Company Formation in Finland

Company Formation and Registration Services in Finland

Adcount is one of the leading company formation agent in Finland. We have helped hundreds of non-resident companies and private persons to register business in Finland. With over 15 years of company formation experience, our dedicated team can undertake the whole process of setting up a new company in Finland with supporting accounting, compliance, and payroll services.

Registering a company in Finland requires knowledge and understanding of Finnish which can be quite overwhelming. Even the slightest mistake can prolong or even truncate the registration process and increase the costs of company formation. With our help, you will get everything correct from the first application!

Our company formation package is the fastest and easiest way to start a business in Finland. You will benefit from simplicity, security, and speedy service with no hidden charges.

Company Formation Packages

We offer company formation and registration for following company forms in Finland. Click sections open to learn more. Prices are VAT exclusive.

• Limited Liability Company €1,200 + €380 Registration fee

  Limited Liability Company (osakeyhtiö, shortened to Oy) is the most popular company form in Finland and our most popular incorporation package. A limited liability company is a corporate structure where the members of the company cannot be held personally liable for the company's debts or liabilities.

  Limited Company Formation Package includes application to all Finnish Tax Registers. We can help you to decide, which registrations your company needs.

  There is no minimum share capital requirement in Finland. A limited company can be a subsidiary of a foreign company. Limited Liability Company is a separate entity that reports its income to Finland and pays income tax 20%.

  Please note that a Limited Liability Company is closed by a multi-stage voluntary liquidation process that takes at least 6 months. If your non-resident company is looking for a short term registration, select Branch or Foreign Business in Finland formation for this purpose.

• Branch in Finland EEA/Non-EEA €1,200/€2,400 + €380/€500 Registration fee

  A foreign company can establish a business in Finland through a branch office (sivuliike). Branch of a foreign trader means an entity of a foreign business or foundation that is continuously operating from a permanent place of business in Finland in the name of or on behalf of the foreign business. A branch is part of a foreign-based company and is not a separate legal entity. Branch and Limited Liability Company have different accounting and reporting requirements, as well as registration and liquidation process.

  A branch is not required to have its own bank account in Finland nor share capital investment, but it does require a legal address and a representative resident of EEA.

  We help companies from outside EEA to acquire permissions to set up a branch in Finland as an additional service.

• Foreign Business in Finland €800 - No Registration fee

  Foreign corporate entities can register to Finnish Employer Register, VAT Register or both without forming a separate entity in Finland. This form of registration is suitable for companies that provide temporary service or have employees in Finland. Moreover, it is the easiest way to conduct short term business and registration in Finland.

  Tax registrations do not automatically form a permanent establishment in Finland. Corporate income tax is paid only if a permanent establishment is formed. The Tax Administration examines the details submitted in the start-up notification and its enclosures, and estimates whether your company is likely to have a permanent establishment in Finland. Please make sure to reserve enough time for the processing of your registrations.

  After your company is entered in the Tax Administration's registers, you are liable to file reports and pay taxes and other contributions. We will help with all your reporting requirements in Finland.

  Deregistration after business activity ends in Finland is quick and simple.

• Private/Sole Trader €500 + €115 Registration fee

  Private Trade (toiminimi, shortened to Tmi) is the easiest and most inexpensive way to get a Finnish business ID and start a business in Finland. The Private Trader company form is set up alone (single director). This company form has no share capital or bank account requirements.

  Private Trader must be a resident in the European Economic Area.

What’s Included in Our Package?

• Fully remote company formation – No visit to Finland required!
• Next business day filing
• Government Registration Fee paid for you
• Simple material request list in English
• Gathering and filling out the Start-up Notification and other documents
• Memorandum & Articles of Association
• Application to Prepayment Register (optional)
• Application to VAT Register (optional)
• Application to Employer Register (optional)
• Company formation documents sent to you by email to be signed
• Our consultant as a contact person for Trade Register
• Follow up on the progress of registration after submission
• Certificate of Incorporation sent to you by email (in Finnish)
• Quote for accounting services
• No hidden costs - This is all you need to setup a company in Finland.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below we have included frequently asked questions about limited company formation in Finland.

• What documents are required when setting up a limited company in Finland?

  To set up a limited company we will need the following information:

  - Company name and two alternative names
  - Main line of business
  - Shareholder information
  - Board member information
  - Company’s address
  - Starting date of business activity in Finland
  - Selection of preferred tax registers
  - Passport copies and proof of address of non-residents

• How long does it take to register a company in Finland?

  We file company formation papers usually the next business day after receiving all the requested information. Estimated processing time at the Finnish Trade Register is around 30 working days. It takes an additional 2-5 weeks for tax registrations depending on the processing times at Tax Administration.

• Do I need to visit Finland for setting up a company?

  No. Our company formation service is fully remote and does not require a visit to Finland. The company registration process itself is done remotely using Power of Attorney.

• Who can set up a limited company in Finland? (Directors, shareholders, CEO)

  - Board of directors: At least 1 ordinary member and 1 deputy member, both with permanent residence in the EEA. If there are 3 board members, a deputy member is not required. At least 1 board member must be a resident of EEA.
  - Shareholders: No restrictions based on the place of residence or citizenship. Shareholder can be a company or a private person.
  - CEO/Managing Director: Optional. If selected, must have a place of residence in the EEA.

  It is possible to legally bypass the EEA residency requirement for participants from Switzerland and the USA by applying for an exemption from the registry. We offer exemption applications for these participants as an additional service.

• Can I set up a company alone (single director)?

  To set up a limited company you need at least 2 persons: 1 board member and 1 board deputy member.

  Private Trader is more suitable company form for you if you are setting up company alone.

• Do you sell shelf companies? Can you appoint me a nominee director?

  We do not sell shelf companies. We do not offer director or board member service.

• Does a limited company need an address in Finland?

  No. The company needs to have a registered address in European Economic Area (EEA). The legal address will be shown in the business register and all the official letters will be sent to this address. We offer a registered address service in Helsinki with mail forwarding as an additional service.

• What is the share capital requirement?

  There are no minimum share capital requirements in Finland.

• What is the corporate income tax rate in Finland?

  The corporate income tax rate is 20%.
  Read more about Finland corporate income taxation.

• Is a corporate bank account in Finland required?

  No. A bank account in Finland is not required and a limited company can be incorporated without a bank account. A corporate bank account can be opened in any country, it doesn’t have to be Finland.

  If you need help with opening a bank account in Finland we can assist you with the required documents for a small fee. However due to Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, banks always need to deal with management and never based on Power of Attorney alone.

• Where can I check my company’s registration status?

  You can check status of your company formation here.

Additional Services

Registered Address

We can provide you a registered address service where our legal address is filed to the authorities and used to receive official company and tax documents. We offer virtual office service with mail forwarding. With our registered address service, you can add your company’s presence in Finland with a prestigious address (Mannerheimintie 12) in the centre of Helsinki.

Registered address annual price is €1000 and it is billed in advance.

Accounting and Reporting

After your company has been registered, you have new reporting obligations. Your reporting obligation commences from the beginning of your first requested tax registration day. Tax registrations like VAT and employer register bring obligations to submit monthly returns even if the company has not started the business or has any transactions or salaries yet. Also, a company must submit an annual report and tax return once a year.

We are an accounting firm and offer a full range of outsourced accounting services, tax and payroll services and can help your company to meet Finnish statutory requirements and regulations. We offer the following additional services:

• Accounting and VAT Returns
• Payroll Management
• Tax and Compliance
• Annual Returns and Year-End Reporting

Our accounting package for international companies starts from just €199 per month.

Deregistration and Liquidation of a Company

After your business activities in Finland come to an end, it's time to liquidate and deregister the company from all the tax registers. We can help you with closing and deregistration of all company forms in Finland.

Contact us to get a proposal of services and fees for the incorporation process and registration of a Finland company as well as ongoing services.