Legal Entity Types by Country 2024
A business entity has certain rights depending on the jurisdiction where it is formed. It is registered in the proper jurisdiction to conduct business, do charitable work, or participate in other permitted activities.
In the United States, businesses are formed and registered under state laws while at the same time following the requirements of the tax code of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The types of entities commonly used in the USA are:
- Sole proprietorship
- Partnership
- Limited Liability Company
- Corporation
- Nonprofit organization
Here are some of the common legal entity structures listed by country.
Argentina: Sociedad Anónima (SA), Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (SRL)
Australia: Proprietary Company, Public Company
Austria: Offene Gesellschaft (OG), Kommanditgesellschaft (KG), Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (GmbH)
Bahrain: With Limited Liability (WLL), Closed Shareholding Company (BSC9(c))
Belgium: société anonyme/naamloze vennootschap, société à responsabilité limitée/besloten vennootschap
Brazil: Sociedade Limitada, Sociedade Anônima
Canada: Federal Corporation or Provincial Corporation
Chile: Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (SRL), Sociedad Anónima (S.A.), Sociedades por Acciones (SpA)
China: Limited Liability Company, Company Limited by Shares
Czech Republic: veřejná obchodní společnost (v.o.s.), komanditní společnost (k.s.), společnost s ručením omezeným (s.r.o.), akciová společnost (a.s.)
Denmark: Kapitalselskab
Egypt: Joint Stock Company, One-Person company (OPC)
Finland: Osakeyhtiö (Oy)
France: Société par actions simplifiée (SAS), Société à responsabilité limitée (SARL), Société anonyme (SA)
Greece: Societe anonyme (S.A.), Limited liability company (L.T.D.)
Hungary: zártkörűen működő részvénytársaság (Zrt.), korlátolt felelősségű társaság (Kft.)
India: Private limited company
Indonesia: Limited liability company
Ireland: designated activity company (DAC), private unlimited company (ULC), company limited by guarantee (CLG), public limited company (PLC),
Israel: Company or Foreign Branch
Italy: Società a responsabilità limitata (S.r.l.)
Japan: Kabushiki-Kaisha (KK), Godo-Kaisha (GK)
Luxembourg: Société à responsabilité limitée (S.à r.l), Société anonyme (S.A.)
Malaysia: Private Limited Company
Mauritius: Company limited by shares, Company limited by guarantee, Company limited by shares and by guarantee, Unlimited company, Foreign company, Limited life company, Global Business corporation, Authorized company, Protected cell company, Société, Trust, Foundations, Limited liability partnerships, Variable capital company
Mexico: S.A. de C.V., S. de R.L. de C.V., S.A.P.I. de C.V.
Netherlands: Business Venture (B.V.), Co-operative U.A., C.V.
New Zealand: Limited Liability Company
Nigeria: Company limited by shares (private/public company), Unlimited company (private/public), Company limited by guarantee, Limited liability partnership
Norway: Private LLC, Public LLC
Peru: sociedades anónimas (S.A.), sociedades de responsabilidad limitada (S.R.L.)
Philippines: Domestic stock corporation
Portugal: Sociedade Anónima (S.A.), Sociedade por Quotas
Romania: societate pe actiuni (JSC), societate cu raspundere limitata (LLC)
Saudi Arabia: Limited liability company
Singapore: Limited liability company
South Africa: Private or Public company, Personal liability company
South Korea: Jusik Hoesa (JSC), Yuhan Hoesa (LLC)
Spain: Sociedad Limitada, Sociedad Anónima
Sweden: aktiebolag (AB), handelsbolag (HB)
Switzerland: Stock corporation
Taiwan: Closely held company (CHC)
Thailand: Private or public limited company
Turkey: JSC, LLC
United Arab Emirates: LLC
- Lists of Legal Entity types include common legal entities, but should not be considered comprehensive in a legally authoritative sense. Additional unlisted legal entities may exist.
- Table 2 displays data on the specific words that must be included in the titles of legal entities in each US state.
Country | Types | Definition | Abbreviation | # of Legal Entity Types |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | 1. Shoqëri me përgjegjësi të kufizuar | 2. Shoqëri Aksionere | 3. Shoqëri komandite | 4. Shoqëri kolektive | 5. Degë | 6. Zyrë e përfaqësimit | 1. Ltd. (UK); a business entity established by one or several natural or legal persons | 2. PLC (UK); a company whose capital is divided into shares signed by its founders | 3. Limited partnership; the liability of at least one partner is limited to the value of their contribution | 4. General partnership; the liability of the company's partners before its creditors is unlimited | 5. Subsidiary; entities created by a parent company that carry the same legal presence as the company | 6. Representative office; business offices where a company's activities can operate from that are not intended to generate revenue | 1. Sh.p.k. | 2. Sh.A. | 3. Sh.K. | | 6 |
| Argentina | 1. Sociedad Anónima | 2. Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada | 3. Sociedad en Comandita Simple | 4. Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones | 5. Sociedad Colectiva | 6. Sociedad de Capital e Industria |. 7. Sociedad del Estado | 8. Sociedad de Garantía Reciproca | 9. Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada | 10. Sociedad Anónima Unipersonal | 1. PLC | 2. Ltd. | 3. Limited partnership | 4. Limited partnership with shares | 5. General partnership (USA) | 7. State-owned enterprise | 9. A simplified version of the S.A. | 10. Sole proprietorship | 1. S.A. | 2. S.R.L. | 3. SCS | 4. S.C.p.A. | 5. Soc.Col. 6. S.C.e I. | 7. S.E. | 8. S.G.R. | 9. S.A.S. | 10. S.A.U. | 10 |
| Australia | 1. Limited liability partnership | 2. Incorporated limited partnership | 3. Incorporated | 4. Limited | 5. No liability | 6. Proprietary Limited Company | 7. Unlimited Proprietary | 8. Trust | 9. Indigenous Corporation under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) | 1. Partnership composed of at least one general partner and one limited partner | 2. Used for venture capital investments comes in four types: Venture Capital Limited Partnership (VCLP), Early-stage Venture Capital Limited Partnership (ESCVLP), Australian Venture Capital Fund of Funds (AFOF), Venture Capital Management Partnership (VCMP) 3. Restricted to non-profit associations | 4. Plc (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) | 5. A type of mining, speculative, or research company with no right to call up the unpaid issue price of shares | 6. Ltd. (UK) ATF Trust. In Australia companies can act as a trustee for a trust | 7. A company, similar to its limited company (Ltd., or Pty. Ltd.) counterpart, but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited | 9.Administrated by the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations | 1 LLP | 2. ILP | 3. Inc. | 4. Ltd. | 5. NL | 6. Pty. Ltd. | 7. Pty. | | 9 |
| Austria | 1. Genossenschaft; types: Erwerbs- und Wirtschaftsgenossenschaft | 2. Verein | 3. Eingetragenes Einzelunternehmen | 4. Aktiengesellschaft | 5. Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung | 6. Sparkasse | 7. Stille Gesellschaft | 8. Gesellschaft des bürgerlichen Rechts | 9. Offene Gesellschaft | 10. Kommanditgesellschaft | 11. Offene Erwerbsgesellschaft | 12. Kommanditerwerbsgesellschaft | 1. Cooperative | 2. Nonprofit association | 3. Sole trader (UK), sole proprietorship (US) | 4. Kapitalgesellschaften: ≈ corporations (with juridical personality) - AG (Aktiengesellschaft): ≈ plc (UK). Minimum capital €70,000. | 5. Ltd. (UK). Minimum capital €35,000. | 6. Mutual savings bank | 7. Personengesellschaften: ≈ partnerships (without juridical personality) non-registered and not considered legal entities: - partnership by estoppel (i.e., no partnership agreement) | 8. partnership by contract (i.e., formed by partnership agreement); statutes and regulations concerning Austrian companies, especially with regards to the companies register (Firmenbuch), do not apply. 9. registered legal entities: - general partnership | 10. Limited Partnership (in GmbH & Co. KG: KG is the general partner) | 11. Small general partnership | 12. Small limited partnership | 1. Gen | 3. e.U. | 4. AG | 5. GmbH | 7. stG | 8. GesbR | 9. OG | 10. KG or GmbH & Co. KG: | 11. OEG | 12. KEG | 12 |
| Belarus | 1. Адкрытае акцыянернае таварыства | 2. Закрытае акцыянернае таварыства | 3. ндывідуальны прадпрымальнік | 4. Прыватнае унітарнае прадпрыемства | 5. Таварыства з абмежаванай адказнасцю | | 1. Plc (UK), open | 2. Plc (UK), closed | 3. Sole proprietorship | 4. Private unitary enterprise | 5. Ltd. (UK) | 1. AAT | 2. ЗАТ | 4. ПУП | 5. TAA | 5 |
| Belgium | 1. Private stichting (fondation privée) | 2. Stichting van openbaar nut (fondation d'utilité publique) | 3. Economisch samenwerkingsverband (groupement d'intérêt économique) | 4. Stille handelsvennootschap (société interne) | 5. Tijdelijke handelsvennootschap (société momentanée) | 6. Vereniging zonder winstoogmerk (association sans but lucratif) | 7. Vereniging in deelneming (société en participation) | 8. Feitelijke vereniging (société de fait) | 9. Eenmanszaak | (entreprise individuelle) | 10. Vennootschap onder firma (ociété en nom collectif) | 11. Gewone commanditaire vennootschap (société en commandite simple) | 12. Commanditaire vennootschap op aandelen (société en commandite par actions) | 13. Besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid (ociété privée à responsabilité limitée) | 14. Besloten vennootschap (société responsabilité limitée) | 15. Eenpersoons besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid (société privée à responsabilité limitée unipersonnelle) | 16. Naamloze vennootschap (societé anonyme) | 17. Coöperatieve vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid (société coopérative à responsabilité limitée) | 18. Coöperatieve vennootschap met onbeperkte aansprakelijkheid (société coopérative à responsabilité illimitée) | | 1. Private foundation | 2. Public foundation | 3. Economic interest grouping (joint venture) | 4. Contractual joint venture (No JV company is created) | 5. Equity joint venture (JV company is created) | 6. German: Vereinigung ohne Gewinnerzielungsabsicht (VoG) Nonprofit association | 7. Equity partnership | 8. De facto partnership, partnership by estoppel | 9. Sole trader (UK), sole proprietorship (US) | 10. General partnership | 11. Limited partnership | 12. Publicly traded partnership | 13. Private limited liability company | 14. Private limited company | 15. Single member limited company | 16. Public limited company (UK | 17. Limited liability cooperative | 18. Unlimited liability cooperative | 3. ESV (GIE) | 6. VZW (ASBL) | 7. SEP | 10. VOF (SNC) | 11. Comm. V. (SCS) | 12. Comm. VA (SCA) | 13. BVBA (SPRL) | 14. BV (SRL) | 15. EBVBA (SPRLU) | 16. NV (SA) | 17. CVBA (SCRL) | 18 CVOA (SCRI) Following changes to the Code of Companies and Associations, the term "Private limited liability company" (BVBA/SPRL) automatically became "Private limited company" (BV/SRL), as a part of harmonising legal entity types within the European Union. | 18 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1. Dioničko društvo | 2. Akcionarsko društvo | 3. Društvo s neograničenom solidarnom odgovornošću | 4. Društvo s ograničenom odgovornošću | 5. Komanditno društvo | 6. Samostalni preduzetnik | 1. plc (UK) ≈ AG (Germany) | 2. plc (UK) ≈ AG (Germany) | 3. general partnership | 4. Ltd. (UK) ≈ GmbH (Germany) | 5. Limited partnership | 6. Sole proprietorship (UK) | 1. d.d. | 2. a.d. | 3. d.n.o. | 4. d.o.o. | 5. k.d. | 6. s.p. | 6 |
| Brazil | 1. Sociedade limitada | 2. Sociedade anônima | 3. Sociedade simples | 4. Sociedade em comandita simples | 5. Sociedade em nome coletivo | 6. Sociedade em conta de participação | 7. Sociedade em comum | 8. Cooperativa | 9. Empresa individual (firma individual) | 10. Empresa Individual de Responsabilidade Limitada | 11. Micro empreendedor individual | 12. Empresa pública | 13. Sociedade de economia mista | 14. Associação em sentido estrito (sem finalidade lucrativa) | 15. Organização não governamental | 16. Organização da sociedade civil de interesse público | 17. Organização social | 18. Serviços sociais autônomos | 19. Fundação privada | 20. Fundação pública | 1. Ltd. (UK) | 2. Plc (UK) | 4. Ordinary limited partnership | 5. General partnership | 6. General partnership | 7. General partnership | 8. Cooperative | 9. Individual proprietorship / sole proprietorship | 10. Same as Ltd., but without partners | 11.Individual enterprise | 12. Government-owned corporation | 13. Government-owned corporation | 14. Nonprofit association | 15. Nonprofit association | 16. Nonprofit association | 17. Nonprofit association | 18. Nonprofit association | 19.Private foundation | 20. Public foundation | 1. Ltda. | 2. S.A. | 3. PLLC | 10. EIRELI | | 20 |
| Brunei | 1. Sendirian Berhad | 2. Berhad | 1. Private Limited | 2. Public Company | 1. Sdn. Bhd. | 2. Bhd. | 2 |
| Bulgaria | 1. Aktsionerno druzhestvo / акционерно дружество | 2. Aktsionerno druzhestvo sus spetsialna investitsionna tsel / акционерно дружество със специална инвестиционна цел | 3. Ednolichno aktsionerno druzhestvo / еднолично акционерно дружество | 4. Ednolichno druzhestvo s ogranichena otgovornost / еднолично дружество с ограничена отговорност | 5. Ednolichen turgovetz / едноличен търговец | 6. Druzhestvo s ogranichena otgovornost / дружество с ограничена отговорност | 7. Komanditno druzhestvo / командитно дружество | 8. Komanditno druzhestvo s aktzii / командитно дружество с акции | 9. Subiratelno druzhestvo / събирателно дружество | 1. Joint stock company ≈ plc (UK) | 2. Real estate investment trust | 3. Type plc | 4. Type of OOD with a single member | 5. Sole proprietorship | 6. Ltd. (UK) | 7.Limited partnership | 8. Limited partnership with shares | 9. General partnership, a legal entity | 1. AD / АД | 2. ADSITs / АДСИЦ | 3. EAD / ЕАД | 4. EOOD / ЕООД | 5. ET | 6. OOD / ООД | 7. KD / КД | 8. KDA / КДА | 9. SD / СД | 9 |
| Cambodia | 1. Sole Proprietorship | 2. General Partnership | 3. Limited Partnership | 4. Single Member Private Limited Company | 5. Private Limited Company | 6. Public Limited Company | 7. Public Establishment with Economic characteristics | 8. State Company | 9. State Joint Venture Company | 10. Import Export Co., Ltd | 5. Private limited company (Ltd.)] (UK) | 6. Plc (UK) | | 1. SP | 2. GP | 3. LP | 4. SM Pte Ltd. | 5. Pte Ltd. | 6. Plc Ltd. | 7. PEEC | 8. PLC | 9. PLC | | 10 |
| Canada | 1. Sole Proprietorship | 2. General Partnership | 3. Limited Partnership | 4. Corporation | 5. Joint Venture | 1. No formal business structure is established | 2. Either a formal structure with a partnership agreement, or an informal structure, in which case the Partnerships Act for the province will apply | 3. An investment structure, limiting both the liability and the participation of the investor. An investor who takes an active role will be deemed a general partner, and become exposed to unlimited liability | 5. A business activity shared by two or more business entities. The joint venture's activities must be finite in terms of either time or scope | 1. SP | 2. GP | 3. LP | | 5 |
| Chile | 1. Sociedad por acciones | 2. Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitdada | 3. Empresa Individual de Responsabilidad Limitada | 4. Sociedad Anónima | 5. Sociedad de Garantia Reciproca | 6. Sociedad de responsabilidad limitada | | 1. Disregarded entity with shares (sole shareholder | 2. LLC (Partnership) US purposes | 3. Individual enterprise with limited liability | 4. Plc (UK) | 6. Ltd. (UK) | 1. SpA | 2. SRL | 3. EIRL | 4. S.A. | 5. S.G.R. | 6. LTDA. | | 6 |
| China | 1. (有限责任公司) | 2. 股份有限公司 (Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī) | 3. 个人独资企业 | 4. 合伙制企业 | 1. Company with limited liability, Ltd. (UK) | 2. Plc (UK), joint-stock company, corporation | 3. Sole trader | 4. Partnership | 4 | |
| Colombia | 1. Sociedad Anónima | 2. Sociedades por Acciones Simplificada | 3. Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada | 4. Sociedad Colectiva | 5. Comandita Simple | 6. Comandita por Acciones | 7. Empresa Unipersonal | 1. Plc (UK), Corporation (US) | 2. Similar to the French S.A.S (societé par actions simplifiée | 3. Ltd. (UK), LLC (US) | 4. General partnership | 5. Limited partnership | 6. Publicly traded partnership | 7. Sole proprietorship | 1. S.A. | 2. S.A.S. | 3. Ltda. | 4. S.C. | 5. S. en C. | 6. S.C.A. | 7. E.U. | 7 |
| Costa Rica | 1. Sociedad Anónima | 2. Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada | 1. Plc (UK), Corporation (US) | 2. Ltd. (UK), LLC (US) | 1. S.A. | 2. S.R.L. or Ltda. | 2 |
| Croatia | 1. Dioničko društvo | 2. Društvo s ograničenom odgovornošću | 3. Jednostavno društvo s ograničenom odgovornošću | 4. Javno trgovačko društvo | 5. Komanditno društvo | 6. Gospodarsko interesno udruženje | 7. Zadruga | 8. Obrt | 9. Ortakluk | 10. Slobodna djelatnost | 11. Domaća radinost | 12. Obiteljsko poljoprivredno gospodarstvo | 13. Udruga | 1. Plc (UK) ≈ AG (Germany) | 2. Ltd. (UK) or LLC (US); minimum capital: kn 20,000 | 3. Simple Ltd.; minimum capital: kn 10 (same liabilities as an Ltd., but has to set aside 25% of annual profit to collect enough equity capital to become a d.o.o.) | 4. General partnership | 5. Limited partnership | 6. Economic interest grouping | 7. Cooperative | 8. Sole proprietorship (there are several types) | 9. Partnership of two or more sole proprietors | 10. Free profession; self-employment but only for certain types of professions: e.g. artists, journalists, lawyers, etc.; freelancing (similar to sole proprietors in their obligations) | 11. Home business and side profession; limited forms of self-employment aimed at registering supplementary income from, say, small repairs or hobbies with yearly income limited to 10 average gross salaries (approx. EUR 11,700 in January 2020) | 12. Family run agricultural business | 13. Any form of free and voluntary association of natural or legal persons to accomplish a purpose without intent to acquire profit | 1. d.d. | 2. d.o.o. | 3. j.d.o.o. | 4. j.t.d. | 5. k.d. | 6. GIU | 12. OPG | 13 |
| Cyprus | 1. Ιδιωτική Εταιρεία | 2. Δημόσια Εταιρεία | 3. Συνεργατικά Πιστωτικά Ιδρύματα | 4. Αυτοτελώς εργαζόμενος | 5. Σωματεία και Ιδρυμάτα | 6. Οντότητες που διέπονται από το δημόσιο δίκαιο | 7. Ταμεία Προνοίας/ Συντάξεως | 8. Άλλη νομική μορφή | 1. LTD | 2. PLC | 3. COOP | 4. SP | 5. SF | 6. PUBLaw | 7. PF | 8. OTH | 8 | |
| Czech Republic | 1. Akciová společnost | 2. Společnost s ručením omezeným | 3..Veřejná obchodní společnost | 4. Komanditní společnost | 5. Obecně prospěšná společnost | 6. živnost | 7. Státní podnik | 8. Příspěvková organizace | 9. Zapsaný spolek | 1. Minimum share capital CZK 2 000 000. Must have a supervisory board in addition to the management board | 2. Ltd. (UK) Minimum share capital CZK 1 | 3. General partnership | 4. Limited partnership | 5. One of the legal forms for non-governmental non-profit organizations | 6. Sole proprietorship | 7. State enterprise | 8. Subsidized organization | 9. Voluntary association. Formerly o.s. (Občanské sdružení.) | 1. a.s., akc. spol. | 2. s.r.o., spol. s r.o. | 3. v.o.s., veř. obch. spol., a. spol. | 4. k.s., kom. spol. | 5. o.p.s. | 7. s.p. | 9. z.s. | 9 |
| Denmark | 1. Enkeltmandsvirksomhed | 2. Forening | 3. Interessentskab | 4. Iværksætterselskab | 5. Anpartsselskab | 6. Aktieselskab | 7. Kommanditselskab | 8. Partnerselskab or Kommanditaktieselskab | 9. Andelsselskab med begrænset ansvar | 10. Forening med begrænset ansvar | 11. Selskab med begrænset ansvar | 12. Partsrederi | 13. Erhvervsdrivende fond | 14. Gensidigt selskab | 1.Sole proprietorship | 2. Association | 3. General partnership | 4. Private limited company startup with limited equity capital. Must use 25% of profit to collect enough equity capital to become an ApS | 5. Private limited company | 6. Public limited company | 7. Limited partnership | 8. Partnership limited by shares | 9. Limited liability co-operative | 10. Limited liability voluntary association | 11. Limited liability company. | 12. A form of combined and continued ownership of a merchant vessel | 13. Commercial foundation | 14. Mutual organization | 3. I/S | 4. IVS | 5. ApS | 6. A/S | 7. K/S | 8. P/S | 9. A.M.B.A. | 10. F.M.B.A. | 11. S.M.B.A. | 14. G/S | |
| Dominican Republic | 1. Compañía por Acciones | 2. Sociedad Anónima | 3. Sociedad Anónima Simplificada | 4. Sociedad de Resposabilidad Limitada | 5. Empresa Individual de Responsabilidad Limitada | 6. Sociedad En Comandita Simple | 1. also abbreviated CXA | 2. Public limited company | 3. Simplified public limited company | 4. Sociedad de Resposabilidad Limitad | 5. Sole proprietor Limited Liability Company | | 1. C. por A. | 2. S.A. | 3. S.A.S | 4. SRL. | 5. EIRL. | | 6 |
| Ecuador | 1. Sociedad Anónima | 2. Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada | 3. Cía. Ltda. | 4. Empresa Pública | 1. Public limited company | 2. Public limited company | 3. Limited Liability Company | 4. Legal entity owned by the Government | 1. S.A. or C.A. | 2. S.A.S. | 3. Compañía Limitada | 4. EP | 4 |
| Egypt | 1. Sharikat al-Mossahamah | 2. Limited Liability Company | 3. Sharikat Tadamun | 4. Sharikat Tawssiyah Bassita | 5. Sharikat Tawssiyah Belashom | 1. Plc (UK). Minimum capital LE 250,000 | 2. Ltd. (UK). No Minimum capital | 3. General partnership | 4. Limited partnership | 1. SAE | 2. LLC | 5. LLP | 5 |
| Ethiopia | 1. Private limited company Amharic ሃላፊነቱ የተወሰነ የግል ማህበር | 2. Share company Amharic አክሲዩን ማህበር | 3. Cooperative societies Amharic ህብረት ስራ ማህበራት | 4. Public enterprises or public corporations Amharic የመንግስት ልማት ድርጅቶች or ኮርፖሬሽን | 1. PLC | 2. SC | 3. CS | 4. PE or PC | 4 | |
| France | 1. Freelancers: - Auto-entrepreneur | - Profession libérale | - Sociétés d'exercice libéral | - EI (Entreprise individuelle/entreprise en nom personnel) 2. Investment funds/companie: - Fonds commun de placement | - Société d'investissement à capital fixe | - Société d'investissement à capital variable | 3. Groupement d'intérêt économique | 4. Association: | - Association non-déclarée | - Association déclarée | 5. Société de personnes: | - Société en participation | - Société en participation de professions libérales | - Société en participation avec personne morale | - Société en participation entre personnes physiques | 6. Société en nom collectif | 7. Société en commandite simple | 8. Société en commandite par actions | 9. Société Civile Immobilière | 10. Société de capitaux: | - Société à responsabilité limitée | - Entreprise unipersonnelle à responsabilité limitée | 11. Société par actions: | - Société anonyme | - Société coopérative de production | - Société d'économie mixt | 12. Société par actions simplifiée | - U- unipersonnelle | 1. Freelancers: - Self-employed (UK), independent contractor (US), a recent addition to French business law -with both a revenue cap and a specific set of derogatory income tax rates | - Sole proprietorship such as a medical practice, an enduring entity stemming from the protected status designed for "liberal professions" with unlimited personal liability | - The incorporated equivalent of the latter, sole shareholder limited liability being key | 2. Investment funds/companie: - Unincorporated investment fund | - investment trust (UK); closed-end fund (CEF), closed-end company (US); listed investment company (LIC) (Au) | - investment company with variable capital (ICVC), open-ended investment company (OEIC) (UK); mutual fund, open-end company (US) | 3. Economic interest grouping | 4. Association: nonprofit association | - unincorporated association (UK) | - incorporated association (Au) | 5. Partnerships: | - Equity partnership | 6. General partnership (GP) | 7. Limited partnership (LP) | 8. Publicly traded partnership (PTP) (US) | 9. French property company (SCI) | 10. Corporations: | - Private limited company (Ltd.) (UK), limited liability company (US) | - Single shareholder limited company (SME Pvt) (UK) | 11. Stock companies: | - Public limited company (plc) (UK), Inc. (US/Can) | - Cooperative corporation (Can) | - Government-owned corporation | 12. Limited liability company (US, especially in Delaware), unlisted public company (Au), close corporation (CC) (S. Africa), private corporation (Can); often used for subsidiaries; 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 | - Limited liability, sole shareholder Ltd. company (UK) or single member close corporation | | 2. Investment funds/companie: - FCP | - SICAF | - SICAV | 3. GIE | 5. Société de personnes: | - SEP | - SPPL | 6. SNC | 7. SCS | 8. SCA | 9. SCI | 10. 10. Société de capitaux: | - SARL, SàRL | - EURL | 11. Société par actions: | - SA | - SCOP | - SEM | 12. SAS | - SASU | | 12 |
| Germany | 1. individuals: | - Einzelunternehmen | - Eingetragener Kaufmann | 2. Personengesellschaften | - Gesellschaft bürgerlichen Rechts | - nicht-eingetragener Verein | 3. Personenhandelsgesellschaften | - Offene Handelsgesellschaft | 4. Kommanditgesellschaft (KG): | 5. Limited company incorporated outside Germany | 6. Partnerschaftsgesellschaft: | - Partnerschaftsgesellschaft mit beschränkter Berufshaftung | - Partenreederei | 7. Körperschaften: | - eingetragener Verein | - altrechtlicher Verein/rechtsfähiger Verein | - wirtschaftlicher Verein | 8. Kapitalgesellschaften | - Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien | 9. Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung | 10. gemeinnützige GmbH | 11. Unternehmergesellschaft (haftungsbeschränkt) | 12. Aktiengesellschaft | 13. eingetragene Genossenschaft | 14. Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts | 15. Stiftung | 16. Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts | 17. Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts | | 1. individuals: | - Sole trader (UK), sole proprietorship; only professional services, agriculture and forestry as well as small commercial businesses | - sole trader (UK), sole proprietorship (US); individual entrepreneur with commercial business (Handelsgewerbe) | 2. Personengesellschaften | - Simple partnership; no minimum capital, two or more partners, unlimited liability of partners, no commercial business (Handelsgewerbe) that is not small | - non-registered association; non-commercial/idealistic purposes only; similar to e.V. but lacking juridical personality | 3. Commercial partnerships: | - Literally "open business company" ≈ general partnership: no minimum capital, unlimited liability of partners; GbR with commercial business (Handelsgewerbe) | 4. In case the general partner is a limited company, the legal form of the general partner, followed by "& Compagnie" (shortened to & Co.), must be included in the name of the company, resulting in combined legal forms such as: | - the general partner is a GmbH | - the general partner is an AG | - the general partner is a societas Europaea | - ach of the general partners are a GmbH | 5. Limited company incorporated outside Germany | - the general partner is a UK private company limited by shares | - the general partner is a UK plc | - the general partner is a Danish Anpartsselskab | - the general partner is a US LLC | 6. Partnership company; only for professional services: | - Partnership company with limited professional liability ≈ limited liability partnership (US); only for professional services | - Combined and continued ownership of a single merchant vessel; no longer available for new businesses since 24 April 2013 | 7. Corporations: | - Incorporated association; non-commercial/idealistic purposes only, commercial business cannot be the main purpose of the e.V. | - association established before 1 January 1900; extremely rare | - ommercial purpose, established by public grant; rare | 8. Companies limited by shares (equity): | - publicly traded partnership (US); although it is a company limited by shares, the KGaA has at least one general partner whose liability is not limited | As with the KG, the legal form of the general partner, followed by "& Compagnie" (shortened to & Co.), must be included if it is another limited company, resulting in combined legal forms such as: - the general partner is a GmbH - the general partner is an AG - the general partner is a societas Europaea 9. Company with limited liability ≈ private limited company (Ltd.) (UK), limited liability company (LLC) (US); at least one shareholder; minimum equity €25,000 | 10. The non-profit GmbH is a limited liability company whose income is used for charitable purposes | 11. Identical to GmbH but with a minimum capital of €1 (times the number of shares); part of earnings needs to remain in the company to reach a minimum equity of €25,000; the word haftungsbeschränkt ("with limited liability") may not be abbreviated | 12.Literally "stock company" ≈ public limited company (plc) (UK), Inc. (US); minimum capital €50,000 | 13. registered cooperative | 14. corporation under public law; main purpose is non-commercial, part of public administration | 15. foundation, trust (private) | 16. foundation under public law; main purpose is non-commercial, part of public administration | 17. institution under public law; main purpose is non-commercial, part of public administration | | 1. individuals: | - / - e.K./e.Kfm./e.Kfr. | 2. Personengesellschaften | - (GbR), BGB-Gesellschaf | - e.V. | 3. Personenhandelsgesellschaften | - OHG | 4. . Kommanditgesellschaft (KG): | - GmbH & Co. KG | - AG & Co. KG | - SE & Co. KG | - GmbH & Co. OHG | 5. Limited company incorporated outside Germany | - Limited & Co. KG | - PLC & Co. KG | - ApS & Co. KG | - LLC & Co. KG | 6. PartG | - PartGmbBH | 7. Körperschaften: | - e.V. | - r.V. | 8. Kapitalgesellschaften | - KGaA | As with the KG, the legal form of the general partner, followed by "& Compagnie" (shortened to & Co.), must be included if it is another limited company, resulting in combined legal forms such as: | - GmbH & Co. KGaA | - AG & Co. KGaA} - SE & Co. KGaA | 9. GmbH | 10. gGmbH | 11. UG (haftungsbeschränkt) | 12. AG | 13. e.G. | | 17 |
| Ghana | 1. Sole Proprietorship | 2. Private Limited By Share | 3. Private Unlimited By Share | 4. Private Limited By Guarantee | 5. Public Unlimited Company | 6. External Company | 7. Public Limited Company | 8. Public Limited By Guarantee | 9. Partnership | 10. Subsidiary Business Name | | 10 | ||
| Greece | 1. Anónimi Etaireía / Ανώνυμη Εταιρεία | - Anónimi Viomichanikí Emborikí Etaireía / Ανώνυμη Βιομηχανική Εμπορική Εταιρεία, Α.Β.Ε.Ε. | 2. Eterórrithmi Etaireía / Ετερόρρυθμη Εταιρία | 3. Etaireía Periorisménis Efthínis / Εταιρεία Περιορισμένης Ευθύνης | - Monoprósopi Etaireía Periorisménis Efthínis / Μονοπρόσωπη | 4. Omórrithmi Etaireía / Ομόρρυθμη Εταιρεία | 5. Idiotiki Kefalaiouchiki Etaireía / Ιδιωτική Κεφαλαιουχική Εταιρεία | 6. atomikís epicheírisis / ατομικής επιχείρησης | | 1. plc (UK), minimum capital €25,000 | 2. Limited partnership | 3. Ltd. (UK), no minimum capital | - type of E.P.E. with a single member | 4. General partnership | 5. Private Company, minimum capital=€0. The shares do not take the form just of capital but also warranties, labor offer etc. This form is a composite form between A.E. E.P.E and O.E. which is greatly affected by the Articles of Incorporation | 6. sole proprietorship | Companies of the type "Anónimi Etaireía" would translate this designation into the French translation société anonyme or S.A. in non-Greek languages | | 1. Α.E. | - A.V.E.E. | 2. Ε.Ε. | 3. Ε.Π.Ε. | - M.E.P.E. | 4. Ο.Ε. | 5. I.K.E. | | 6 |
| Guatemala | 1. Sociedad Colectiva | 2. Sociedad en Comandita Simple | 3. Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada | 4. Sociedad Anónima | 5. Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones | | 1. General partnership | 3. Limited Liability Company | 4. Limited company | | 1. y Cía. S. C. | 2. y Cía. S. en C. | 3. Cía. Ltda. | 4. S. A. | 5. Cía. S. C. A | | 5 |
| Haiti | 1. Sociedad Anónima | | 1. Stock Corporation; Minimum Capital Requirement, G 25,000 | | 1. SA | | 1 |
| Hong Kong | 1. 有限公司 | 2. 無限公司 | | 1. Ltd (Limited/有限公司): may denote either a private or public company limited by shares, or a company limited by guarantee. Under the Companies Ordinance, the name of a Hong Kong incorporated company may be registered in English, Chinese, or both | 2. 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 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 companies do not | | 2 | |
| Hungary | 1. Egyéni vállalkozó | 2. Egyéni cég | 3. Betéti társaság | 4. Közkereseti társaság | 5. Korlátolt felelősségű társaság | 6. Közhasznú társaság | 7. Közös vállalat | 8. Részvénytársaság | 9. Nyilvánosan működő részvénytársaság | 10. Zártkörűen működő részvénytársaság | 11. Szövetkezet | 12. Egyesülés | | 1. sole trader (must be a natural person) | 2. sole venture (a company registered by and consisting of one sole trader) | 3. limited partnership (requires one general partner with unlimited liability and one or more members with limited liability) | 4. general partnership (all members have unlimited liability) | 5. limited liability company (company without stocks, the most common company type in Hungary) | 6. community interest company (abolished in 2009, must operate as nonprofit company instead) | 7. joint venture (abolished in 2006) | 8. joint-stock company (replaced by Zrt. and Nyrt. in 2006) | 9. public limited company (must be listed on a stock exchange) | 10. privately held company (not listed on stock exchange, otherwise the same as Nyrt.) | 12. national version of European Economic Interest Grouping | | 1. e.v. | 2. e.c. | 3. bt. | 4. kkt. | 5. kft. | 6. kht. | 7. kv. | 8. rt. | 9. Nyrt. | 10. Zrt. | 11. szöv. | | 12 |
| Iceland | 1. ehf. einkahlutafélag | 2. einstaklingsfyrirtæki | 3. hf. hlutafélag | 4. ohf. opinbert hlutafélag | 5. slf. samlagsfélag | 6. svf. samvinnufélag | 7. sf. sameignarfélag | 8. ses. sjálfseignarstofnun | | 1. Ltd. (UK) (Minimum capital: IKr 500,000 (£2,750; €3,260; $4,250), Minimum shareholders: 1. | 2. sole proprietorship | 3. plc (UK), Minimum capital: IKr 4,000,000 (£22,000; €26,100; $34,000), Minimum shareholders: 2. | 4. government-owned corporation | 5. limited partnership | 6. Cooperative | 7. general partnership | 8. non-profit organization (Minimum capital: IKr 1,000,000 (£5,500; €6,520; $8,500) | | 8 | |
| India | 1. Sole Proprietorship | 2. Partnership | 3. Limited Liability Partnership | 4. Company: | - Private Limited Company | - Public Limited Company | - One-person company | - Unlimited Company | 5. Public sector undertaking | 6. Cooperative Societies | 7. A non-governmental organization | | 1. Sole Proprietorship firm is the simplest form of business entity in India that is owned and managed by a single person. It is the easiest way of registering and starting a business. It is not governed by any law and hence it is the easiest form of business in India. All the decisions and management of the business are in the hands of one person. Documents required for the registration of a sole proprietorship in India are Aadhar card, PAN card, bank account and a proof of registered office | 2. liability is joint and unlimited. Registration is not compulsory and can be done through the registrar of firms. 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 | 3. Liability is limited and similar to Partnership except for registration is mandatory and liability is limited. At least two partners are 'designated partner' (equivalent to directors in the company), who manages day-to-day working. Regulated by the union government | 4. Company: | - have 2–200 shareholders; shares are held privately and cannot be offered to the public. Have limited liability and registration is mandatory. Regulated by the union government | - have more than 200 shareholders. Can be listed or unlisted in the share market | - It is a type of private company which can have only one director and member | - A company, similar to its limited company (Ltd, or Pvt Ltd) counterpart, but where the liability of the members or shareholders is not limited | 5. Alternatively known as Public Sector Enterprise (PSE). It may be a public limited company listed on stock exchanges with a major ownership by a state government, central government, or local government, or it may be an unlisted entity with a major ownership by a state government, central Government, or local government. Some of these entities are formed as business entities through special legislation, where these entities are governed by the statutes of this legislation and may or may not be governed by company laws like a typical business entity | 6. Cooperative Societies; E.g. Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF) owner of Amul brand | 7. A non-governmental organization (NGO), Section 8 company, or a non-profit company is a citizen-led organization that functions separately from the government, usually to advance some social cause. | 5. PSU | 7. NGO | | 7 |
| Indonesia | 1. Yayasan | 2. Usaha Dagang | 3. vennootschap onder firma | 4. Koperasi | 5. Persekutuan Perdata | 6. Perusahaan/Persekutuan Komanditer | 7. Perseroan Terbatas | 8. Perseroan Terbatas Terbuka or Perseroan Terbuka | | 1. foundation | 2. sole proprietorship (lit. "trade company" | 3. known locally as just firma: general partnership | 4. Cooperative | 5. group practice (of professionals, e.g. doctors, accountants, lawyers); share facilities not profits, members are treated as natural persons for tax and liability purposes | 6. LP (US), Kommanditgesellschaft (Germany); a more common type for smaller businesses | 7. private company limited by shares (UK) | 8. plc (UK) listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange | | 2. UD | 3. vof/Fa | 4. mts (maatschap) | 5. cv (Dutch: Commanditaire vennootschap) | 6. PT | 7.PT Tbk | | 8 |
| Iran | 1. شرکت سهامی عام (Sherkat Sahami Am) | 2. شرکت سهامی خاص (Sherkat Sahami Khas) | 3. شرکت با مسئولیت محدود (Sherkat ba Masouliyat Mahdoud) | 4. شرکت مختلط غیر سهامی (Sherkat Mokhtalet Gheyr Sahami) | 5. شرکت مختلط سهامی (Sherkat Mokhtalet Sahami) | 6. شرکت تضامنی (Sherkat Tazamoni) | 7. شرکت نسبی (Sherkat Nesbi) | 8. شرکت تعاونی تولید و مصرف (Sherkat Ta'avoni Tolid va Masraf) | | 1. plc (UK), public | 2. plc (UK), private | 3. Ltd. (UK) | 4. limited partnership | 5. mixed joint-stock partnership | 6. general partnership | 7. proportional liability partnership | 8. production and consumption cooperative | | ||
| Ireland | 1. Limited Company – Four types: - Private company limited by shares | - Company limited by guarantee not having a share capital } - Company limited by guarantee having a share capital | - A public limited company | 2. Single Member Company | 3. Unlimited Company | 4. Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities | 5. Cuideachta Ghníomhaíochta Ainmnithe 6. Irish Section 110 Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) | 1. 1. Limited Company – Four types: - 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 | - 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) | - 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 | - 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. | 2. 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 | 3. No limit on liability of members. Creditors may have recourse to shareholders for unpaid liabilities of the company. Must have at least two shareholders | 4. 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 | 5. A designated activity company - a form of company in Ireland created by the Companies Act 2014. Like a limited company, designated activity companies have limited liability. Additionally, they may only carry out activities listed in their constitution documents, and so the concept of ultra vires continues to apply to them | | 4. UCITS | 5. DAC | 6 |
| Israel | 1. Company (khevra, חברה) | 2. Partnership (shutafut, שותפות | 3. Cooperative (aguda shitufit, אגודה שיתופית | 4. Voluntary association (amuta, עמותה) | | 1. for-profit entity which may engage in any lawful activity. Most companies limit the liability of their shareholders. In that case, the phrase "Limited" or the abbreviation "Ltd." must appear as part of the full name of the company. The term "B.M."/"BM" (בע"מ), literally: by limited liability/warranty, is usually translated as "Ltd." in English and pronounced "ba'AM" in Hebrew | 2. created by default, even without registration, when two or more persons run a business together for profit. Personal liability of partners is not limited, unless they are limited partners of a limited partnership. Partnerships are governed by the Partnerships Ordinance [New Form], 5735-1975 (פקודת השותפויות [נוסח חדש], תשל"ה-1975) | 3. entity which may pursue profit, but with certain legal properties meant to facilitate greater participation by each shareholder, or member, in the entity's affairs. Shareholders usually have an additional relationship with the cooperative, such as employees or consumers | 4. Voluntary association (amuta, עמותה) – nonprofit entity, which must have its goals defined in its founding agreement. Includes, among others, academic institutions, hospitals and various charitable organizations. Voluntary associations are governed by the Voluntary Associations Act, 5740-1980 (חוק העמותות, תש"מ-1980) | | 4 | |
| Italy | 1. Forme individuali: | - Stabilizzatore | - Artigiano | - Lavoratore autonomo | - Libero professionista | - Imprenditore | 2. Società di persone: | - Società semplice | - Società in nome collettivo | - Società in accomandita semplice | 3. Società di capitali: | - Società per azioni | - Società in accomandita per azioni | - Società consortile per azioni | - Società consortile a responsabilità limitata | - Società a responsabilità limitata | - Società a responsabilità limitata semplificata | 4. Cooperative | - Società cooperativa a responsabilità limitata | | 1. Individuals: - Chief | - Artisan | - Independent worker | - Professional | - sole trader (UK), sole proprietorship (US) | 2. Partnerships: | - general partnership (non commercial) | - general partnership (commercial) | - limited partnership | 3. Corporations: | - plc (UK), corporation (US) | - publicly traded partnership | - - - Ltd. (UK), LLC (US) | - | 4. cooperative limited (liability) company | | 2. Società di persone: | - S.s. | - S.n.c. | - S.a.s. | 3. Società di capitali: | - S.p.a. | - S.a.p.a. | - S.c.p.a. | - S.c.a.r.l. | - S.r.l. | - S.r.l.s. | 4. Cooperative | - S.c.r.l. | | 4 |
| Jordan | 1. Partnership | 2. Limited Liability | 3. Limited Liability in Shares | 4. Public Shareholding | 5. Private Shareholding Companie | 6. Foreign Company | | 1. General Partnership Company | 2. Limited Liability Compan | 3. Limited Liability in Shares | 4. Public listed stock company | 5. Private listed stock company | 6. Non-Jordanian company operating in Jordan | | 6 | |
| Kazakhstan | 1. Aktsionernoe obschestvo/Акционерное общество | 2. Tovarishchestvo s ogranichennoy otvetstvennostyu/Товарищество с ограниченной ответственностью | 3. Tovarishchestvo s dopolnitelnoyu otvetstvennostyu/Товарищество с дополнительной ответственностью | 4. Gosudarstvenoe predpriyatie/Государственное предприятие | 5. Komanditnoe Tovarishchestvo; Командитное товарищество | 6. Obshestvennoe Obedinenie / Общественное объединение | 7. Polnoe Tovarishchestvo / Полное товарищество | 8. Potrebibitelskii Kooperativ / Потребительский кооператив | 9. Proizvodstvenni Kooperativ / Производственный кооператив | 10. Relitioznoe Obedinenie / Религиозное объединение | 11. Uchrezhdenie/Учреждение | | 1. Joint stock company | 2. limited liability partnership | 3. Additional liability partnership | 4. State company | 6. Social association | 7. Full partnership | | 1. AO | 2. TOO | 3. TDO/ТДО | 4. GP/ГП | 5. KT | 6. OO | 7. PT/ПТ | 8. PtK/ПтК | 9. PrK/ПрК | 10. РО | 11. Uchr/Учр | | 11 |
| Latvia | 1. Sabiedrība ar ierobežotu atbildību | 2. Akciju sabiedrība | 3. Individuālais komersants | 4. Pilnsabiedrība | 5. Komandītsabiedrība | 6. Ārzemju komersanta filiāle | 7. Bezpeļņas organizācija | 8. Valsts sabiedrība ar ierobežotu atbildību | | 1. Ltd. (UK) | 2. plc (UK) | 3. sole proprietorship | 4. general partnership, joint venture | 5. limited partnership | 6. branch of a foreign enterprise | 7. nonprofit organization | 8. tate-owned Ltd. | | 1 SIA | 2. AS | 3. IK | 4. PS | 5. KS | 6. ĀKF | 7. BO | 8. VSIA | 8 |
| Lebanon | 1. Societe Anonyme Libanaise | 2. Société à responsabilité limitée | 3. Partnership: | - Société en Nom Collectif | - Société en Commandite Simple | 4. Holding Company | 5. Offshore company | 6. Branch of Foreign Company | 7. Representative Office | | 1. a form of a joint stock company | 2. a form of a Limited Liability Company | 3. Partnership: | - General partnership | - Partnership in commendam | | 1. s.a.l. | 2. S.A.R.L. | 3. Partnership: | - S.N.C. | - S.C.S. | | 7 |
| Liechtenstein | 1. Aktiengesellschaft | 2. Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung | 1. AG | 2. GmbH | | 2 | |
| Lithuania | 1. Uždaroji akcinė bendrovė | 2. Akcinė bendrovė | 3. Viešoji įstaiga | 4. Individuali įmonė | 5. Individuali veikla | 6. Tikroji ūkinė bendrija | 7. Komanditinė ūkinė bendrija | 8. Mažoji bendrija | 9. Biudžetinė įstaiga | 10. Politinė partija | | 1. Ltd. (UK) | 2. plc (UK) | 3. non-profit organization | 4. personal enterprise | 5. sole proprietorship (does not possess legal personality of its own) | 6. general partnership | 7. limited partnership | 8. limited liability partnership | 9. budgetary institution (government/municipality agency) | 10. Political Party | | 1. UAB | 2. AB | 3. VšĮ | 4. IĮ 6. TŪB | 7. KŪB | 8. MB | 9. BĮ | 10. PP | 10 |
| Luxembourg | 1. Société anonyme | 2. Société à responsabilité limitée | 3. Société à responsabilité limitée simplifiée | 4. Société en commandite simple | 5. Société en Commandite Spéciale | 6. Société en commandite par actions | | 1. plc (UK) | 2. Ltd. (UK) | 3. simplified limited liability company | 4. Limited partnership | 5.Unlike an SCS, an SCSp does not have a legal personality separate from those of its partners; it is formed by an agreement among its partners and allows for more flexible structuring, not having to comply with corporate law requirements | 6. corporate limited partnership | | 1. S.A. | 2. S.A R.L. | 3. SARL-S | 4. SCS | 5. SCSp | 6. SCA | 6 |
| Malaysia | 1. Perkongsian Liabiliti Terhad | 2. Berhad | 3. Sendirian Berhad | | 1. LLP | 2. plc (UK) | 3. Ltd. (UK) | | 1. PLT | 2. Bhd. | 3. Sdn. Bhd. | | 3 |
| Malta | 1. Limited liability company | 2. Public limited liability company | | 1. Ltd. | 2. Plc | | 2 | |
| Mexico | 1. Persona Física | 2. Sociedad Anónima | 3. Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada | 4. Sociedad en Nombre Colectivo | 5. Sociedad en Comandita Simple | 6. Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones | 7. Sociedad Anónima Bursátil | 8. Sociedad Anónima Promotora de Inversión | | 2. plc (UK) | 3. Ltd. (UK) | 4. Associates name and "y compañía" or Associates name and "y sucesores"(Sociedad en Nombre Colectivo): ≈ general partnership | 5. limited partnership | 6. master limited partnership | 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." | | 2. S.A. | 3. S. de R.L. | 5. S. en C. | 6. S. en C. por A. | 7. S.A.B. | 8. S.A.P.I. | | 8 |
| Monaco | 1. Société Anonyme Monégasque | 2. Société à Responsabilité Limitée | 3. Societe en Nom Collectif | 4. Societe En Commandite Simple | 5. Société en Commandite par Actions | 6. Sole Trader | | 1. joint stock company | 2. Ltd. (UK), LLC (USA) | 3. General Partnership | 4. Limited Partnership | 5. Limited Partnership with Shares | | 1. SAM | 2. SARL | 3. SNC | 4. SCS | 5. SCA | | 6 |
| Mongolia | 1. Орон нутгийн өмчит үйлдвэрийн газар | 2. Хувьцаат компани | 3. Хязгаарлагдмал хариуцлагатай компани | 4. Хоршоо | 5. Бүх гишүүд нь бүрэн хариуцлагатай нөхөрлөл | 6. Зарим гишүүд нь бүрэн хариуцлагатай нөхөрлөл | 7. Төсөвт байгууллага | 8. Төрийн бус байгууллага | | 1. Local government-owned enterprise | 2. Public limited company | 3. Private limited company | 4. Cooperative | 5. Partnership with all liability members | 6. Limited liability partnership | 7. Public enterprise | 8. Non-governmental organisation | | 8 | |
| Montenegro | 1. Preduzetnik | 2. Ortačko Društvo | 3. Komanditno Društvo | 4. Akcionarsko Društvo | 5. Društvo sa Ograničenom Odgovornošću | | 1. Sole proprietorship (UK) | 2. General partnership (UK) | 3. Limited partnership (UK) | 4. joint-stock company, plc (UK) | 5. Private Limited Companies (Ltd.) (UK) | | 2. O.D. | 3. K.D. | 4. A.D. | 5. D.O.O | | 5 |
| Morocco | 1. Société Anonyme | 2. ociété Anonyme Simplifiée | 3. Société à Responsabilité Limitée | 4. Groupement d'Intérêt Economique | 5. Société en Nom Collectif | 6. Société en Commandite Simple | 7. Société en Commandite par Actions | | 1. Public Limited Company (P.L.C) (UK), Corporation (US/Can) | 2. Unlisted public company (Au), Close Corporation (CC) (S. Africa), Private Corporation (Can); often used for subsidiaries; 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 | 3. Private Limited company (Ltd.) (UK), Limited Liability Company (US) | 4. economic interest grouping | 5. General Partnership (GP) | 6. Limited Partnership (LP) | 7. Publicly Traded Partnership (PTP) (US) | | 1. S.A | 2. S.A.S | 3. S.A.R.L | 4. G.I.E | 5. S.N.C | 6. S.C.S | 7. S.C.A | | 7 |
| Namibia | 1. Close Corporation | 2. Companies (Private, Public and Section 21) | 3. Sole Trader | 4. Partnership | 5. Trusts | 6. Co-operatives | | 6 | ||
| Nepal | 1. Private Limited Company | 2. Public Limited Company | 3. Branch | | 3 | ||
| Netherlands | 1. Stichting | 2. Mutual societies: | - Coöperatie | - Onderlinge waarborgmaatschappij | 3. Vereniging: | - Vereniging van Eigenaars | 4. Maatschap | 5. Eenmanszaak | 6. vennootschap onder firma | 7. commanditaire vennootschap | 8. besloten vennootschap | 9. naamloze vennootschap | | 1. Foundation. Can run a business. No profit distribution to founders or board members | 2. 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)): | - co-operative society | - mutual insurance company | 3. Association. Can run a business, but may not distribute profit among its members: | - Homeowner association | 4. Group practice (of professionals, e.g. doctors, accountants, lawyers); share facilities not profits, members are treated as natural persons for tax and liability purposes | 5. Sole trader (UK), sole proprietorship (US) | 6. GP | 7. LP | 8. Ltd (UK), Ltd. (US). May appear in a company name as the suffic of "B.V."A bv can be started by an individual (perhaps as the major or only shareholder) or together with partners. Private liability as a director is limited | 9. plc (UK), Corp. (US). May appear in company name as the suffix of "N.V." Minimum issued share capital upon incorporation: €45,000. Literally translated, the title is "nameless company", owing to the fact that shareholders are not formally known as such in company statutes and other legal document | | 3. Vereniging: | - vve | 4. Mts | 6. vof | 7. cv | 8. bv | 9. nv | | 9 |
| New Zealand | 1. Ltd (Limited) | 2. A Look-Through Company | | 2. A Look-Through Company (LTC) is a kind of tax structure for New Zealand companies with limited liability, which allows the company in question to transfer its income and expenditure to its shareholders directly. The LTC has replaced the previously popular Loss Attributing Qualifying Company and will be a simpler alternative to Limited Partnership; however, this new structure differs in a number of key areas. | 2. LTC | 2 |
| Nicaragua | 1. Sociedad Anónima | 2. Sociedad en Nombre Colectivo | 3. Sociedad en Nombre Colectivo de Responsabilidad Limitada | 4. Sociedad en Comandita Simple | 5. Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones | | 1. S.A. | 2. Cia | 3. Cia. Ltda. | 4. S.C.S. | 5. S.C.A. | | 5 | |
| Nigeria | 1. Private Limited Company | 2. Public Limited Company | 3. Limited by Guarantee | 4. Unlimited | 5. Limited Liability Partnership | 6. Partnership | | 1. Ltd. 2. PLC | 3. Ltd./Gte | 4. ULtd. | 5. LLP | | 6 | |
| North Macedonia | 1. Akcionersko Društvo / Акционерско друштво | 2. Društvo so Ograničena Odgovornost / Друштво со ограничена одговорност | 3. Društvo so Ograničena Odgovornost od Edno Lice / Друштво со ограничена одговорност основано од едно лице) | 4. Komanditno Društvo / Командитно друштво | 5. Komanditno Društvo so Akcie / Командитно друштво со акции | 6. Javno Trgovsko Društvo / Јавно трговско друштво | | 1. plc (UK) or Joint-stock company | 2. Ltd. (UK) | 3. type of DOO with a single member | 4. limited partnership | 5. limited partnership with shares | 6. General partnership | | 1. A.D./А.Д. | 2. D.O.O./Д.О.О. | 3. D.O.O.E.L./Д.О.О.Е.Л. | 4. K.D./К.Д. | 5. K.D.A./К.Д.А. | 6. J.T.D./Ј.Т.Д. | | 6 |
| Norway | 1. Allmennaksjeselskap | 2. Aksjeselskap | 3. Ansvarlig selskap | 4. Selskap med begrenset ansvar | 5. Borettslag | 6. Selskap med delt ansvar | 7. Enkeltpersonforetak | 8. Etat | 9. Fylkeskommunalt foretak | 10. helseforetak | 11. Interkommunalt selskap | 12. Kommunalt foretak | 13. Kommandittselskap | 14. Norskregistrert utenlandsk foretak | 15. regionalt helseforetak | 16. Statsforetak | 17. Sparebank | 18. Stiftelse | 19. Ungdomsbedrift | | 1. plc (UK). Minimum capital NKr 1,000,000 | 2. Ltd. (UK). Minimum capital NKr 30,000. | 3. general partnership with mutual liability | 4. cooperatives and companies created by legislation | 5. housing share company | 6. general partnership with apportioned liability | 7. sole proprietorship | 8. state, county or municipal agency | 9. county enterprise | 10. subsidiary health enterprise | 11. inter-municipal enterprise (owners' liability | 12. municipal enterprise (owner's liability | 13. limited partnership | 14. foreign enterprise registered in Norway | 15. regional health enterprise | 16. state enterprise | 17. savings bank | 18. with capital but without members or shareholders. It is allowed to make a profit, but is more suited for non-commercial purposes | 19. youth enterprise, only used in education | | 1. ASA | 2. AS | 3. ANS | 4. BA | 5. BL | 6. DA | 9. FKF | 10. HF | 11. IKS | 12. KF | 13. KS | 14. NUF | 15. RHF | 16. SF | 19. UB | | 19 |
| Oman | 1. Société Anonyme Omanaise Générale | 2. Société Anonyme Omanaise Close | | 1. Public Joint Stock Company | 2. Closed Joint Stock Company | | 1. SAOG | 2. SAOC | | 2 |
| Pakistan | 1. Sole Proprietorship | 2. Partnership | 3. Company | | 3 | ||
| Peru | 1. Sociedad Anónima | 2. Sociedad Anónima Abierta | 3. Sociedad Anónima Cerrada | | 1. plc (UK) | 2. 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 | 3. These companies must have a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 20 shareholders. These shares can't be registered in the Public Registry | | 1. S.A. | 2. S.A.A. | 3. S.A.C. | | 3 |
| Philippines | 1. Corporations: | - Corporation (Corp.) and Incorporated (Inc.) | - Government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) | - One-Person Corporation (OPC) | 2. Partnerships: | - Company | - Limited Company | - Limited (Liability) Partnership | 3. Cooperative | 4. Enterprise | | 1. Corporations: | - Ltd and plc (UK), corporation (US). | - statute corporation (UK), GSE and FOE (US). These use the Corp. and Inc. suffixes as with other corporations. | - LLC (US). Newly approved corporate equivalent of a sole proprietorship | | 2. 2. Partnerships: | - Co. | - Ltd., Ltd. Co. | - LP, LLP | 3. Coop. | 4. Ent. | | 4 |
| Poland | No universal definitions of company and business exist in the Polish law. The usage of the equivalent terms in the Polish legal system may often be confusing because each of them has several different definitions for various purposes | Przedsiębiorca ('entrepreneur' or 'undertaking')—known as kupiec ('merchant') until 1964; jednostka gospodarcza ('economic unit') from 1964 to 1988; podmiot gospodarczy ('economic entity') from 1988 to 1997—is the closest equivalent of company understood as an entity. As of January 2021, there are at least thirteen different definitions of entrepreneur/undertaking | | |||
| Portugal | 1. Cooperativa | - Cooperativa de Responsabilidade Limitada | 2. Sociedade Anónima: | - Sociedade Aberta | - Sociedade Fechada | 3. Limitada | - Unipessoal Lda | 4. Sociedade Gestora de Participações Sociai | 5. Sociedade Unipessoal Anónima | 6. Self-managed collective investment companies: - Sociedades Gestoras de Organismos de Investimento Coletivo | - Sociedades de Investimento Coletivo | | 1. Cooperative: The name of the entity should include the expression "Cooperativa" or "União de Cooperativas" or "Federação de Cooperativas" or "Confederação de Cooperativas:} - limited liability cooperative | 2. Plc (UK), and these are further classified as: | - publicly traded corporation (literally "open company" | - privately held (closely held) corporation (literally "closed company" | 3. Ltd. (UK), and these might be: | - single member company (literally: "Unipersonal Ltd.") | 4. holding company (literally "shareholding management company") | 5.Sole Proprietorship | 6. Self-managed collective investment companies: | - Self-managed collective investment management companies | - self-managed collective investment companies | | 1. Cooperativa | - CRL | 2. S.A. | - S.A. | - S.F. | 3. Lda. - Unipessoal Lda | 4. SGPS | 5. SUA | 6. Self-managed collective investment companies: - SGOIC | - SIC | | 6 |
| Romania | Societăți comerciale | 1. Societăți de persoane: | - Societatea în nume colectiv | - Societatea în comandită simplă | 2. Societăți de capitaluri: | - Societatea în comandită pe acțiuni | - Societatea pe acțiuni | 3. Societăți hibride | - Societate cu răspundere limitată | - ocietatea cu răspundere limitată cu proprietar unic | 4. Societate pe Acţiuni | 5. societate în comandită pe acţiuni | 6. societate în comandită simplă | 7. societate în nume colecti | 8. societate cu răspundere limitată | 9. persoana fizica autorizata | 10. Organizație Non-Guvernamentală | | Companies | 1. Unincorporated companies, also called Partnerships: | - General Partnership, abbreviated GP | - Limited Partnership, abbreviated LP | 2. Incorporated companies, also called Corporations: | - Company Limited by Shares | - Joint-Stock Company | 3. Hybrid companies: | - Limited Liability Company | 4. plc (UK) | 5. limited partnership with shares | 6. limited partnership | 7. general partnership | 8. Ltd. (UK) | 9. self-employed (UK) Sole Proprietorship (US) | 10. Non-state pension fund (literally: Non-Governmental Organization) — strictly speaking, ONGs do not exist in Romanian law, they are legally called either associations or foundations | | SC | 1. Societăți de persoane: | - SNS | - SCS | 2. Societăți de capitaluri: | - SCA | - SA | 3. Societăți hibride | - SRL | - SRL cu proprietar unic | 4. S.A. | 5. S.C.A. | 6. S.C.S. | 7. S.N.C. | 8. S.R.L. | 9. PFA | 10. O.N.G. | | 10 |
| Russia | 1. Nekommercheskaya organizatsiya | 2. Individualny predprinimatel | 3. Gosudarstvennoye (unitarnoye) predpriyatiy | 4. Municipalnoe (unitarnoye) predpriyatiye | 5. Ограниченной Ответственностью, romanized: Obschestvo s ogranichennoy otvetstvennostyu | 6. Акционерное Общество, romanized: Aktsionernoye obschestvo | 7. Публичное Акционерное Общество, romanized: Publichnoye Aktsionernoye Obschestvo | 8. Непубличное Акционерное Общество, romanized: Nepublichnoye Aktsionernoye Obschestvo | 9. Кооператив, lit. 'cooperative | | 1. Nonprofit organization | 2. a sole proprietorship | 3. state (unitary) enterprise | 4. municipal (unitary) enterprise | 5. limited liability company (US-like) | 6. private limited company (ltd) (UK), privately held shares (similar to a close corporation, or closely held corporation, in the US) (maximum fifty "owners of capital" (not shareholders); if there are more than fifty "owners of capital", they have a year to transform into a PAO) | 7. plc (UK), publicly traded shares (similar to a corporation in the US) | 8. lit. 'Privately held company' | 9. these include many types, which differ by the type of activity, e.g. farming or other kind of production | | 1. NGO or NPO | 2. IP (Russian: ИП | 3. GP or GUP (Russian: ГУП | 4. MP or MUP (Russian: МУП | 5. OOO | 6. AO | 7. ПАО | 8. НПАО | | 9 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1. شركة ذات مسئولية محدودة | 2. شركة مساهمة | 3. شركة تضامن | 4. شركة التوصية البسيطة | 5. شركة أجنبية | 6. مؤسسة فردية | | 1. Private Limited Company | 2. Joint-Stock company | 3. General Partnership Company | 4. Limited Partnership | 5. Foreign Company | 6. Individual Establishment | | 6 | |
| Serbia | 1. društvo sa ograničenom odgovornošću / друштво са ограниченом одговорношћу | 2. deoničko) društvo / деоничарско (деоничко) друштво or akcionarsko društvo / aкционарско друштво | 3. preduzetnik | 4. ortačko društvo / ортачко друштво | 5. komanditno društvo / командитно друштво | 6. javno preduzeće / јавно предузеће | | 1. Limited liability partnership | 2. joint-stock company, plc (UK) | 3. Sole proprietorship (UK) | 4. General partnership (UK) | 5. Limited partnership (UK) | 6. state-owned enterprise | | 1. d.o.o. / д.о.о | 2. d.d. / д.д. or a.d. / a.д. | 4. o.d. / о.д. | 5. k.d. / к.д. | 6. j.p. / ј.п. | | 6 |
| Singapore | 1. limited liability partnership | 2. private limited company/Sendirian Berhad | 3. public limited company/Berhad | 4. Singapore subsidiary company | | 1. owners have the flexibility of operating as a partnership while enjoying limited liability.[citation needed] An LLP can sue and be sued, acquire and hold property, and have a common seal | 2. 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 | 3. 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 | 4. Singapore subsidiary company is a popular term used for a form of Singapore business entity. A subsidiary company can have different structures but is essentially a Private Limited Company and so is a separate legal entity | | 1. LLP | 2. Pte Ltd/Sdn Bhd | 3. Ltd/Bhd | | 4 |
| Slovakia | 1. Akciová spoločnosť | 2. Spoločnosť s ručením obmedzeným | 3. Komanditná spoločnosť | 4. Verejná obchodná spoločnosť | 5. Družstvo | 6. živnosť | 1. Plc (UK). Minimum share capital €25,000. Must have a supervisory board in addition to the management board | 2. Ltd. (UK) | 3. LLP. or Limited liability partnership (UK). Must have at least one "general partner" with unlimited liability. | 4. general partnership or unlimited partnership | 5. Cooperative | 6. Sole proprietorship | | 1. a.s. | 2. s.r.o., spol. s r.o. | 3. k.s. | 4. v.o.s. | | 6 |
| Slovenia | 1. Delniška družba | 2. Družba z omejeno odgovornostjo | 3. Družba z neomejeno odgovornostjo | 4. Komanditna družba | 5. Samostojni podjetnik | | 1. Plc (UK) | 2. Ltd. (UK) | 3. Unlimited company (UK) | 4. LP (UK) | 5. Sole proprietorship (UK) | | 1. d.d. | 2. d.o.o. | 3. d.n.o. | 4. k.d. | 5. s.p. | | 5 |
| South Africa | 1. Sole proprietorship | 2. Business trust | 3. Partnership | 4. Company limited by guarantee | 5. Companies having a share capital | 6. Public company | 7. Close corporation | | 7. Has 1–10 non-corporate members. The name must end with "CC" ; 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 | | 4. (Pty) Ltd | 5. Ltd. | 7. CC | | 7 |
| South Korea | 1. 합명회사; 合名會社; hammyeonghoesa | 2. 합자회사; 合資會社; hapjahoesa | 3. 유한책임회사; 有限責任會社; yuhanchaegimhoesa | 4. 주식회사; 株式會社; jusikhoesa ((주) or ㈜ for short | 5. 유한회사; 有限會社; yuhanhoesa | 6. 협동조합; 協同組合; hyeopdongjohap | 7. 협동조합연합회; 協同組合聯合會; hyeopdongjohabyeonhapoe | | 1. gōmei gaisha (Japan); corporation similar to a general partnership | 2. gōshi gaisha (Japan); corporation similar to a limited partnership | 3. limited liability company; ≈ gōdō gaisha (Japan) | 4. kabushiki gaisha (Japan); plc (UK) | 5. yūgen gaisha/gōdō gaisha (Japan); Ltd. (UK); GmbH (Germany) | 6. Cooperative: In Korean Framework Act On Cooperatives, a cooperative is a business organization that seeks to improve the rights and interests of its members and contribute to the local community by engaging in cooperative purchasing, production, sales, and provision of goods or services. Cooperatives cannot engage in finance or insurance business | 7. It is an federation established to promote the common interests of cooperatives | | 7 | |
| Spain | 1. Comunidad de Bienes | 2. Sociedad Anónima | 3. Sociedad Limitada | 4. Sociedad Limitada Nueva Empresa | 5. Sociedad Anónima Deportiva | 6. Sociedad Limitada Laboral | 7. Sociedad Colectiva | 8. Sociedad Civil Privada | 9. Sociedad Comanditaria: | - Sociedad Comanditaria por Acciones | - Sociedad Comanditaria por Acciones Profesional | 10. Sociedad Cooperativa | 11. Unión Temporal de Empresas | 12. Venture capital fund: | - Sociedades de Capital Riesgo | - Fondos de Capital Riesgo | - Sociedades de inversión colectiva de tipo cerrado | - Fondos de inversión colectiva de tipo cerrado | - Sociedades Gestoras de Entidades de Inversión Colectiva de tipo cerrado | | 1. partnership | 2. plc (UK), minimum capital €60,101.21 | 3. Ltd. (UK), minimum capital €3,012 | 4. 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 | 5. a limited liability sports corporation | 6. a labour limited corporation | 7. roughly a general partnership | 9. limited partnerships | 10. is owned and democratically controlled by its workers - Other initialisations are used for cooperatives; Sociedad Anónima Laboral (SAL); some are region specific e.g. Sociedad Cooperativa Catalana Limitada (SCCL) | 11. temporary consortium or joint venture | | 1. C.B. | 2. S.A. | 3. S.L. | 4. S.L.N.E. | 5. S.A.D. | 6. S.L.L. | 7. S.C. | 8. S.C.P. | 9. S.Cra.: | - S.Com. p. A. | - S.Com p.A.P. | 10. S.Coop. | 11. UTE | 12. Venture capital fund: | - SCR | - FCR | - SICC | - FICC | - SGEIC} | 12 |
| Sweden | 1. Aktiebolag | 2. Publikt aktiebolag | - Bankaktiebolag | - Försäkringsaktiebolag | - Tjänstepensionsaktiebolag | 3. Ekonomisk förening: | - ostadsrättsförening | - Kooperativ hyresrättsförening | - Bostadsförening | - Sambruksförening | - Försäkringsförening | 4. Enskild näringsidkare | 5. Handelsbolag | 6. Kommanditbolag | 7. Enkelt bolag | 8. Ideell förening | 9. Samfällighetsförening | 10. Stiftelse | 11. Trossamfund | 12. Filial: | - Bankfilial | - Försäkringsfilial | 13. Sparbank | 14. Medlemsbank | 15. Ömsesidigt försäkringsbolag | 16. Ömsesidigt tjänstepensionsbolag | 17. Tjänstepensionsförening | | 1. private limited company ≈ Ltd. (UK). Minimum capital SEK 25,000. | 2. public limited company ≈ plc (UK). Minimum capital SEK 500,000: | - joint-stock bank company | - joint-stock insurance company | - joint-stock occupational pension company | 3.economic association (minimum three members) ≈ cooperative: | - condominium/home-owners' association | - home-renters' association | - apartment-owners' association (established before 1930) | - cooperative farming or gardening association | - insurance association | 4. sole trader | 5. trading partnership | 6. limited partnership | 7. regulated partnership between two parts (companies or private persons) | 8. non-profit organisation | 9. community association | 10. foundation | 11. religious organisation | 12. foreign branch: | - foreign bank branch | - foreign insurance branch | 13. savings bank | 14. credit union | 15. mutual insurance company | 16. mutual occupational pension company | 17. occupational pension association | | 1. AB | 2. AB (publ) | 3. Ek. | 5. HB | 6. KB | | 17 |
| Switzerland | 1. Aktiengesellschaft | 2. Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung | 3. Stiftung | 4. Anlagefonds / fonds de placement / fondo di investimento | - Investmentgesellschaft mit festem Kapital | - Investmentgesellschaft mit variablem Kapital | 5. Verein | 6. wirtschaftliche Interessengemeinschaft | 7. Einzelunternehmen | 8. Gesellschaft: | - einfache Gesellschaft | - Kollektivgesellschaft | - Kommanditgesellschaft | 9. Körperschaft / société de capitaux / società di capitale: | - Kommanditaktiengesellschaft | - Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung | - Aktiengesellschaft | 10. Aktiengesellschaft | 11. Zweigniederlassung | | 1. plc (UK) or Inc. (US). Min. share capital SFr 100,000 | 2. Ltd. (UK), LLC (US). Min. capital SFr 20,000 | 3. foundation | 4. investment fund: | - investment trust (UK), closed-end company (US) | - OEIC (open-ended investment company) (UK), open-end company (US) | 5. non-profit association | 6. interest grouping | 7. sole trader (UK), sole proprietorship (US) | 8. business entities: | - partnership by contract | - GP | - LP | 9. trading companies: | - publicly traded partnership (PTP) | - Ltd. (UK), LLC (US) | - plc (UK), Corp. (US/Can) | 10. co-operative | 11. branch (of a company) | | 1. AG | 2. GmbH | 4. investment fund: | - SICAF | - SICAV | 6. wIG | 8. Gesellschaft "business entities": | - eG | - KolG | - KG | 9. trading companies: | - KomAG | - GmbH | - AG | | 11 |
| Taiwan | 1. 無限公司 | 2. 有限公司 (yǒuxiàn gōngsī) | 3. 兩合公司 | 4. 股份有限公司 (gǔfèn yǒuxiàn gōngsī) | 1. Unlimited Company | 2. Limited Company | 3. Limited Partnership | 4. Public Limited Company or Corporation | | 4 | |
| Thailand | 1. บริษัทมหาชนจำกัด | 2. บริษัทเอกชนจำกัด | 3. ห้างหุ้นส่วนจำกัด | 4. ห้างหุ้นส่วนสามัญนิติบุคคล | | 1. plc (UK). Minimum 15 shareholders | 2. Ltd. (UK). At least three shareholders. | 3. limited partnership There are two kinds of partnership: Limited partnership which has limited liability of the partnership, and unlimited partner which has unlimited liability to the third party for the partner. The unlimited partnership has the right to control the partnership. On the other hand, the limited partnership has no right to make decision in the partnership | 4. general partnership | | 1. name format บริษัท corporation name จำกัด (มหาชน) | 2. name format บริษัท corporation name จำกัด | 3. name format ห้างหุ้นส่วน corporation name จำกัด | 4. name format ห้างหุ้นส่วน corporation name | | 4 |
| Tunisia | 1. شركة فردية | 2. شّركة ذات مسؤوليّات محدودة ش.م.م | 3. شّركة فردية ذات مسؤوليّات محدودة | 4. شركة خفية الإسم | 5. الشركات ذات رأس المال المتغيّر | | 1. Entreprise individuelle | 2. Société à responsabilité limitée | 3. Société unipersonnelle à responsabilité limitée | 4. Société anonyme | | 2. SARL | 3. SUARL | 4. SA | | 5 |
| Turkey | 1. Adi şirket | 2. Şahıs şirketleri: | - Koll. Şti. (kolektif şirket) | - Kom. Şti (komandit şirket) | 3. Anonim Şirket / Anonim Ortaklık | 4. Limited şirket / Limited ortaklık | 5. Halka Açık Anonim Ortaklık | 6. Koop. (kooperatif şirket) | 7. irtibat bürosu | 8. Şahıs firması | 9. Şb. (şube) | | 1. Simple partnership (has no legal personality) | 2. Partnerships (unlike the partnerships in Anglo-American law, they also have legal personality like companies) | - Collective partnership | - Commandite partnership: Can be established as simple commandite partnership or as commandite company divided into shares (Sermayesi paylara bölünmüş komandit şirket.) | 3. Joint-stock company: Minimum capital is TL 50,000. Bearer or registered shares, of a minimum par value of TL 0.01 each. Only type of company that can be publicly traded in Turkish law | 4. Limited company: Minimum capital is TL 10,000. Registered shares only, of a minimum par value of TRY 25 each | 5. Publicly held corporation: This essentially is a special type of A.O. These type of companies can only be established as A.O.'s. When there are no specific rules under Capital Markets legislation, A.O. rules under Turkish Commercial Code will be applied to HAAO's | 6. Cooperative | 7. liaison office | 8. Sole proprietorship | 9. Branch Office | | 3. A.Ş. / A.O. | 4. Ltd. Şti. / L.Ş. / L.O. | 5. HAAO | 6. Koop. | 9. Şb. | | 9 |
| Ukraine | 1. Державне акціонерне товариство / Derzhavne aktsionerne tovarystvo | 2. Фізична особа підприємець / Fizychna osoba pidpryyemets | 3. Командитне товариство / Komandytne tovarystvo | 4. Повне товариство / Povne tovarystvo | 5. Товариство з додатковою відповідальністю / Tovarystvo z dodatkvoiu vidpovidalnistiu | 6. Товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю / Tovarystvo z obmezhenoiu vidpovidalnistiu | 7. Приватне підприємство / Pryvatne pidpryyemstvo | 8. Публічне акціонерне товариство / Publichne aktsionerne tovarystvo) (before 29.04.2009 – VAT/ВАТ( Вiдкрите акцiонерне товариство / Vidkryte aktsionerne tovarystvo) | 9. Приватне акціонерне товариство / Prytvatne aktsionerne tovarystvo) (before 29.04.2009 – ZAT/ЗАТ (Закрите акцiонерне товариство / Zakryte Aktsionerne Tovarystvo) | 10. Акціонерне товариство / Aktsionerne tovarystvo | | 1. plc (UK), national | 2. sole proprietorship | 3. limited partnership | 4. general partnership | 5. additional liability company | 6. Ltd. (UK). No minimum capital | 7. Ltd. (UK). No minimum capital. | 8. plc (UK), public. Minimum capital – 1250 minimum wages (UAH 7,500,000 as of 27.09.2021 | 9. plc (UK), private. Minimum capital – same as PAT. | 10. JSC. Minimum capital – same as PAT. | | 1. DAT/ДАТ | 2. FOP/ФОП | 3. KT/КТ | 4. PT/ПT | 5. TDV/ТДВ | 6. TOV/TOB | 7. PP/ПП | 8. PAT/ПАТ | 9. PrAT/ПрАТ | 10. AT/АТ | | 10 |
| United Arab Emirates | In UAE Free Zones, a Free Zone Establishment (FZE) or Free Zone Company (FZC) is a limited liability company governed by the rules and regulations of the relevant zone in which it is established | | |||
| United Kingdom | 1. Community interest company | 2. Charitable Incorporated Organisation | 3. Industrial and provident society | 4. Partnerships: | - General partnership | - Limited liability partnership | - Scottish limited partnership | - Limited partnership | 5. Companies: | - Private Limited Companies | (Private company limited by shares, Private company limited by guarantee} - Public Limited Company | - Unlimited company | - Sole proprietorship | | 3. e.g. a co-operative (which does include Ltd. at the end of its name) or charity | 5. Private Limited Companies: | (The liability is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares held by them. Its shares cannot be traded publicly; The liability is limited to such amount as the members undertake to contribute to the assets of the company in the event of its being wound up) | | 1. CIC | 2. CIO | 4. Partnerships: | - GP | - LLP | - SLP | - LP | 5. Companies: | - Ltd. Or Limited, or Welsh Cyfyngedig (Cyf) | - PLC or Welsh Cwmni Cyfyngedig Cyhoeddus (CCC) | - Welsh (cwmni) anghyfyngedig | | 5 |
| United States | 1. Federal Savings Bank | 2. National Association | 3. National Trust and Savings Association | 4. Federal Credit Union | 5. Sole proprietorship | 6. Trust | 7. Charitable trust | 8. General partnership | 9. Unincorporated nonprofit association | 10. Limited partnership | 11. Limited liability partnership | 12. Limited liability limited partnership | 13. Limited liability company | 14. Professional limited liability company | 15. Low-profit limited liability company | 16. Corporations: | - Corporation | - Benefit corporation | - Professional corporation | 17. Nonprofit corporation | 18. Cooperative | 19. Doing Business As | 1. Formerly called federal savings and loan association | 2. Designation used by banks chartered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) | 3. A less common designation used by national banks | 4. Chartered by the National Credit Union Association (NCUA) | 5. Business consisting of a single owner (which may in turn be a business entity), not in a separately recognized business form | 6. A legal relationship wherein one person (a "settlor") grants another property to another (a "trustee") for the benefit of a single or limited amount of third-parties ("beneficiaries") | 7. A trust wherein the beneficiary is the general public | 8. An association of two or more persons for the purpose of producing a profit for the members of the partnership (called "general partners" or simply "partners") | 9. An association of two or more persons for the purpose of accomplishing a common goal other than profit; this is the nonprofit equivalent to general partnerships | 10. A partnership where at least one partner (the general partner, which may itself be an entity or an individual) has unlimited liability for the LP's debts and one or more partners (the limited partners) have limited liability (which means that they are not responsible for the LP's debts beyond the amount they agreed to invest). Limited partners generally do not participate in the management of the entity or its busines | 11. 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) | 12. A combination of LP and LLP, available in some states | 13. A form of business whose owners enjoy limited liability, but which is not a corporation | 14. Some states do not allow certain professionals to form an LLC that would limit the liability that results from the services professionals provide such as doctors, medical care; lawyers, legal advice; and accountants, accounting services; architects, architectural services; when the company formed offers the services of the professionals | 15. A hybrid for-profit and nonprofit entity available in some states. It is an LLC that is allowed to have a primary nonprofit purpose, and a secondary for-profit purpose | 16. Corporations: | - A legal entity that is owned by shareholders and managed by directors and officers, all of which enjoy limited liability. A corporation can be a public or private company | - A for-profit corporation that includes positive impact on society, workers, the community, and the environment in addition to profit as its legally defined goals, in that the definition of "best interest of the corporation" is specified to include those impacts. - 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 | 17. A corporation whose primary purpose is to serve a social goal instead of producing a profit for shareholders. As such, nonprofit corporations do not have shareholders but may still have directors and officers which still enjoy limited liability | 18. For-profit entity owned and democratically operated by a group of people who share a common economic goal, such as worker cooperatives, agricultural cooperatives, or a utility cooperatives. In most states, a cooperative must have a signifier in its name indicating that it is a cooperative, such as coop, co-op, CP, or cooperative | 19. A business name used by a person or entity that is different from the person's or entity's true legal name. DBAs are not separate entities and do not shield the person or entity who uses the DBA as a business name from liability for debts or lawsuits. Filing requirements vary and are not permitted for some types of businesses or professional practices | 1. FSB | 2. NA | 3. NT&SA | 10. LP | 11. LLP | 12. LLLP | 13. LLC, LC, Ltd., or Co. | 14. PLLC | 15. L3C | 16. Corporations: | - Corp., Inc., or Incorporated | - PBC | - PC or P.C. | 18. Co-Op, Coop, or CP | 19. DBA or Fictitious Name | | 19 |
| Uruguay | 1. Sociedad Anónima | 2. Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada | 3. Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada | 4. Sociedad de Capital e Industria | 5. Sociedad Colectiva | | 1. Company by share | 2. A simplified version of the S.A. | 3. Limited liability company | 4. A company with segregated shares between capital and labor | 5. A company with unlimited liability between its members | 1. S.A. | 2. S.A.S. | 3. S.R.L. | 4. S.C.I. | 5. S.C. | | 5 |
| Uzbekistan | 1. Mas'uliyati Cheklangan Jamiyat/Масъулияти Чекланган Жамият | 2. Qo'shimcha ma'suliyatli jamiyat/Қўшимча масъулиятли жамият | 3. Aksiyadorlik jamiyati/Акциядорлик жамияти: | - Ochiq aksiyadorlik jamiyati/Очиқ акциядорлик жамияти | - Yopiq aksiyadorlik jamiyati/Ёпиқ акциядорлик жамияти | 4. Xususiy korxona/Хусусий корхона | 5. Xususiy tadbirkorlik/Хусусий тадбиркорлик | 6. Oilaviy korxona/Оилавий корхона | 7. Unitar korxona/Унитар корхона | 8. Qo'shma korxona/Қўшма корхона | | 1. Limited liability company | 2. Additional liability company | 3. Joint-stock company: | - Public joint-stock company | - Closed joint-stock company | 4. Private company | 5. Sole proprietorship | 6. Family company | 7. Unitary enterprise | 8. Joint venture | | 1. MChJ | 2. QMJ | 3. AJ : | - OA | - YoAJ | 4. XK | 5. XT | 6. OK | 7. UK | 8. QK | | 8 |
| Venezuela | 1. Công ty trách nhiệm hữu hạn | 2. Công ty trách nhiệm hữu hạn một thành viên | 3. Công ty cổ phần | 4. Công ty hợp danh | 5. Doanh nghiệp hợp danh | 6. Doanh nghiệp nhà nước | 7. Doanh nghiệp tư nhân | 8. Doanh nghiệp có vốn đầu tư nước ngoài | 9. Hợp tác xã | 10. Chi nhánh | 11. Nhóm Cty (Công Ty) | | 1. Company with Limited Liablity | 2. Limited Liablity Company with a Single member | 3. Joint Stock Company | 4. "Company of Partners": Partnership | 5. "Enterprise Partnership": Partnership | 6. State-Owned Enterprise | 7. Proprietorship | 8. Enterprise with Foreign Investment | 9. Co-operation | 10. Branch Company | 11. Holding Company | | 1. Cty TNHH | 2. Cty TNHH MTV | 3. Cty CP | 6. DNNN | 7. DNTN | 8. DTNN | 9. HTX | . | 12 |
showing: 90 rows
State | Words Required in Corporation Name | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama |
| § 10-2B-4.01(a)(1) Code of Alabama 1975 |
| Alaska |
| § 10.06.105 (a) and (b), Alaska Corporations Code |
| Arizona |
| § 10-401 Arizona Revised Statutes |
| Arkansas |
| § 4-26-401 (1), Arkansas Code |
| California |
| § 202(a), California Corporations Code |
| Colorado |
| § 7-90-601, Colorado Revised Statutes |
| Connecticut |
| § 33-655 General Statutes of Connecticut |
| Delaware |
| Title 8, § 102, Delaware Code |
| District of Columbia |
| § 29–101.08 District of Columbia Official Code |
| Florida |
| § 607.0401 Florida Statutes |
| Georgia |
| O.C.G.A. § 14-2-401 |
| Hawaii |
| § 414-51 Hawaii Revised Statutes |
| Idaho |
| § 30-1-401 Idaho Statutes |
| Illinois |
| 805 ILCS 5/4.05 Illinois Compiled Statutes |
| Indiana |
| § 23-1-23-1 Indiana Code |
| Iowa |
| § 490.401 Iowa Acts |
| Kansas |
| § 17-6002 Kansas Statutes |
| Kentucky |
| |
| Louisiana |
| § 12:23 Louisiana Revised Statutes |
| Maine |
| for business corporations: Title 13-C § 401 Maine Revised Statutes; for non-profit corporations: Title 13-B § 301-A Maine Revised Statutes |
| Maryland |
| Maryland Code – Corporations and Associations § 1–502 |
| Massachusetts |
| General Laws Of Massachusetts – Chapter 155: Section 9 |
| Michigan |
| Act 284 of 1972 Section 450.1211 Michigan Business Corporation Act |
| Minnesota |
| Chapter 302A, Section 302A.115 Minnesota Statutes (for Business Corporations); Chapter 317A, Section 317A.115 Minnesota Statutes (for non-profit corporations) |
| Mississippi |
| § 79-4-4.01 Mississippi code |
| Missouri |
| Chapter 351 Section 351.110 Missouri Revised Statutes |
| Montana |
| 35-1-308 Montana Code Annotated |
| Nebraska |
| Section 21-2028 State of Nebraska Statutes |
| Nevada |
| 78.035 Nevada Revised Statutes |
| New Hampshire |
| New Hampshire Revised Statutes – Title XXVII; Section 293-A:4.01 for business corporations |
| New Jersey |
| New Jersey Statutes 14A:2-2 |
| New Mexico |
| New Mexico Statutes Unannotated 53-11-7 |
| New York |
| New York State Consolidated Laws, Business Corporations Law § 301; Not-For-Profit Corporations Law, § 301 |
| North Carolina |
| North Carolina General Statutes § 55D‑20 |
| North Dakota |
| North Dakota Century Code 10–19.1–13 |
| Ohio |
| Ohio Revised Code § 1701.05 |
| Oklahoma |
| Oklahoma Statutes § 18-1006 |
| Oregon |
| Oregon Revised Statutes 60.094 for Private Corporations; ORS 65.094 for Non-Profit corporations |
| Pennsylvania |
| Pennsylvania Code, Chapter 19, § 23.3 |
| Puerto Rico |
| Title 14, Subtitle 4, § 2602, Laws of Puerto Rico. |
| Rhode Island |
| Rhode Island General Laws § 7–1.2-401 |
| South Carolina |
| South Carolina Code of Laws Section 33-4-101 |
| South Dakota |
| South Dakota Codified Laws 47-1A-401 |
| Tennessee |
| § 48-14-101 Tennessee Code |
| Texas |
| Texas Business Organizations Code § 5.054 |
| Utah |
| § 16-10a-401 Utah Code |
| Vermont |
| Title 11A, § 4.01 Vermont Statutes |
| Virginia |
| § 13.1–630. Code of Virginia |
| Washington |
| § 23B.04.010 Revised Code of Washington |
| West Virginia |
| § 31D-4-401 West Virginia Code |
| Wisconsin |
| § 180.0401 Wisconsin Statutes (for Stock corporations) and § 181.0401 Wisconsin Statutes (for non-stock corporations) |
| Wyoming |
| § 17-16-401 Wyoming Statutes |
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