Board of Patents and Registration of Finland

The Finnish Trade Register is included in the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland under the Trade Register Act (Kaupparekisterilaki 129/1979). It is a public institution that contains information on merchants, traders and businesses. Its main purpose is to serve and supervise the business activity of Finland maintaining the legal certainty in the business life.

The Trade Register in Finland incorporates Finnish companies, sole proprietorships, associations, interest groups, organizations, budget institutions, cooperative enterprises, societies and so fourth. Also persons and their positions reported to the Trade Register are entered in its database. There are many positions that can be registered with the Trade Register, for example, partners, chairpersons, private traders, members and deputy members of board of directors, managing directors, auditors etc. The information contains their full name, personal identity code, address and citizenship.

The details of traders are entered in the Trade Register database through notifications and communications received by the authority and by Courts of Justice and other authorities. The basic information contained in the database is the company name, the municipality where it is managed, the field of activity, the representatives of the company and its address. Other information is entered in the Register depending on the company type.

Most of the businesses have to be reported to the Finnish Trade Registry and in their submission they must include the basic details of the business and its activities. Also, when a change occurs in terms of different office, replacement of directors, capital issues, etc., it must be reported to the Trade Register. The Finnish National Board of Patents collaborates with other institutions and has the right to update its database using the Finnish Population Information System for changes of individual personal details.

Under Section 1 of the Trade Register Act there are no restrictions for obtaining information about entries in the Trade Register. This can be done through submission of requests for extracts from the Register, telephone inquiry or by studying electronic data in the Trade Registers' database. The public has access to information of the Articles of Association of limited companies, Partnership Agreements of general and limited partnerships, by-laws of saving banks etc.

The Company Registrar in Finland offers advice on how to report a new business for registration. It collaborates closely with the Tax Authority and it has a joint notification procedure, ensuring perfect synchronization when establishing a new business.

BridgeWest offers Company Registration in Finland, including virtual office services, opening of bank accounts and accounting services.