Types of companies
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This is a list of types of companies, i.e. legal forms such as the corporation.
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[edit] By type
[edit] Corporations
| Abbreviation | Country | Full term | English term/description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AE (ΑΕ) | Greece | Anonimi Etairia (Ανώνυμη Εταιρία) | Anonymous society (Anonymous corporation) | Similar to S.A. |
| AB | Sweden | Aktiebolag | Stock company | When used within the company's name, it is turned into the definite form (i.e aktiebolaget). |
| AD (АД) | Bulgaria | Aktsionerno drujestvo (Акционерно дружество) | Joint Stock Company (JSCO) | |
| AD (АД) | Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia, F.Y.R.O.M. | Akcionersko društvo (Акционерско друштво) | Stock corporation | |
| A.D. (А.Д.) | Serbia and Montenegro | Akcionarsko društvo (Акционарско друштво) | Stock corporation | |
| AG | Austria | Aktiengesellschaft | Stock corporation | Equivalent to Public Limited Company (PLC) or incorporated company, min. capital 70.000 EUR |
| AG | Germany | Aktiengesellschaft | Stock corporation | Equivalent to Public Limited Company (PLC) or incorporated company, min. capital 50.000 EUR |
| AG | Switzerland | Aktiengesellschaft | Stock corporation | Equivalent to Public Limited Company (PLC) or incorporated company, min. capital 100.000 CHF |
| d.d. | Croatia | Dioničko društvo | Stock corporation | Equivalent to Public Limited Company (PLC) or incorporated company |
| d.d. | Slovenia | Delniška družba | Stock corporation | Equivalent to Public Limited Company (PLC) or incorporated company |
| A/S | Denmark | Aktieselskab | Stock corporation | Equivalent to Public Limited Company (PLC) or incorporated company, min. capital 500.000 DKK |
| AS | Norway | Aksjeselskap (private) | Stock corporation | Equivalent to Private Limited Company (LTD) or incorporated company, min. capital 100.000 NOK |
| ASA | Norway | Aksjeselskap (public) | Stock corporation | Equivalent to Public Limited Company (PLC) or incorporated company, min. capital 1.000.000 NOK |
| a.s. or akc. spol. |
Czech Republic | Akciová společnost | Stock company | Can be both private or public. The minimum share capital is 2 million CZK (20 million CZK for IPOs). Organs: General Assembly, Board of Directors and Supervisory Board. |
| a. s. | Slovakia | Akciová spoločnosť | Stock company | Assimilable to Public Limited Company, plc. The minimum share capital is 1 million SKK (approx. 25 000 EUR). Organs: General Assembly, Board and Control Council. |
| BAT | Ukraine | Vidkryte Aktsionerne Tovarystvo | Вiдкритe Акцiонерне Тoвариство Open Joint-Stock Company |
Similar to Public Limited Company (PLC) or (Public) Corporation) |
| Ltd or 有限公司 | Hong Kong | Limited or 有限公司 | Can denote either a Private or Public Limited Company (liability limited by share capital) | Similar to a United Kingdom LTD/PLC. Under the Hong Kong Companies Ordinance (Chapter 32) the name of a Hong Kong incorporated company may be registered in either the English or Chinese language, or both. (pinyin: yǒu xiàn gōng sī) |
| Ltd or 'Cyf' (Welsh) | England & Wales | Limited or Cyfyngedig (Welsh) | Private limited company (liability limited by share capital) | |
| Plc or 'Ccc' (Welsh) | England & Wales | Public Limited Company or Cwmni Cyfyngedig Cyhoeddus (Welsh) | Public limited company (liability limited by share capital) | Requires an authorised minimum share capital of GBP £50,000; of which it must have allotted shares to the value of at least GBP £50,000 and a minimum of 25% must be fully paid up prior to starting business. |
| Unltd or Ultd | England & Wales | Unlimited or Anghyfyngedig (Welsh) | Private Unlimited Company (with share capital) | Unlimited Company (with share capital); as the word implies, the members or shareholders of the company have no limit placed on their liability for the company's financial obligations in the event of it becoming insolvent, however, it is not a requirement under the Companies Act of Great Britain for an Unlimited Company to state either Unltd, Ultd or Unlimited after its company name. It is nevertheless, a company (a legal entity like its peers Ltd and Plc) registered and formed (incorporated) under the Companies Act of Great Britain and subject to the Companies Act. The advantage of an unlimited company is that they are exempted from filing accounts with the Registrar of Companies for public disclosure (unless, during the accounting period covered, the company is a qualified subsidiary or a parent of a limited company undertaking) subject to a few exceptions to this rule. |
| SE | European Union | Societas Europaea (Latin for 'European Company') | European (Public) Limited Company (liability limited by share capital) | The legal form of the European (Public) Company. Similar to a UK PLC or German AG company etc. An SE (Societas Europaea) may be created on registration in any one of the Member States of the European Union, and is subject to the European Company Statute - Council Regulation (EC) No 2157/2001 on the Statute for a European company (the 'Regulation'). An SE is able to relocate its registered office to any other Member State of the European Union and without it being wound up. |
| Sdn Bhd | Malaysia | Sendirian Berhad | Private limited Company | Equivalent to Public Limited Company in the UK |
| Bhd | Malaysia | Berhad | Stock Corporation | Denotes publicly listed companies in Malaysia |
| Co. | U.S.A. | Company | Stock Corporation or Non-stock corporation | In some U.S. States, it is permissible to use Company or Co. in place of Inc. or Corp. for a corporation. See the table under "United States" in the article Types of corporations. Allowed by many states but not all; however, individuals and partnerships may register a fictitious name with the word "Company" in it either with the county where they reside or with the state in such areas where the state registers fictitious names. |
| Corp. | U.S.A. | Corporation | Stock corporation or non-stock corporation | "Corporation", "Incorporated" and the abbreviations "Corp." and "Inc." are the only terms universally accepted by all 51 corporation chartering agencies in the United States. |
| Inc. | U.S.A. | Incorporated | Stock corporation or non-stock corporation | "Corporation", "Incorporated" and the abbreviations "Corp." and "Inc." are the only terms universally accepted by all 51 corporation chartering agencies in the United States. |
| K.K. | Japan | Kabushiki kaisha (株式会社) | Business corporation | The predominant form of company in Japan, and the only type that can be publicly traded. |
| LTD | Australia | Limited | Public Limited Company | Equivalent to PLC Public Limited Company in the UK |
| LTD | New Zealand | Limited | Public or private Limited Company | All NZ limited liability companies must use LTD |
| Ltd. | Pakistan | Limited | Public Limited Company (liability limited by share capital) | Equivalent to a United Kingdom PLC. |
| Pvt. Ltd. | Pakistan | Private Limited | Private Limited Company (liability limited by share capital) | Equivalent to a United Kingdom LTD. |
| Ltd | India | Limited | Public Limited Company (liability limited by share capital) | Equivalent to a United Kingdom PLC. |
| Pvt Ltd | India | Private Limited | Private Limited Company (liability limited by share capital) | Equivalent to a United Kingdom LTD. |
| Ltd. | Some U.S. States. | Limited | Corporation | In some U.S. States, it is permissible to use Ltd. instead of Inc. or Corp. for a corporation. See the table under "United States" in the article types of corporations. This is not to be confused with a Limited Liability Company, which is a different type of legal entity. |
| N.V. | Belgium and Netherlands | Naamloze Vennootschap | A limited liability company, liability limited by shares. In its articles or corporation it may forbid public trading of its shares. However, it is the only type of company in the Netherlands that may allow public trading of its shares. | |
| OAO | Russia | Otkrytoye aktsionernoye obshchestvo | Открытое акционерное общество Open Joint-Stock Company |
Similar to Public Limited Company (PLC). There is also ZAO (zakrytoye aktsionernoye obshchestvo (Закрытое акционерное общество) - Close Joint-Stock Company, or closely-held corporation, no more than fifty shareholders) |
| Oy(j) | Finland |
(Julkinen) osakeyhtiö |
(Public) Limited Company | |
| Rt. | Hungary | Részvénytársaság | Stock company | |
| S.A. | Spain | Sociedad Anónima | Stock Corporation | Minimum capital is 60.101,21€ |
| S.A. | Argentina | Sociedad Anónima | Public Limited Company | |
| S.A. | Brazil | Sociedade Anônima | Public Limited Company | |
| S.A. | Perú | Sociedade Anónima | Public Limited Company | |
| S.A. | Portugal | Sociedade Anónima | Public Limited Company | |
| S.A. | France | Société Anonyme | Public Limited Company | public corporation. |
| S.A. | Switzerland | Société Anonyme Società Anonima | Public Limited Company | (see AG above) |
| S.p. A. | Italy | Società per Azioni | Stock corporation | Italian plc. As with "Ltd.", some U.S. states also permit this designation (in which case, it is synonymous with "corporation"). Currently, only the state of Connecticut permits this use. |
| S.A. | Romania | Societate pe Acţiuni | Stock corporation | Romanian plc. |
| S.A. | Poland | Spółka Akcyjna | Stock corporation (Joint stock/listed) | |
| Co., ltd. | Thailand | Company Limited | Private limited company or limited company | |
| PLC. | Thailand | Public Company Limited | Stock corporation | |
| P.T. / PT | Indonesia | Perseroan Terbatas | Limited Company | |
| P.T. Tbk. / PT Tbk | Indonesia | Perseroan Terbatas, Terbuka | Stock corporation |
[edit] Limited Liability Companies and Partnerships
| Name | Country | Type |
|---|---|---|
| ApS | Denmark | Anpartsselskab. Similar to Limited Liability Company. Taxwise, it is a separate entity. The company capital must be at least DKK 125.000 |
| BM or B.M. (בע"מ) | Israel | Be'eravon Mugbal- The Hebrew term for "Ltd.". Not used much in English, usually translated as "Ltd.". |
| BV | Netherlands | Besloten Vennootschap"", a private limited liability company, liability limited by shares. The most common form of enterprise. Similar to GmbH, LLC, Ltd., BVBA, SPRL. |
| BVBA | Belgium | Besloten Vennootschap met Beperkte Aansprakelijkheid, a private limited liability company, liability limited by shares. The most common form of enterprise. Similar to GmbH, LLC, Ltd., BV, SPRL. |
| CC | South Africa | Closed corporation |
| C.V. | Netherlands | "commanditaire vennootschap"; a partnership with one or more silent partners. |
| d.o.o. | Slovenia | Družba z omejeno odgovornostjo, "company with limited liability" |
| d.o.o. | Croatia | Društvo s ograničenom odgovornošću, "company with limited liability" |
| d.o.o. (д.о.о.) | Serbia and Montenegro | Društvo s ograničenom odgovornošću (Друштво с ограниченом одговорношћу), "company with limited liability" |
| E.P.E. | Greece | Etairia Periorismenis Euthinis (Εταιρία Περιορισμένης Ευθύνης) |
| G.D.K. (合同会社) | Japan | Godo kaisha, a variant of the American LLC introduced in 2006 |
| GmbH | Germany, Austria and Switzerland | Translated "company with limited liability". Similar to Limited Liability Company (LLC). In Germany, min. capital €25,000, in Austria €35,000, in Switzerland CHF 20,000 |
| Inc. | Australia | An incorporated association; that is, a non-profit entity. |
| Kft. | Hungary | Korlátolt felelősségű társaság (Limited liability company) |
| LLC LC |
U.S.A. | Limited liability company, similar to a corporation and a limited liability partnership. May be legally abbreviated in multiple ways. The most common abbreviation is LLC. Allowable abbreviations may vary by U.S. State.
Note: Ltd. by itself is not a valid abbreviation for an LLC, because in some states, like Texas, Ltd. may mean a Corporation instead of an LLC. |
| LLP | U.S.A. | Limited liability partnership where each partner is fully liable for the debts of the partnership, not including acts of professional negligence or malpractice. |
| Ltd. | UK and others | Private company with liability limited by shares (not traded publicly) or by guarantee. Established under English law and used by countries with similar company laws. In Australia, a company with the suffix Ltd may be a company limited by guarantee (e.g. for charities, universities etc). Such companies may obtain dispensation from the Registrar of Companies to operate without the suffix to distinguish their activities from those of a commercial company. |
| TNHH/ Cty TNHH | Vietnam | Công ty trách nhiệm hữu hạn. Limited liability company. |
| Ltda. | Brazil | Sociedade Limitada. Limited liability partnership where each partner is fully liable for the debts of the partnership. |
| NL | Australia | Mining company not entitled to call on the unpaid issue price of shares; no liability for shareholders, as distinct from limited liability |
| PLLC | United States | Professional Limited Liability Company. Some states do not allow certain professionals to form an LLC that would limit the liability that results from the services the professionals provide such as doctors, medical care; lawyers, legal advice; and accountants, accounting services, when the company formed offers the services of the professionals. Instead states allow a PLLC or in the LLC statutes, the liability limitation only applies to the business side, such as creditors of the company, as opposed to the service side, the level of medical care, legal services, or accounting provided to clients. This is meant to maintain the higher ethical standards that these professionals have committed themselves to by becoming licensed in their profession and not immune to malpractice suits. |
| PLC | UK and Ireland | A public limited company, liability limited by shares which are traded publicly. |
| OOD / ООД | Bulgaria | Limited liability company (drujestvo s ogranichena otgovornost, Дружество с Ограничена Отговорност). |
| OOO | Russia | Obshchestvo s ogranichennoy otvetstvennostyu - Общество с ограниченной ответственностью (Limited Liability Company) |
| ТОВ | Ukraine | Tovarystvo z obmejenoyu vidpovidalnistyu - Товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю (Limited Liability Company (Partnership)) |
| Pty. / Pte. | Various | a prefix used to distinguish a Proprietary Limited company (Pty. Ltd.), essentially the same as a UK private limited company (Ltd.) Used in Australia, South Africa and others. A Proprietary company generally (depending on jurisdiction) is one with fewer than 50 members (shareholders), and not exceeding a certain annual revenue. In Australia, proprietary companies are classified as either small or large depending on the number of employees and the quantum of gross assets and operating capital. |
| Pvt. Ltd. | India | Private Limited Company, can have up to 50 shareholders and min 2 shareholders . Shares are not traded on a stock exchange. |
| Sàrl or SARL or SàRL |
France Switzerland | Société à responsabilité limitée |
| SDN BHD | Malaysia | Sendirian Berhad (Private Limited) |
| S.L. | Spain | Sociedad Limitada. Minimum capital is 3.012€ |
| S.L.N.E. | Spain | Sociedad Limitada Nueva Empresa. Similar to SL, it was introduced in 2003 to speed up the registration of a new company (it takes one day to register). Minimum capital is 3.012€ |
| SPRL | Belgium | Société privée à responsabilité limitée, a private limited liability company, liability limited by shares. |
| Sp.z o.o. | Poland | Spółka z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością, limited liability |
| S.R.L. | Romania | Societate cu Răspundere Limitată |
| Srl or S.r.l or S.R.L. | Italy Switzerland | Società a responsibilità limitata |
| S.R.L. | Spain Argentina | Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (equivalent to S.L.) |
| s.r.o. or spol. s r.o. | Czech Republic | Společnost s ručením omezeným |
| s.r.o. | Slovakia | Spoločnosť s ručením obmedzeným |
