Duty to notify - new businesses
For more information on different company forms and establishing a business in Finland, see also the following web sites:
Which businesses must be registered at the Finnish Trade Register?
Today, most businesses must be registered at the Trade Register. A start-up notification must be submitted for a new business, containing basic information on the business and the trade it carries on.
The start-up notification must be filed before start of operation.
Following businesses are invariably obliged to file a start-up notification:
- A private trader who
- carries on a licenced trade; or
- who has a permanent place of business, i.e. premises separate from his/her own residence; or
- who has in his/her employment a person other than his/her spouse or child or grandchild who is underage or otherwise under his/her guardianship.
- However, persons engaged in agriculture or fishing are not under obligation to file a notification.
- General partnerships and limited partnerships
- Limited companies
- Housing companies
- Co-operatives
- Mutual insurance companies
- Savings banks
- Mortgage associations
- Insurance associations
- Public businesses
- Tenant-owners' societies
- Non-profit organizations and foundations that, for the purpose of carrying on a trade, have a permanent place of business or employ at least one person.
- Foreign traders who establish a branch in Finland.
- European economic interest groups and interest groups registered elsewhere that establish a place of business in Finland.
- Societas Europaea
- European Cooperative Societies.
Please note that a start-up notification can be submitted even by a business not obliged to do so.
For example, an enterprise mortgage used as a security for a loan can only be registered on the property of a registered business enterprise. Registration is the most efficient way of protecting the trade of a business enterprise.