Selling a limited company
Selling your limited company can be the biggest deal you make as an entrepreneur. With good planning, you can avoid many problems.
Important points when selling a limited company
Selling a limited company can be done in different ways:
- Transfer of shares through sale, exchange or other equivalent transfer.
- Divestment of parts or the entire business where shareholders retain their shares (asset sale).
Natural persons can also transfer the shares by gift, inheritance, will or division of property (beneficial transfer). You can read more on the page about succession of generations.
1. Prepare the sale
Think through how much of the company you want to sell. If you only want to sell part of the shares, it is a private deal that you and the buyer settle on. You need to review the articles of association and any shareholder agreements to ensure that they do not prevent you from selling your share of the limited company.
Sale of shares in limited companies at bolagsverket.se (in Swedish)
2. Report a change of the address and board to the Swedish Companies Registration Office
If the company's address or board has changed, you must notify the Swedish Companies Registration Office. You do that in the service here at verksamt.se.
3. Report a change of partners and visiting address to the Swedish Tax Agency
You change information about partners in a close company to the Swedish Tax Agency in the service here at verksamt.se. Don't forget to also update the company's share register. If the company's visiting address has changed, you also report this.
If you are unable to use the service, you can use a paper form.
Download the Swedish Tax Agency's form SKV 4639
Closing down limited company at skatteverket.se (in Swedish)
4. Report the sale in the income tax return
You report the sale of shares or assets and liabilities in your income tax return with an attachment.
About shares at skatteverket.se (in Swedish)
Tax rules for shareholders in close companies (SKV 292) at skatteverket.se (in Swedish)
Business disposal | Legal guidance at skatteverket.se (in Swedish)
Be careful with whom you do business
Be extra vigilant about which company you do business with when selling your company. It is easy to be deceived.
Be careful when selling or closing your business - Companies Registration Office (in Swedish)