Start a limited liability company and file a start-up notification with the Finnish Trade Register
Limited liability companies come into being through registration at the Finnish Trade Register. For this purpose, you must file a start-up notification for the company. You can also use the same start-up notification to register details with the Finnish Tax Administration. We at the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) will process those parts of the notification that apply to the Finnish Trade Register, and the Finnish Tax Administration will process the parts that apply to its own registers.
You can start your company with or without share capital. If the company has no share capital, we will record in the Finnish Trade Register that the amount of share capital is 0 euros.
Choosing a name for your company is an important step. You can study company names that already have been registered company names using the PRH's Name checking service for companies. Go to our Name checking service for companies.Open link in a new tab
Notification of beneficial owners with the Trade Register
Most companies must file details of their actual beneficial owners (the persons who have ownership interest or control in the company) with the Finnish Trade Register and then keep the details in the register up to date. Go to the page Notification of beneficial owners with the Trade Register.
This page contains information on the following:
- Notification of beneficial owners with the Trade Register
- Are you under 18 years of age?
- How to start a limited liability company
- Use the same notification to file beneficial owner details in the online service at ytj.fi
- Private trader continuing business as a limited liability company
- Effects of starting a limited liability company in terms of the Finnish Trade Register
Are you under 18 years of age?
You can subscribe for shares and sign the memorandum of association of a limited liability company in certain situations. Go to the page Minors in limited liability companies.
How to start a limited liability company
Start a limited liability company in the online service at ytj.fi. Please note that the service is only available in Finnish and Swedish. You can choose from two alternatives. See further details below on this page.
Please note that a person under 18 years of age cannot start a limited liability company online. In this case, file the notification using paper forms.
Start a limited liability company in the online service at ytj.fi
Alternative A
Guided set-up package (documents are created by the service)
Select the guided set-up package if all the following requirements are met:
- There is no subscription price for the shares, and the share capital is 0 euros.
- All the shareholders are adults.
- The persons you have filed have Finnish person identity codes (the shareholders and the members of the board of directors, as well as the managing director, auditor, holders of procuration and representatives, if any).
- Standard articles of association are sufficient.
The service creates a memorandum of association and standard articles of association.
The handling fee is 280 euros.
Alternative B
Start-up notification (you will add drafted documents yourself)
Select the start-up notification if the company is subject to one or more of the following situations:
- The company has share capital.
- The shareholders include companies or other organisations.
- The persons you have filed do not all have a Finnish person identity code (the shareholders and the members of the board of directors, as well as the managing director, auditor, holders of procuration and representatives, if any).
- Standard articles of association created by the guided set-up package in the online service are not sufficient.
- The company is a public limited company (Plc).
You will add the drafted documents and the articles of association yourself in the service.
The handling fee is 370 euros.
Use the same notification to file beneficial owner details in the online service at ytj.fi
When you start a limited liability company in the online service at ytj.fi, you provide at the same time details of beneficial owners (the persons who have ownership interest or control in the company). Read more about the notification of beneficial owners.
EU financing has been used to implement filing beneficial owner details as a part of starting a limited liability company in the online service at ytj.fi.
Private trader continuing business as a limited liability company
You can file a notification of that your private trader business will be continued as a limited liability company or that your private trader business will be closed down when registering a new limited liability company. File the notification using paper forms (available in Finnish and in Swedish). Go to our instructions for filing a start-up notification on forms.Effects of starting a limited liability company in terms of the Finnish Trade Register
After a new company has been registered, the Finnish Trade Register must immediately be notified of all the changes concerning registered details. The details contained in the Finnish Trade Register can be used to check the background of other companies or to get more details of a contracting party. Read more about the effects of registration.Open link in a new tab
The company details that must be submitted to the Finnish Trade Register and kept up to date include the following:
- Address and contact details
- Details of the board of director
- Details of beneficial owners (the persons who have ownership interest or control in the company)
- Approved financial statements for each financial period, even if the company is not active.
Under the Limited Liability Companies Act, a limited liability company cannot be informally closed. It is usually closed through liquidation proceedings, which include several phases and take several months. Other ways to close a limited liability company include bankruptcy proceedings, merger and demerger.