation)S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(Société anonyme): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - S.A.R.L.SARLSARL is an acronym with many potential meanings:* South Australian Rugby League, governing body for rugby league football in South Australia* Société à responsabilité limitée* South African Radio League...
(Société à responsabilité limitée): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
MacedoniaRepublic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
- A.D./А.Д. (Акционерско друштво): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - D.O.O./Д.О.О. (Друштво со ограничена одговорност): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- D.O.O.E.L./Д.О.О.Е.Л. (Друштво со ограничена одговорност основано од едно лице): type of DOO with a single member
- K.D./К.Д. (Командитно друштво): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- K.D.A./К.Д.А. (Командитно друштво со акции): ≈ limited partnership with shares
- J.T.D./Ј.Т.Д. (Јавно трговско друштво): ≈ General partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
Malaysia
- Bhd. (Berhad): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - Sdn. Bhd. (Sendirian Berhad): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
MéxicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
Business entities according to the "Ley General de Sociedades Mercantiles" (General Law of Business entities)- S.A.(Sociedad Anónima): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - S. de R.L.(Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- Associates name and "y compañía" or Associates name and "y sucesores"(Sociedad en Nombre Colectivo): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- S. en C. (Sociedad en Comandita Simple): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- S. en C. por A. (Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones): ≈ master limited partnershipMaster limited partnershipMaster limited partnership is a limited partnership that is publicly traded on a securities exchange. It combines the tax benefits of a limited partnership with the liquidity of publicly traded securities....
Note: Any of these entities can be incorporated as a "Capital Variable" entity, in which case has to add the " de C.V." sufix to its company name. Example: "S.A. de C.V.", "S. de R.L. de C.V."
Business entities according to the "Ley del Mercado de Valores" (Stock Market Law)
- S.A.B. (Sociedad Anónima Bursátil)
- S.A.P.I. (Sociedad Anónima Promotora de Inversion)
MongoliaMongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
- ХХК (Хязгаарлагдмал Хариуцлагатай Компани): ≈ p.l.cPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) limited liability company
NamibiaNamibiaNamibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
- Close Corporation*
- Companies (Private, Public and Section 21)*
- Sole Trader*
- Partnership*
- Trusts*
- Co-operatives*
NepalNepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
- Private Limited Company: Liability, limited by shares; Name, cannot be deceptively similar to another registered company; Management, at least 1 director; Shareholders, limited to 1-50 excluding persons who are employed by company, prohibition against any invitation to the public to subscribe for shares; Founders, 1-50; Nationality, Nepalese company; Company purpose, any lawful purpose except industry on Negative List; Formation, file Memorandum and Articles of Association with Registrar of Companies.
- Public Limited Company: Liability, limited by shares; Name, cannot be deceptively similar to another registered company; Management, at least 3 directors; Shareholders, minimum 7, no maximum, share subscription by public pursuant to a prospectus that complies with Companies Act of 2007 and Securities Act; a Private Limited Company can convert to Public Limited Company by complying with Companies Act of 2007; Founders, minimum 7; Nationality, Nepalese company; Company purpose, any lawful purpose except industry on Negative List; Formation, file Memorandum and Articles of Association with Registrar of Companies.
- Branch: Liability, main company remains liable; Name, same as main company; Nationality, foreign company; Company purpose, any lawful purpose except industry on Negative List; Formation, file Memorandum and Articles of Association with Registrar of Companies, plus permission to work in Nepal by concerned authority; Founders, main branch.
NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
- Stichting: ≈ foundationFoundationFoundation commonly refers to:* Foundation , the lowest and supporting layer of a structure* Foundation , a type of organizationFoundation may also refer to:-Literature:...
. Can run a business. No profit distribution to founders or board members. - mutual societies (associations which are allowed to pay dividends to their members; liability may be unlimited (W.A. - Wettelijke Aansprakelijkheid), limited (B.A. - Beperkte Aansprakelijkheid) or exempt (U.A. - Uitsluiting van Aansprakelijkheid)):
- Coöperatie: ≈ co-operative society
- Onderlinge waarborgmaatschappij: ≈ mutual insurance company
- Mts (Maatschap): ≈ group practice (of professionals, eg. doctors, accountants, lawyers); share facilities not profits, members are treated as natural persons for tax and liability purposes.
- Eenmanszaak: ≈ sole trader (UK), sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
(US)
- incorporated entities:
- V.O.F. (Vennootschap onder firma): ≈ GPGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- C.V. (Commanditaire vennootschap): ≈ LPLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- B.V. (Besloten vennootschap): ≈ Ltd. (UK), LLCLimited liability companyA limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
(US). The name means "closed company". Minimum issued share capital upon incorporation: €18,000. Shares are privately registered and not freely transferable. - N.V.Naamloze Vennootschapis the Dutch term for a public limited liability company. The company is owned by shareholders, and the company's shares are not registered to certain owners, so that they may be traded on the public stock market....
(Naamloze vennootschap): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), Corp.CorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
(US). Literally, "nameless company". Minimum issued share capital upon incorporation: €45,000.
- V.O.F. (Vennootschap onder firma): ≈ GP
Companies are registered on the Companies Register and with a regional Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
.
New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
- LTD (Limited): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
or Ltd. (UK). All New Zealand limited liability companies must use the suffix LTD. An unlimited liability company may not.
NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
- Limited (Ltd.): a private company limited by shares
- Public Limited Company (PLC): a public company limited by shares
- Limited by Guarantee (Ltd./Gte.): a company limited by guarantee (non-profit company)
- UnlimitedUnlimited CompanyAn unlimited company or private unlimited company is a hybrid company incorporated either with or without a share capital but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited - that is, its members or shareholders have a joint, several and unlimited obligation to meet any...
(ULtd.): A company with a share capital, similar to its limited company (Ltd., or PLC.) counterparts, but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited.
NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
- ASAAllmennaksjeselskapAllmennaksjeselskap , or ASA, is the Norwegian term for a public limited company. "ASA" or "asa" is added to the company name of all Norwegian companies registered as Allmennaksjeselskap....
(Allmennaksjeselskap): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK). Minimum capital NOKNorwegian kroneThe krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
1,000,000 - ASAksjeselskapAksjeselskap is the Norwegian term for a stock-based company. It is usually abbreviated AS or A/S, especially when used in company names. An AS is always a limited company, i.e. the owners cannot be held liable for any debt beyond the stock capital...
(Aksjeselskap): ≈ Ltd. (UK). Minimum capital NOK 100,000. - ANSAnsvarlig selskapAn ansvarlig selskap is a Norwegian company model, mainly used in small-to-medium businesses, in which the company's individual owners are held personally liable for any outstanding debts acquired by the company...
(Ansvarlig selskap): general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
with mutual liability - BASelskap med begrenset ansvarSelskap med begrenset ansvar shortened to BA is a Norwegian term for a corporation comparable to a limited liability company. Meaning literally Company with limited liability, it is a type of corporate structure used in Norway for limited companies based on a co-operative structure.-Legal...
(Selskap med begrenset ansvar): cooperatives and companies created by legislatation - BLBorettslagBorettslag or BL is the legal entity for housing cooperatives in Norway. The company is owned by those who live in the cooperative, the partholders. Each part gives the right to live in the cooperative, and thus in a particular apartment or house. A partholder is free to sell their part, but the...
(Borettslag): housing share company - DASelskap med delt ansvarSelskap med delt ansvar or DA, in English Company with Shared Liability is a type of company in Norway that does not have limited liability. The company will have two or more participants, who hold a given percentile ownership of the company. A DA is not based around stocks, like the aksjeselskap ,...
(Selskap med delt ansvar): general partnership with apportioned liability - EnkeltpersonforetakEnkeltpersonforetakEnkeltpersonforetak is the Norwegian type of sole proprietorship. The company is considered part of the personal assets of the owner, who holds the full juridical and economic liability of the company...
: sole proprietorship - EtatEtatEtat is a Norwegian state-, county- or municipal agency. An Etat is a subdivision of the administration, which has been given responsibility for a special area. An agency does not have a board of directors, but it does have a director, appointed by the subordinate organization. Normally decisions...
: state, county or municipal agency - FKFKommunalt foretakKommunalt foretak or KF, in English: Municipal Enterprise is a type of enterprise owned by Norwegian municipalities. Fylkeskommunalt foretak or FKF, in English: County Enterprise is an equivalent enterprise owned by a county. KFs and FKFs offer no limited liability for the owner, though they do...
(Fylkeskommunalt foretak): county enterprise - HFHealth TrustHealth trust or HF is a health enterprise owned by one of the four regional health authority in Norway, with responsibility for performing a geographic and/or specialist activities of operations on behalf of the regional health authority. There are 43 HFs in Norway, each led by a board of...
(helseforetak): subsidiary health enterprise - IKSInterkommunalt selskapInterkommunalt selskap or IKS, in English: Intermunicipal company is a type of municipal or county owned company in Norway. It resembles very closely to a Municipal Enterprise or County Enterprise, but the IKS requires multiple municipalities and/or counties to be owners. The form is regulated by...
(Interkommunalt selskap): inter-municipal enterprise (owners' liability) - KFKommunalt foretakKommunalt foretak or KF, in English: Municipal Enterprise is a type of enterprise owned by Norwegian municipalities. Fylkeskommunalt foretak or FKF, in English: County Enterprise is an equivalent enterprise owned by a county. KFs and FKFs offer no limited liability for the owner, though they do...
(Kommunalt foretak): municipal enterprise (owner's liability) - KSKommandittselskapKommandittselskap or KS is a Norwegian type of company. The company is owned by two types of entities; the komplementar, who holds unlimited liability, and one or more komandittist who hold limited liability. The komplementar is usually a limited company, so the liability is in essence limited...
(Kommandittselskap): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,... - NUFNorskregistrert utenlandsk foretakNorskregistrert utenlandsk filial or NUF is a Norwegian term meaning Norwegian Registered Foreign Company. NUF are basically Norwegian branches of foreign companies. In this regard, one has to separate between companies that are Norwegian in a fiscal sense and Norwegian companies in a company law...
(Norskregistrert utenlandsk foretak): foreign enterprise registered in Norway - RHFRegional Health AuthorityA regional health authority is a state enterprise responsible for specialist healthcare in one of four regions of Norway. Responsibilities of the RHFs include patient treamtment, education of medical staff, research and training of patients and relatives...
(regionalt helseforetak): regional health enterprise - SFStatsforetakStatsforetak or SF, meaning State Enterprise is a type of company in Norway. SFs are wholly owned by the Government of Norway, but it does not hold limited liability in the company...
(Statsforetak): state enterprise - SparebankSparebankSparebank is a Norwegian savings bank without external owners. The Norwegian sparebanks are a separate type of juridical entity that differ from commercial banks. There are a total of 123 savings banks in Norway.- History :...
: savings bank - StiftelseStiftelseStiftelse, the Norwegian Foundation is an independent juridical entity that has assets at its disposal, given by will, gift, or other juridical disposition to the foundation for a given purpose; that might be for idealistic, humanitarian, cultureal, social, educational, economic or other purpose...
: a foundation, with capital but without members or shareholders. It is allowed to make a profit, but is more suited for non-commercial purposes.
PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
- Ltd. (Limited): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - SME Pvt(ltd): Single member company
- Pvt. Ltd. (Private Limited Company): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- Unlimited companyUnlimited CompanyAn unlimited company or private unlimited company is a hybrid company incorporated either with or without a share capital but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited - that is, its members or shareholders have a joint, several and unlimited obligation to meet any...
. A company, similar to its limited company (Ltd., or Pvt. Ltd.) counterpart, but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited.
PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
- S.A.S.A. (corporation)S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(Sociedad Anónima): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - Sociedad Anónima Abierta (S.A.A.): To qualify to register as an S.A.A., a company must meet one or more conditions laid down in Article 249 of Peru's General Corporation Law. Those conditions state there must be a primary public offering of shares or convertible bonds in stocks, which are held by more than 750 shareholders, more than 35% of its capital belonging to 175 shareholders, or that all shareholders entitled to vote approve the adjustment to the scheme. The S.A.A. is then audited by the Comisión Nacional Supervisora de Empresas y Valores (CONASEV).
PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
- Co. (Company): can be used for general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
s - Coop. (Cooperative)
- Corp. (Corporation)
- Ent. (Enterprise)
- Inc. (Incorporated)
- LLC (Limited Liability Company)
- Ltd. (Limited), Ltd. Co. (Limited Company): for limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
s
Older forms (now rarely used)
- Cía (Compañía): for partnerships and other forms of business during the Spanish rule
- SAS.A. (corporation)S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(Sociedad Anónima): formed under Spanish rule
PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
- jednoosobowa działalność gospodarcza: sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
- P.P. (Przedsiębiorstwo Państwowe): state enterprise (has legal personalityLegal personalityLegal personality is the characteristic of a non-human entity regarded by law to have the status of a person....
) - S.A.S.A. (corporation)S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(spółka akcyjna): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK). Minimum share capital PLN 100,000 (approx. €25,000). - s.c. (spółka cywilna): "civil partnership", not a partnership or a company, but rather an agreement on the sharing of profits, losses and ownership of a business. Can be likened to a voluntary associationVoluntary associationA voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
. - S.K.A. (spółka komandytowo-akcyjna): limited partnership with shares. Minimum share capital PLN 50,000 (approx. €12,500).
- sp.j. (spółka jawna): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- sp.k. (spółka komandytowa): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- sp.p. (spółka partnerska): ≈ limited liability partnershipLimited liability partnershipA limited liability partnership is a partnership in which some or all partners have limited liability. It therefore exhibits elements of partnerships and corporations. In an LLP one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence. This is an important...
May also be denoted by the addition of i partner(zy) ("and partner(s)") to the firm's name. Can only be used for the purpose of practicing as a licensed professional listed in the appropriate provision of the Commercial Companies Code. The partners are fully liable for the partnership's debts, with the exception of debts incurred by other partners practicing their licensed profession and employees under their direction. - Sp. z o.o. (spółka z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością): ≈ Ltd. (UK). Minimum share capital PLN 5,000 (approx. €1,250).
- Spółdzielnia: ≈ cooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
. Has legal personality. May also be denoted by the word Spółdzielczy in the firm's name.
References: (Polish) Commercial Companies Code of 15 September 2000 (Dz.U. No 94 item 1037 as amended); (Polish) Civil Code of 23 April 1964 (Dz.U. No 16 item 93 as amended); (Polish) Law on Cooperatives of 16 September 1982 (Dz.U. 2003 No 188 item 1848 as amended)
PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
- CRL (Cooperativa de Responsabilidade Limitada): limited liability cooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
- S.A.S.A. (corporation)S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(Sociedade Anónima): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), and these are further classified as:- S.A., Sociedade Aberta: ≈ publicly traded corporation (literally "open company").
- S.F., Sociedade Fechada: ≈ privately held (closely held) corporation (literally "closed company")
- Lda. (Limitada): ≈ Ltd. (UK), and these might be:
- Unipessoal Lda.: single member company (literally: "Unipersonal Ltd.")
- SGPS (Sociedade Gestora de Participações Sociais): holding corporation (literally "shareholding management company")
RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
- S.A.S.A. (corporation)S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(Societate pe Acţiuni): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - S.C.A. (societate în comandită pe acţiuni): limited partnership with shares
- S.C.S. (societate în comandită simplă): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- S.N.C. (societate în nume colectiv): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- S.R.L. (societate cu răspundere limitată): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
- Nekommercheskaya organizatsiya/некоммерческая организация: non-profit organization (there are many types of non-profits in Russia, the type depends on the ownership of the assets)
- GP/ГП, GUP/ГУП (Gosudarstvennoye unitarnoye predpriyatie/Государственное унитарное предприятие): state (unitary) enterprise
- IP/ИП (Individualny predprinimatel/Индивидуальный предприниматель): sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
- OOO (Obshchestvo s ogranichennoy otvetstvennostyu/Общество с ограниченной ответственностью): ≈ Ltd. (UK)/ LLCLimited liability companyA limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
(USA)(maximum 50 "owners of capital" (not shareholders). If there are more 50 "owners of capital", they have a year to transform into a "OAO") - OAO (Otkrytoye aktsionernoye obshchestvo/Открытое акционерное общество): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), publicly traded shares (similar to a corporation in the US) - kooperativ/кооператив : cooperative (many types, which differ by the type of activity, e.g. agricultural, production, etc.)
- ZAO/ЗАО (Zakrytoe aktsionernoye obshchestvo/Закрытое акционерное общество): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), privately held shares (similar to a corporation in the US)
SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
- a.d./a.д. (akcionarsko društvo / aкционарско друштво): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - d.o.o./д.о.о. (društvo sa ograničenom odgovornošću / друштво сa ограниченом одговорношћу): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- k.d./к.д. (komanditno društvo / командитно друштво): ≈ Limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
(UK) - o.d./о.д. (ortačko društvo / ортачко друштво): ≈ General partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
(UK) - preduzetnik : ≈ Sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
(UK)
SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
- Private Limited Company, Sole Proprietorship and Partnership are the predominant types of business found in Singapore.
- LLP (limited liability partnershipLimited liability partnershipA limited liability partnership is a partnership in which some or all partners have limited liability. It therefore exhibits elements of partnerships and corporations. In an LLP one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence. This is an important...
): owners have the flexibility of operating as a partnership while enjoying limited liability. An LLP can sue and be sued, acquire and hold property, and have a common seal. - Ltd/Bhd/Pte Ltd/Sdn Bhd (private limited company/Sendiran Berhad): ≈ Ltd. (UK). Maximum 50 shareholders. There also exist "exempt private companies", being either owned by no more than 20 non-corporate shareholders, or wholly state-owned and designated by the finance minister as exempt.
- Ltd/Bhd (public limited company/Berhad): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK). There also exist public companies limited by guarantee, which conduct non-profit activities; the finance minister may approve the registration of such companies without the addition of the word “Limited” or “Berhad” to the name. - other forms including Pte exist
SlovakiaSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
- a.s. (Akciová spoločnosť)): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK). Minimum share capital SKKSlovak korunaIn 1993, coins were introduced in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 haliers, 1, 2, 5 and 10 korunas. The 10 and 20 halier coins were taken out of circulation on 31 December 2003....
1m (approx. €25,000). Must have a supervisory boardSupervisory boardA supervisory board or supervisory committee, often called board of directors, is a group of individuals chosen by the stockholders of a company to promote their interests through the governance of the company and to hire and supervise the executive directors and CEO.Corporate governance varies...
in addition to the management board. - s.r.o. (Spoločnosť s ručením obmedzeným): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- k.s. (Komanditná spoločnosť): ≈ LLP. or Limited liability partnershipLimited liability partnershipA limited liability partnership is a partnership in which some or all partners have limited liability. It therefore exhibits elements of partnerships and corporations. In an LLP one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence. This is an important...
(UK). Must have at least one "general partner" with unlimited liability. - v.o.s. (Verejná obchodná spoločnosť): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
or unlimited partnership - družstvo: ≈ CooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
- d.d. (Delniška družba): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - d.o.o. (Družba z omejeno odgovornostjo): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
- d.n.o. (Družba z neomejeno odgovornostjo): ≈ Unlimited companyUnlimited CompanyAn unlimited company or private unlimited company is a hybrid company incorporated either with or without a share capital but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited - that is, its members or shareholders have a joint, several and unlimited obligation to meet any...
(UK) - k.d. (Komanditna družba): ≈ LPLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
(UK) - s.p. (Samostojni podjetnik): ≈ Sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
(UK)
South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
- Sole proprietorship/Alleeneienaar
- Business trust/Trust
- Partnership/Vennootskap
- Companies/Maatskappye
- Company limited by guarantee
- Incorporated association not for gain/vereniging sonder winsoogmerk (section 21 company/artikel 21-maatskappy): ≈ nonprofit associationVoluntary associationA voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
.
- Incorporated association not for gain/vereniging sonder winsoogmerk (section 21 company/artikel 21-maatskappy): ≈ nonprofit association
- Companies having a share capital
- Private company/privaat maatskappy: ≈ private limited company (UK), limited liability companyLimited liability companyA limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
(US); has 1–50 shareholderShareholderA shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
s, one or more directors. The name must end "(Pty) Ltd"; registration number ends /07. Registration number and directors' names must appear on all correspondence.- Section 53(b) company (unlimited liability company): ≈ professional limited liability company (PLLC) (US)
- Public company/publieke maatskappy: ≈ public limited companyPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), corporationCorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
(US); has at least 7 shareholders (unless it is a wholly owned subsidiary of another company) and at least two directorsBoard of directorsA board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
. The company's name must end in "LTD"; its registration number ends in /06.
- Private company/privaat maatskappy: ≈ private limited company (UK), limited liability company
- Company limited by guarantee
- CC/BK (Close corporation/beslote korporasie): Has 1–10 non-corporate members. The name must end "CC" or "BK"; registration number ends /23. Registration number and members' names must appear on all correspondence. On 1 May 2011 the new Companies Act (Act 71 of 2008) came into force and disallows any new incorporations under this form.
SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- S.A.S.A. (corporation)S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(Sociedad Anónima): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), minimum capital €60,101.21 - S.A.D.Sociedad Anónima DeportivaSociedad anónima deportiva is a special type of public limited company in Spain. The new legal status was introduced in 1990 to improve financial management and transparency in sports clubs. Many Spanish football and basketball clubs add the suffix S.A.D. to the end of their official name, e.g...
(Sociedad Anónima Deportiva): a limited liability sports corporation - S.L. (Sociedad Limitada): ≈ Ltd. (UK), minimum capital €3,012
- S.L.L. (Sociedad Limitada Laboral): a labour limited corporation
- S.L.N.E. (Sociedad Limitada Nueva Empresa): similar to S.L., it was introduced in 2003 to speed up new company registration (registration can be completed in one day), minimum capital €3,012
- S.C. (Sociedad Colectiva): roughly a general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- S.Cra. (Sociedad Comanditaria): roughly a limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- S.Coop. (Sociedad Cooperativa): a cooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
that typically is owned and democratically controlled by its workers
SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
- AB (AktiebolagAktiebolagAktiebolag is the Swedish term for "limited company" or "corporation". When used in company names, it is abbreviated "AB" or "Ab"...
): ≈ Ltd. (UK). Minimum capital SEK 50,000. - AB (publ) (Publikt aktiebolag): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK). Minimum capital SEKSwedish kronaThe krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
500,000. - Ek. för. (Ekonomisk förening): economic association (minimum three members)
- Bostadsrättsförening: home-owners' association
- Hyresrättsförening: home-renters' association
- Kooperativ: cooperativeCooperativeA cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
- Enskild firma: sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
- HB (Handelsbolag): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- KB (Kommanditbolag): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- Enkelt bolag: Regulated partnership between two parts (Companies or private persons)
- Ideell förening: non-profit organizationNon-profit organizationNonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
- Stiftelse: Foundation has capital or property but no members or owners (shareholders)
|| Notes
|-
||AG
Aktiengesellschaft
Aktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e. owned by shareholders, and may be traded on a stock market. The term is used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland...
(Aktiengesellschaft)||SA
S.A. (corporation)
S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(Société anonyme)||SA
S.A. (corporation)
S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
(Società anonima)|| ≈ plc
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) or Inc.
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
(US). Min. share capital
Share capital
Share capital or issued capital or capital stock refers to the portion of a company's equity that has been obtained by trading stock to a shareholder for cash or an equivalent item of capital value...
CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
100,000. Bearer or registered shares, of a par value
Par value
Par value, in finance and accounting, means stated value or face value. From this comes the expressions at par , over par and under par ....
of min. CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
0.01 each. Details of shareholders generally not publicly available (except for main shareholders and management shares of publicly listed companies).
|-
||GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung)||Sàrl
SARL
SARL is an acronym with many potential meanings:* South Australian Rugby League, governing body for rugby league football in South Australia* Société à responsabilité limitée* South African Radio League...
(Société à responsabilité limitée)||Sagl (Società a garanzia limitata)|| ≈ Ltd. (UK), LLC
Limited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
(US). Min. capital CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
20,000. Registered shares only, of a par value
Par value
Par value, in finance and accounting, means stated value or face value. From this comes the expressions at par , over par and under par ....
of min. CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
100 each. Name, address and share of each owner (and any changes) publicly recorded in the Official Register of Commerce
|}
SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
- Stiftung / fondation / fondazione:≈ foundation
- investment fund (Anlagefonds / fonds de placement / fondo di investimento)
- Investmentgesellschaft mit festem Kapital / SICAF (société d’investissement à capital fixe) / SICAF (società di investimento a capitale fisso):≈ investment trustInvestment trustAn Investment trust is a form of collective investment found mostly in the United Kingdom. Investment trusts are closed-end funds and are constituted as public limited companies....
(UK), closed-end companyClosed-end fundA closed-end fund is a collective investment scheme with a limited number of shares. It is called a closed-end fund because new shares are rarely issued once the fund has launched, and because shares are not normally redeemable for cash or securities until the fund liquidates.Typically an...
(US) - Investmentgesellschaft mit variablem Kapital / SICAV (société d’investissement à capital variable) / SICAV (società di investimento a capitale variabile):≈ OEIC (open-ended investment company) (UK), open-end company (US)
- Investmentgesellschaft mit festem Kapital / SICAF (société d’investissement à capital fixe) / SICAF (società di investimento a capitale fisso):≈ investment trust
- Verein / association / associazione:≈ non-profit associationVoluntary associationA voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
- wIG (wirtschaftliche Interessengemeinschaft) / GIE (groupement d'intérêt économique) / gruppo di interesse economico:≈ EIG (economic interest grouping)
- Einzelunternehmen / RI (raison individuelle) / ditta indivduale:≈ sole trader (UK), sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
(US)
- Gesellschaft "business entities"
- partnerships (Rechsgemeinschaft / société de personnes / società di persone)
- eG (einfache Gesellschaft) / société simple / società semplice:≈ partnership by contract
- KolG (Kollektivgesellschaft) / SNC (société en nom collectif) / società in nome collettivo:≈ GPGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- KG (Kommanditgesellschaft) / SC (société en commandite) / società in accomandita:≈ LPLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- trading companies (Körperschaft / société de capitaux / società di capitale)
- KomAG (Kommanditaktiengesellschaft) / SCA (société en commandite par actions) / società in accomandita per azioni:≈ publicly-traded partnership (PTP)
- GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) / SàrlSARLSARL is an acronym with many potential meanings:* South Australian Rugby League, governing body for rugby league football in South Australia* Société à responsabilité limitée* South African Radio League...
(société à responsabilité limitée) / Sagl (società a garanzia limitata):≈ Ltd. (UK), LLCLimited liability companyA limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
(US) - AG (Aktiengesellschaft) / SA (société anonyme) / SA (società anonima):≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), Corp.CorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
(US/Can)
- partnerships (Rechsgemeinschaft / société de personnes / società di persone)
- Genossenschaft / Scoop (société coopérative) / società cooperativa:≈ co-operative
- Zweigniederlassung / succursale / succursale:≈ cell company
ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
- บริษัทมหาชนจำกัด, name format บริษัท corporation name จำกัด (มหาชน): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK). Minimum 15 shareholders. - บริษัทเอกชนจำกัด (name format บริษัท corporation name จำกัด): ≈ Ltd. (UK). Minimum three shareholders.
- ห้างหุ้นส่วนจำกัด (name format ห้างหุ้นส่วน corporation name จำกัด): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- ห้างหุ้นส่วนสามัญนิติบุคคล (name format ห้างหุ้นส่วน corporation name): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
- A.Ş. : ≈ Joint stock companyJoint stock companyA joint-stock company is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more individuals that own shares of stock in the company...
- Ltd. Şti. (Limited şirket) ≈ Limited companyLimited companyA limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
- Kom. Şti (Komandit şirket) ≈ Commandite Company
- Koll. Şti. (kolektif şirket): ≈ Collective company
- (irtibat bürosu): ≈ Liaison Office
- Şahıs Firması: ≈ Sole ProprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
- Şb. (Şube): ≈ BranchBranchA branch or tree branch is a woody structural member connected to but not part of the central trunk of a tree...
UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
- DAT/ДАТ (Державне акціонерне товариство Derzhavne Akshionsne Tovaristvo): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), national - FOP/ФОП (фізична особа підприємець F O P): sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
- KT (Командитне товариство Comanditne Tovaristvo): ≈ limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- PT/ПT (Повне товариство Povne Tovaristvo): ≈ general partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- TDV/ТДВ (Товариство з додатковою відповідальністю Tovaristvo ze Dodatkvoyu Vidpovividalnistyu): "additional liability company"
- TOV/TOB (Товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю Tovaristvo ze Ovmezhenoyu Vidpovividalnistyu): ≈ Ltd. (UK). Minimum capital = 1 minimum wage (UAH 960 -29.05.2011) .
- PP/ПП (Приватне підприємство Pritvatne Pidpriemstvo): ≈ Ltd. (UK). No minimum capital.
- VAT/ВАТ( Вiдкрите акцiонерне товариство Vinkrite Akshionsne Tovaristvo) or PuAT/ПуАТ (Публічне акціонерне товариство Tovaristvo) since 29.04.2009: ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), public. Minimum capital UAH 630,000. - ZAT/ЗАТ (Закрите акцiонерне товариство Zakrite Akshionsne Tovaristvo)or PrAT/ПрАТ (Приватне акціонерне товариство Pritvatne Akshionsne Tovaristvo) since 29.04.2009:: ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK), private. - AТ/AТ (Акціонерне товариство Akshionsne Tovaristvo): ≈ JSC.
Company formation is regulated by the Ukrainian Civil Code and Commercial Code, Law of Commercial companies, Law of stock companies,law and order.
United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- CIC or community interest companyCommunity interest companyA community interest company is a new type of company introduced by the United Kingdom government in 2005 under the Companies Act 2004, designed for social enterprises that want to use their profits and assets for the public good...
- Industrial and Provident SocietyIndustrial and Provident SocietyAn industrial and provident society is a legal entity for a trading business or voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and New Zealand...
, e.g. a Co-operative (which does include Ltd. at the end of its name) or charity - General partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
- LLP or Limited liability partnershipLimited liability partnershipA limited liability partnership is a partnership in which some or all partners have limited liability. It therefore exhibits elements of partnerships and corporations. In an LLP one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence. This is an important...
- LP or Limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
- Ltd. or Cyf (Limited, or Welsh Cyfyngedig): a private company limited by sharesPrivate company limited by sharesA private company limited by shares, usually called a private limited company , is a type of company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, Scotland, that of certain Commonwealth countries and the Republic of Ireland...
, the shares not being traded publicly - plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
or Ccc (public limited company, or WelshWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
Cwmni Cyfyngedig Cyhoeddus): a company whose shareShare (finance)A joint stock company divides its capital into units of equal denomination. Each unit is called a share. These units are offered for sale to raise capital. This is termed as issuing shares. A person who buys share/shares of the company is called a shareholder, and by acquiring share or shares in...
s may be traded publicly. Requires an authorized minimum share capitalShare capitalShare capital or issued capital or capital stock refers to the portion of a company's equity that has been obtained by trading stock to a shareholder for cash or an equivalent item of capital value...
of £50,000; of which it must have allotted shares to the value of at least £50,000 and a minimum of 25% must be fully paid up prior to starting business. - Private company limited by guarantee. Such a company must include Limited or Ltd. at the end of its name (so cannot readily be distinguished from a private company limited by shares), unless it cannot distribute its profits. Guarantee companies are commonly used by not for profit organizations, which do not include Ltd. at the end of their names.
- Unlimited companyUnlimited CompanyAn unlimited company or private unlimited company is a hybrid company incorporated either with or without a share capital but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited - that is, its members or shareholders have a joint, several and unlimited obligation to meet any...
(or Welsh Anghyfyngedig). A company either with or without a share capital whose members or shareholders do not benefit from limited liabilityLimited liabilityLimited liability is a concept where by a person's financial liability is limited to a fixed sum, most commonly the value of a person's investment in a company or partnership with limited liability. If a company with limited liability is sued, then the plaintiffs are suing the company, not its...
should the company ever go into formal liquidationLiquidationIn law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
. It is not a requirement under company law to add or state the word or designation Unlimited or its abbreviations (Unltd., or Ultd.) at the ending of its legal company name, and most unlimited companiesUnlimited CompanyAn unlimited company or private unlimited company is a hybrid company incorporated either with or without a share capital but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited - that is, its members or shareholders have a joint, several and unlimited obligation to meet any...
do not. Unlimited companies are exempted from filing accountsFinancial statementsA financial statement is a formal record of the financial activities of a business, person, or other entity. In British English—including United Kingdom company law—a financial statement is often referred to as an account, although the term financial statement is also used, particularly by...
with the Registrar of CompaniesRegistrar of CompaniesThe Registrar of Companies for England, Wales & Scotland is the official responsible for Companies House, which deals with all filings relating to the Companies Act 1985 to 2006, ensuring the document filings are kept up-to-date and deals with any breaches of the Companies Act.The Registrar Of...
for public disclosure, subject to a few exceptions (unless the company was a qualified subsidiary or a parent of a limited company during the accounting period). - Sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
/Sole trader
United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
In the United States, the individual states incorporate most businesses. Very few special types are incorporated by the federal government.For federal tax purposes, the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
has separate entity classification rules. Under the rules, an entity may be classified as a corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
, a partnership
Partnership
A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.Since humans are social beings, partnerships between individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments, and varied combinations thereof, have always been and remain commonplace...
or disregarded entity. As a corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
, it may be further classified as either an S corporation
S Corporation
An S corporation, for United States federal income tax purposes, is a corporation that makes a valid election to be taxed under Subchapter S of Chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code....
or a C corporation
C corporation
C corporation refers to any corporation that, under United States income tax law, is taxed separately from its owners. It is distinguished from an S corporation, which is not taxed separately. Most major companies are treated as C corporations for U.S. income tax purposes.-C corporation vs...
.
Federally incorporated
- NA (National Association), a designation used by national banks chartered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)
- NT&SA (National Trust and Savings AssociationNational Trust and Savings AssociationNational Trust and Savings Association, abbreviated NT&SA, is a designation used by national banks in the United States to denote their national charter. It is significantly less popular than the standard designation National Association . Notably, it was used until 1998 by Bank of America NT&SA,...
), a less common designation used by national banks - Federal Credit Union, chartered by the National Credit Union Association (NCUA)
- Federal Savings BankFederal Savings BankA federal savings bank is a savings and loan association federally chartered in the United States. They are chartered and regulated by the Treasury Department's Office of Thrift Supervision....
, formerly called federal savings and loan association
Many federal governmental units are specially formed public corporations, while some private organizations have received a charter from Congress.
State, Territory or Commonwealth incorporated
- See also corporations law in the United States.
The following are the main business designations and types (corporations and non-corporations):
- Corp.CorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
, Inc.Incorporation (business)Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
(Corporation, Incorporated): used to denote corporationCorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s (publicPublic companyThis is not the same as a Government-owned corporation.A public company or publicly traded company is a limited liability company that offers its securities for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange, or through market makers operating in over the counter markets...
or otherwise). These are the only terms universally accepted by all 51 corporation chartering jurisdictions in the United States. However in some states other suffixes may be used to identify a corporation, such as Ltd., Co./Company, or the Italian term S.p.A. (in ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
; see under Italy). Some states that allow the use of "Company" prohibit the use of "and Company", "and Co.", "& Company" or "& Co.". In most states sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
s and partnerships may register a fictitious "doing business asDoing business asThe phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
" name with the word "Company" in it. For a full list of allowed designations by state, see the table below. See also Delaware corporationDelaware corporationThe Delaware General Corporation Law is the statute governing corporate law in the state of Delaware. Delaware is well known as a corporate haven. Over 50% of U.S...
, Nevada corporationNevada CorporationA Nevada corporation is a corporation incorporated under Chapter 78 of Nevada Revised Statutes of the U.S. state of Nevada.Nevada, like the state of Delaware , is well known as a corporate haven...
, Massachusetts business trustMassachusetts business trustA Massachusetts business trust is a legal trust set up for the purposes of business, but not necessarily one that is operated in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. They may also be referred to as an unincorporated business organization or UBO. Business trusts may be established under the laws of...
. - Doing Business AsDoing business asThe phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
(DBA): denotes a business name used by a person or entity that is different from the person's or entity's true name. Filing requiments vary and are not permitted for some types of businesses or professional practices. - General partnershipGeneral partnershipIn the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general partnership or simply a partnership, refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features:...
is a partnership in which all the partners are jointly liable for the debts of the partnership. It is typically created by agreement rather than being created by a public filing. - LLCLimited liability companyA limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
, LC, Ltd. Co. (limited liability company): a form of business whose owners enjoy limited liability, but which is not a corporationCorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
. Allowable abbreviations vary by state. Note that Ltd. by itself is not a valid abbreviation for an LLC, because in some states (e.g. TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
), it may denote a corporation instead. See also Series LLCSeries LLCA series limited liability company, commonly known as a series LLC, is a special form of a limited liability company that provides liability protection across multiple "series" each of which is theoretically protected from liabilities arising from the other series...
. For U.S. federal tax purposes, an LLC with two or more members is treated as a partnership, and an LLC with one member is treated as a sole proprietorship. - LLLPLimited liability limited partnershipThe limited liability limited partnership is a relatively new modification of the limited partnership, a form of business entity recognized under U.S. commercial law. An LLLP is a limited partnership and as such consists of one or more general partners and one or more limited partners...
(limited liability limited partnership): a combination of LP and LLP, available in some states - LLPLimited liability partnershipA limited liability partnership is a partnership in which some or all partners have limited liability. It therefore exhibits elements of partnerships and corporations. In an LLP one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence. This is an important...
(limited liability partnership): a partnership where a partner's liability for the debts of the partnership is limited except in the case of liability for acts of professional negligence or malpractice. In some states LLPs may only be formed for purposes of practicing a licensed profession, typically attorneys, accountants and architects. This is often the only form of limited partnership allowed for law firms (as opposed to general partnerships). - LPLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
(limited partnership): a partnership where at least one partner has unlimited liability and one or more partners have limited liability - PLLC (professional limited liability company): Some states do not allow certain professionals to form an LLC that would limit the liability that results from the services the professionals provide such as doctors, medical care; lawyers, legal advice; and accountants, accounting services, when the company formed offers the services of the professionals. Instead states allow a PLLC or in the LLC statutes, the liability limitation only applies to the business side, such as creditors of the company, as opposed to the service side, the level of medical care, legal services, or accounting provided to clients. This is meant to maintain the higher ethical standards that these professionals have committed themselves to by becoming licensed in their profession and not immune to malpractice suits.
- Professional corporationProfessional corporationProfessional corporations are those corporate entities for which many corporation statutes make special provision, regulating the use of the corporate form by licensed professionals such as attorneys, architects, engineers, public accountants and physicians...
s (abbreviated as PC or P.C.) are those corporate entities for which many corporation statutes make special provision, regulating the use of the corporate form by licensed professionals such as attorneys, architects, accountants, and doctors. - Sole proprietorshipSole proprietorshipA sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...
: a business consisting of a single owner, not in a separately recognized business form
Required designations for corporations, by U.S. state, territory or commonwealth:
| State, Territory or Commonwealth | Required in Corporation name | Authority |
| Alabama Alabama Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland... |
"corporation," or "incorporated," or an abbreviation of one of such words, or if a banking corporation the words "bank," "banking," or "bankers" | § 10-2B-4.01(a)(1) Code of Alabama 1975 |
| Alaska Alaska Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait... |
"corporation", "company", "incorporated", or "limited", or an abbreviation of one of these words; may not contain the word "city", "borough", or "village" or otherwise imply that the corporation is a municipality. | §10.06.105 (a) and (b), Alaska Corporations Code |
| Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... |
"association", "bank", "company", "corporation", "limited" or "incorporated" or an abbreviation of one of these words or the equivalent in a foreign language. Corporation may not use "bank", "deposit", "credit union", "trust" or "trust company" unless it also has a license to operate one. May not use "limited liability company" or "limited company" or the abbreviations "L.L.C.", "L.C.", "LLC" or "LC" | §10-401 Arizona Revised Statutes |
| Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River... |
"Corporation", "Company", or "Incorporated", or shall contain an abbreviation of one of those words; but the name may not end with the word "Company" nor the abbreviation "Co." if the final word or abbreviation is immediately preceded by "and" or any symbol for "and" | §4-26-401 (1), Arkansas Code |
| California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
"corporation", "incorporated" or "limited" or an abbreviation of one of such words is required for statutory close corporations. May not contain "bank," " trust," "trustee" or "credit union" unless approved by the Commissioner of Financial Institutions. | §202(a), California Corporations Code |
| Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... |
“corporation”, “incorporated”, “company”, “limited”, “corp.”, inc.”, “co.” or “ltd”; If the corporation is a professional corporation, it must contain the term or abbreviation “professional corporation”, “p.c.”, or “pc”. | §7-90-601, Colorado Revised Statutes |
| Connecticut Connecticut Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately... |
"corporation", "incorporated", "company", "Societa per Azioni" or "limited", or the abbreviation "corp.", "inc.", "co.", "S.p.A." or "ltd." | §33-655 General Statutes of Connecticut |
| Delaware Delaware Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania... |
"association," "company," "corporation," "club," "foundation," "fund," "incorporated," "institute," "society," "union," "syndicate," or "limited," (or abbreviations thereof, with or without punctuation), or words (or abbreviations thereof, with or without punctuation) of like import of foreign countries or jurisdictions (provided they are written in Roman characters or letters) | Title 8, §102, Delaware Code |
| District of Columbia | "corporation," "company," "incorporated," or "limited," or shall contain an abbreviation of 1 of such words | § 29-101.08 District of Columbia Official Code |
| Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... |
"corporation," "company," or "incorporated" or the abbreviation "Corp.," "Inc.," or "Co.," or the designation "Corp," "Inc," or "Co," | §607.0401 Florida Statutes |
| Georgia Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... |
'corporation,' 'incorporated,' 'company,' or 'limited,' or the abbreviation 'corp.,' 'inc.,' 'co.,' or 'ltd.,' or words or abbreviations of like import in another language; must not be longer than 80 characters | O.C.G.A. § 14-2-401 |
| Guam Guam Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United... |
"corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co.," or "ltd.," or words or abbreviations of like import in another language; if the word "company" or its abbreviation is used, it shall not be immediately preceded by the word "and" or an abbreviation or symbol representing the word "and." | Title 18, § 2110, Guam Code Annotated |
| Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... |
"corporation", "incorporated", or "limited", or the abbreviation "corp.", "inc.", or "ltd." | §414-51 Hawaii Revised Statutes |
| Idaho Idaho Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state.... |
"corporation," "incorporated," "company," "limited," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co.," or "ltd.," or words or abbreviations of like import in another language; provided however, that if the word "company" or its abbreviation is used it shall not be immediately preceded by the word "and" or by an abbreviation of or symbol representing the word "and" | §30-1-401 Idaho Statutes |
| Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
"corporation", "company", "incorporated", or "limited", or an abbreviation of one of such words | 805 ILCS 5/4.05 Illinois Compiled Statutes |
| Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is... |
"corporation", "incorporated", "company", or "limited", or the abbreviation "corp.", "inc.", "co.", or "ltd.", or words or abbreviations of like import in another language | § 23-1-23-1 Indiana Code |
| Iowa Iowa Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New... |
"corporation", "incorporated", "company", or "limited", or the abbreviation "corp.", "inc.", "co.", or "ltd.", or words or abbreviations of like import in another language. | §490.401 Iowa Acts |
| Kansas Kansas Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south... |
(except for banks) "association," "church," "college," "company," "corporation," "club," "foundation," "fund," "incorporated," "institute," "society," "union," "university," "syndicate" or "limited," or one of the abbreviations "co.," "corp.," "inc.," "ltd.," or words or abbreviations of like import in other languages if they are written in Roman characters or letters | §17-6002 Kansas Statutes |
| Kentucky Kentucky The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... |
"corporation", "incorporated" or the abbreviation "Inc.," or the word "company" or the abbreviation "Co."; but if the word "company" or the abbreviation "Co." is used, it may not be immediately preceded by the word "and" or the abbreviation "&." | §273.177 Kentucky Revised Statutes |
| Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties... |
(except for railroad, telegraph and telephone corporations) "Corporation", "Incorporated" or "Limited", or the abbreviation of any of those words, or may contain instead the word "Company" or the abbreviation "Co." if the latter word or abbreviation is not immediately preceded by the word "and" or the symbol "&". No corporate name shall contain the phrase "doing business as" or the abbreviation "d/b/a". Only a bank or bank holding company is allowed to use any of "bank", "banker", "banking", "savings", "safe deposit", "trust", "trustee", "building and loan", "homestead", "credit union", "insurance", "casualty", "redevelopment corporation", or "electric cooperative". | §12:23 Louisiana Revised Statutes |
| Maine Maine Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost... |
words or abbreviations of words that describe the nature of the entity, including "professional association," "corporation," "company," "incorporated," "chartered," "limited," "limited partnership," "limited liability company," "professional limited liability company," "limited liability partnership," "registered limited liability partnership," "service corporation" or "professional corporation"; beginning July 1, 2007 may also include "limited liability limited partnership" | for business corporations: Title 13-C § 401 Maine Revised Statutes; for non-profit corporations: Title 13-B § 301-A Maine Revised Statutes; |
| Maryland Maryland Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east... |
For Corporations: "Company", if it is not preceded by the word "and" or a symbol for the word "and"; "Corporation", "Incorporated" or "Limited" or abbreviations; for Limited liability companies: "limited liability company", "L.L.C.", "LLC", "L.C.", or "LC"; for Limited liability partnerships: "limited liability partnership", "L.L.P." or "LLP"; for Limited partnerships: "limited partnership", "L.P.", or "LP"; for Limited liability limited partnerships: "limited liability limited partnership", "L.L.L.P.", or "LLLP"; for Professional corporations: "chartered", "chtd.", "professional association", "P.A.", "professional corporation", or "P.C." | Maryland Code CORPORATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS § 1-502 |
| Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... |
"any name which, in the judgment of the secretary, indicates that it is a corporation" | GENERAL LAWS OF MASSACHUSETTS Chapter 155: Section 9 |
| Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... |
"corporation", "company", "incorporated", or "limited" or shall contain 1 of the following abbreviations, corp., co., inc., or ltd. | Act 284 of 1972 Section 450.1211 MICHIGAN BUSINESS CORPORATION ACT |
| Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state... |
nonprofit corporations are not required to use any of these words; for business corporations, they must use "corporation," "incorporated," or "limited," or shall contain an abbreviation of one or more of these words, or the word "company" or the abbreviation "Co." if that word or abbreviation is not immediately preceded by the word "and" or the character "&" | Chapter 302A, Section 302A.115 Minnesota Statutes (for Business Corporations); Chapter 317A, Section 317A.115 Minnesota Statutes (for non-profit corporations) |
| Mississippi Mississippi Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi... |
"corporation," "incorporated," "company" or "limited," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co." or "ltd." or words or abbreviations of like import in another language | § 79-4-4.01 Mississippi code |
| Missouri Missouri Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It... |
"corporation", "company", "incorporated", or "limited", or shall end with an abbreviation of one of said words | Chapter 351 Section 351.110 Missouri Revised Statutes |
| Montana Montana Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,... |
"corporation", "incorporated", "company", or "limited"; the abbreviation "corp.", "inc.", "co.", or "ltd."; or words or abbreviations of similar meaning in another language | 35-1-308 Montana Code Annotated |
| Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River.... |
corporation, incorporated, company, or limited, or the abbreviation corp., inc., co., or ltd., or words or abbreviations of like import in another language, except that a corporation organized to conduct a banking business under the Nebraska Banking Act may use a name which includes the word bank without using any such words or abbreviations | Section 21-2028 State of Nebraska Statutes |
| Nevada Nevada Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its... |
No specific requirements stated except that a name appearing to be that of a natural person and containing a given name or initials must not be used as a corporate name except with an additional word or words such as “Incorporated,” “Limited,” “Inc.,” “Ltd.,” “Company,” “Co.,” “Corporation,” “Corp.,” or other word which identifies it as not being a natural person | 78.035 Nevada Revised Statutes |
| New Hampshire New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian... |
Contain the word "corporation," "incorporated," or "limited" or the abbreviation "corp." ""inc.", or "ltd." | New Hampshire Revised Statutes TITLE XXVII; Section 293-A:4.01 for business corporations |
| New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... |
Shall contain the word "corporation," "company," "incorporated," or shall contain an abbreviation of one of those words, or shall include the abbreviation Ltd. | New Jersey Statutes 14A:2-2 |
| New Mexico New Mexico New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... |
contain the separate word "corporation," "company," "incorporated" or "limited" or shall contain a separate abbreviation of one of these words | New Mexico Statutes Unannotated 53-11-7 |
| New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
Shall contain the word "corporation", "incorporated" or "limited", or an abbreviation of one of such words; there is also a long list of words a business corporation is not allowed to use without additional approval from other agencies including "board of trade", "state police", "urban development", "chamber of commerce", "state trooper", "urban relocation", "community renewal", "tenant relocation", "acceptance", "endowment", "loan", "annuity", "fidelity", "mortgage", "assurance", "finance", "savings" and many others | New York State Consolidated Laws, Business Corporations Law §301; Not-For-Profit Corporations Law, §301 |
| North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
a corporation must contain the word "corporation", "incorporated", "company", or "limited", or the abbreviation "corp.", "inc.", "co.", or "ltd."; a limited liability company must contain the words "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC", or the combination "ltd. liability co.", "limited liability co.", or "ltd. liability company"; a limited partnership that is not a limited liability limited partnership must contain the words "limited partnership", the abbreviation "L.P." or "LP", or the combination "ltd. partnership"; a limited liability limited partnership must contain the words "registered limited liability limited partnership" or "limited liability limited partnership" or the abbreviation "L.L.L.P.", "R.L.L.L.P.", "LLLP", or "RLLLP"; a registered limited liability partnerships name must contain the words "registered limited liability partnership" or "limited liability partnership" or the abbreviation "L.L.P.", "R.L.L.P.", "LLP" or "RLLP". | North Carolina General Statutes § 55D‑20 |
| North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S.... |
must contain the word "company", "corporation", "incorporated", "limited", or an abbreviation of one or more of these words; may not contain the words "limited liability company", "limited partnership", "limited liability partnership", "limited liability limited partnership", or any abbreviation of these words. | North Dakota century Code 10-19.1-13 |
| Ohio Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... |
It shall end with or include the word or abbreviation "company," "co.," "corporation," "corp.," "incorporated," or "inc." | Ohio Revised Code §1701.05 |
| Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state... |
The name of the corporation which shall contain one of the words “association”, “company”, “corporation”, “club”, “foundation”, “fund”, “incorporated”, “institute”, “society”, “union”, “syndicate”, or “limited” or abbreviations thereof, with or without punctuation | Oklahoma Statutes §18-1006 |
| Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern... |
For private corporations it shall contain one or more of the words “corporation,” “incorporated,” “company” or “limited” or an abbreviation of one or more of those words; shall not contain the word “cooperative.” For non-profit corporations there is no specific requirement except the name cannot imply a purpose not dictated in its articles of incorporation and cannot contain the word "cooperative" or the phrase "limited partnership." | Oregon Revised Statutes Oregon Revised Statutes The Oregon Revised Statutes is the codified body of statutory law governing the U.S. state of Oregon, as enacted by the Oregon Legislative Assembly, and occasionally by citizen initiative... 60.094 for Private Corporations; ORS 65.094 for Non-Profit corporations |
| Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
Corporation, Corp., Company, Co., Incorporated, Inc., Limited, Ltd., Association., Fund., Syndicate or words or abbreviations of like import in languages other than English. | Pennsylvania Code, Chapter 19, §23.3 |
| Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an... |
Corporation, Corp. or Inc., or words or abbreviations of like import in other languages, provided they are written in roman letters or characters. | Title 14, Subtitle 4, §2602, Laws of Puerto Rico. |
| Rhode Island Rhode Island The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area... |
"corporation," "company," "incorporated," or "limited," or an abbreviation of one of these words | Rhode Island General Laws § 7-1.2-401 |
| South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence... |
"corporation", "incorporated", "company", or "limited", the abbreviation "corp.", "inc.", "co.", or "ltd.", or words or abbreviations of like import in another language | South Carolina Code of Laws Section 33-4-101 |
| South Dakota South Dakota South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over... |
corporation, incorporated, company, or limited, or the abbreviation, corp., inc., co., or ltd., or terms or abbreviations of like import in another language | South Dakota Codified Laws 47-1A-401 |
| Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area... |
"corporation," "incorporated," "company," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co.," or words or abbreviations of like import in another language (provided they are written in Roman characters or letters); existing corporations which were formed using only "limited" or "ltd" are not required to change their name | § 48-14-101 Tennessee Code |
| Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
"company," "corporation," "incorporated," or "limited," or an abbreviation of one of those words. | Texas Business Organizations Code § 5.054 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | name shall be such as to indicate that it is a corporation as distinguished from a natural person or partnership. | Title Thirteen, § 2, Virgin Islands Code |
| Utah Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the... |
"corporation", "incorporated", "company"; the abbreviation: "corp.", "inc." or "co." or words or abbreviations of like import to the words or abbreviations listed in another language; without the written consent of the United States Olympic Committee, may not contain the words "Olympic", "Olympiad", or "Citius Altius Fortius"; without the written consent of the Division of Consumer Protection may not contain the words "university", "college" or "institute" | § 16-10a-401 Utah Code |
| Vermont Vermont Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England... |
"corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co.," or "ltd.," or words or abbreviations of like import in another language; shall not have the word "cooperative" or any abbreviation thereof as part of its name unless the corporation is a worker cooperative corporation; | Title 11A, § 4.01 Vermont Statutes |
| Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
"corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co.," or "ltd." | § 13.1-630. Code of Virginia |
| Washington | "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co.," or "ltd."; must not include "Bank," "banking," "banker," "trust," "cooperative," or any combination of the words "industrial" and "loan," or any combination of any two or more of the words "building," "savings," "loan," "home," "association," and "society," | § 23B.04.010 Revised Code of Washington |
| West Virginia West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east... |
"corporation", "incorporated", "company" or "limited", or the abbreviation "corp.", "inc.", "co." or "ltd.", or words or abbreviations of like import in another language | §31D-4-401 West Virginia Code |
| Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... |
"corporation", "incorporated", "company" or "limited" or the abbreviation "corp.", "inc.", "co." or "ltd." or words or abbreviations of like import in another language | §180.0401 Wisconsin Statutes (for Stock corporation Stock corporation A stock corporation is a for-profit corporation which the ownership of the corporation is expressed by shares of stock. This allows for the ownership of the corporation to be readily determined, as shares are property, and are transferrable as any other property such as money, subject to any... s) and §181.0401 Wisconsin Statutes (for non-stock corporation Non-stock corporation A non-stock corporation is a corporation that does not have owners represented by shares of stock. That type of corporation is called a stock corporation. Instead, a non-stock corporation typically has members, who are the functional equivalent of stockholders in a stock corporation Non-stock... s) |
| Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High... |
Unclear; apparently any of "corporation," "company," "incorporated," and probably the usual abbreviations of "Corp." "Co." and "Inc." | § 17-16-401. Wyoming Statutes |
UruguayUruguayUruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
- S.A. (Sociedad Anónima): ≈ plcPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
(UK) - S.A.F.I. (Sociedad Anónima Financiera de Inversión)
- S.R.L. (Sociedad Responsabilidad Limitada): ≈ Ltd. (UK)
UzbekistanUzbekistanUzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
- MChJ (Mas'uliyati Cheklangan Jamiyat/Масъулияти Чекланган Жамият): limited liability company
VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
- TNHH/Cty TNHH (Công ty trách nhiệm hữu hạn): limited liability company
- CTCP/Cty CTCP (Công Ty Cổ Phần): Joint Stock Company
- Cty Hợp danh: Limited Partnership
- Liên doanh: Joint venture
- Hợp tác xã: Co-operative
- Tập đoàn: Group.
- Doanh nghiệp tư nhân: Sole trader