Starting and registering a trading partnership

1. Write articles of partnership

Even if you have verbally agreed to form a partnership, it is a good idea to draw up articles of partnership. The articles can, for example, regulate distribution of profits or what to do if one partner wants to leave the business. Contractual provisions and mutual insurance policies can help provide financial protection for you as a partner.

There are no formal requirements for the articles of partnership, but it can be useful to include things like division of labour and working hours, powers and who does what. You probably have additional items for your business. Feel free to discuss with an external advisor.

Find funding and advisors

2. Register the trading partnership and pay the fee of SEK 1,200

Use the service here at verksamt.se to apply to register your trading partnership. The Swedish Companies Registration Office sends a certificate of registration when the company is registered. It costs from SEK 1,200 to register a trading partnership.

If you cannot use the service, you must contact the Swedish Companies Registration Office.

Contact us at bolagsverket.se

Current processing times at bolagsverket.se

3. Tax registration of the trading partnership

When you start your business, you must have F-tax approval and you may also need to register for VAT. The easiest way to do this is via the service here at verksamt.se.

F-tax, VAT, employer and SNI

F-tax

Once the trading partnership has been registered, you can apply to the Swedish Tax Agency for F-tax approval. Some of the information you provided when you registered your trading partnership with the Swedish Companies Registration Office will be transferred to the service where you apply for F-tax, such as the company's financial year.

VAT

Depending on the business of the trading partnership, it may need to be registered for VAT. Information on different VAT rules, and how you fill in the trading company's taxation documents, will be provided during the registration process.

Employer

If the trading company is to have employees and pay salaries, it needs to be registered as an employer. The partners themselves are not considered employees. You must submit a PAYE tax return every month, even if you have not paid any salary or other taxable remuneration. A business that only pays compensation once or a few times per year can obtain a so-called seasonal registration.

F-tax, VAT, employer and SNI

If you cannot use the service for F-tax, VAT, employer and SNI there is also a paper form which you can complete.

Company registration form (SKV 4620) at skatteverket.se (in Swedish)

Reporting excise duties

Excise duties are taxes on certain goods and services, such as alcohol, waste, energy and tobacco. Excise duties are often used to steer consumption in society, for example.

For some excise duties, you must apply to be registered with the Swedish Tax Agency. For others, you can apply to the Swedish Tax Agency to become an approved business operator.

Reporting and paying excise duty

Staff registers

A partnership must keep a staff register if it carries out business activities in certain industry sectors. These include: construction; automotive; body and beauty care; food wholesale; tobacco wholesale; restaurant; and laundry. A staff register is a record of the people working on a construction site or business premises.

As a construction business owner, you must report each building site to the Swedish Tax Agency before construction work begins. The easiest way to do this is by using the Swedish Tax Agency's e-service “Se, anmäl, ändra och avanmäl byggarbetsplatser” (“View, register, report changes and deregister construction sites”).

Staff registers at the Swedish Tax Agency (in Swedish)

Reporting a cash register

A partnership must have a certified cash register if it accepts cash or credit card payments for goods or services. A cash register must be able to record payments made using different payment methods. Examples of payment methods include: cash; credit and debit cards; other electronic payment services (such as Swish); gift cards; coupons, etc.

For registration purposes, please use the Swedish Tax Agency’s e-service: “Anmäl, ändra, felanmäl och avanmäl kassaregister” (“Register, report changes, report faults and deregister cash registers”).

Cash registers at the Swedish Tax Agency

4. Check business licensing requirements

You should learn whether your business requires a license or any other form of application to public authorities, municipalities or other organisations. Special requirements may be imposed on the operator or the premises used by the business.

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5. Register a beneficial owner

After the company is registered, you must report the beneficial owner to the Swedish Companies Registration Office. A beneficial owner is the person or persons who ultimately owns or controls an association or company.

Beneficial ownership register at bolagsverket.se