Shelf Company Romania
What is a Shelf Company
A shelf company is a ready-made company that was set up in advance by an agent to have it ready for those who have a business plan and need a company in 48 hours. This is a very fast way to start your business in Romania, rather than trying to gather all the documents you need for registration, mailing them, and so on. Shelf companies can be recently opened or be older than a year. Ready-made companies are new ones, while shelf companies have already been on the shelf for more than a year. You can easily find a company from 1 month to 10 years old, with bank accounts, registered in any European Country and with VAT number registered.
Ready-made companies are standard limited companies previously registered in order to provide a functional alternative to all business people who urgently need such a commercial tool. As constantly trying to anticipate our client's needs we decided to introduce this optional service for the purpose of streamlining financial processes to enhance efficiency and productivity. Purchasing a shelf company Romania provides a safe choice for clients actively engaged in a rapidly accelerating business process.
Quick Facts |
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Legal entities available for a shelf company in Romania |
Private limited liability company (SRL - Societate cu raspundere limitata)
Public limited liability company (SA - Societate pe actiuni)
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Time required for purchasing the company
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1 month for companies with no history
2 months or more for companies that require a complex due diligence procedure |
Types of features it includes (corporate bank account, VAT number, etc)
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Bank account (only in some cases)
VAT registration is after the purchase in most cases (above a certain threshold or voluntarily) |
The advantages of
a shelf company |
Good business image through the age of the business (incorporated for more than 1 year in most cases)
It has no debts/obligations, no bad credit
It is credible for both clients and partners
Can access corporate funding more easily given its age and good history
Business activities can commence as soon as the ownership transfer is complete
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Appointing new directors (yes/no) |
Yes |
Capital increase allowed |
Capital changes can be made through a shareholder's resolution once the new owners take control over the business
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Certificate of no commercial activities |
Upon request
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Modify the objects of activity |
Yes. A company in Romania can have several secondary economic activities |
Participants in the purchase procedure |
The buyer (natural or legal person, foreign or national) and the seller (in most cases another corporation in Romania) |
The cost of buying a shelf company in Romania |
10,000 EUR - 200,000 EUR and more for businesses with a recognised brand |
Documents necessary
for the purchase |
Identification documents for the new company owners (valid travel document, incorporation documents for legal entities), the amended corporate documents for the purchased company, other documents as needed |
Taxes applied to a shelf company in Romania |
16% standard corporate income tax rate
1% or 3% tax on revenue for micro companies (subject to conditions)
19% standard value added tax, 5% or 9% reduced rates
other taxes, such as the dividend tax and social security contributions for employers |
Changing the registered address (yes/no) |
Yes |
Aged shelf company available in Romania (yes/no) |
Yes |
The institution where corporate changes are registered in Romania |
National Trade Register Office |
Post-purchase name change |
Possible, subject to name availability |
Post-purchase capital increase |
Yes, following the general steps for increasing a company’s capital. |
Taxes for shelf companies hiring employees |
Social security contributions, and others as applicable in Romania |
Special licenses for the Romanian shelf company |
According to the industry in which it will activate |
When to apply for the license |
Before starting the licensed activities |
The shelf company has special permits/licenses upon purchase |
Not usually |
General licenses required, in addition to industry-specific ones |
According to law; for example, companies are asked to obtain permits for installing neon business signs. |
Assistance for license application |
Upon request |
License renewal for Romanian companies |
According to law; our team can provide the needed assistance. |
Shelf company annual reporting |
Annual filing |
Accounting standards for shelf companies |
Romanian accounting standards (in compliance with relevant EU directives). |
Considerations for foreign investors |
No special rules apply |
Reasons to purchase a company in Romania |
Attractive taxation regime, lower business costs compared to other EU countries. |
Why work with us |
We are an experienced and dedicated team of company formation specialists. |
When to contact us |
As soon as you decide to purchase an existing company in Romania, or register a new one. |
We deliver a comprehensive catalogue of Romanian ready-made companies which were formerly registered by us. If needed, we can also change the name of the company, office address, main object of activity, and other information into the company's articles of association.
Why should you opt for a shelf company?
A ready-made company offers a number of advantages. We summarize some of the most important ones below:
- You can have it in 48 hours if your business is urgent and you need a contract immediately
- Your clients might have more trust in an older company than in a brand new one
- Suppliers are also keener to negotiate and work with older companies rather than brand new ones
- Investors might also be more keen to work with a company that has been existing for a while
- You get access to investment capital
- If you are not so creative or inspired you won’t be needing to worry about the name of the company
- Having a VAT number will save a lot of your time
- You can start your business in 2 days and get rid of all time wasted collecting documents, registration, paperwork, and authorizations.
What do you get when you purchase a shelf company?
- Certificate of incorporation
- Share transfer forms
- Certificate of non-trading
- Minutes and register of members
- 4 printed copies of the memorandum and articles of association
- Combined register and share certificates
On the other hand, if you need a company fast but still want to put your own name on it, you can easily change the name of the shelf company you are buying, and the law firm from which you purchase it will assist you in doing so. Opting for a shelf company in Romania is a smart and safe choice for those who are looking to start a business. They are a good and efficient option for a fast-growing business environment. In addition, you can also opt to change the address, main object of activity and other information from the articles of association if necessary.
Purchasing a ready-made company involves several important aspects that basically expose business interests of various interpretations. Opting for such an alternative obviously means saving some time which proves crucial when trying to conclude pressing transactions. Choosing one of the off the
shelf companies in Bucharest that we offer for sale comes with a series of privileges such as promptitude, longevity and a solid background. The process of company incorporation is no longer an extended procedure but it still takes time that might not be available under certain circumstances. Bidding on valuable contracts frequently implies the need to prove the longevity of a company in order to gain favorable responses. As most of all entities of this type, the
off the shelf companies in Bucharest are able to deliver the legitimacy required under certain circumstances. Choosing the right company suitable for immediate purposes is rather unpretentious and fast always delivering a set of secondary options that are highly important when dealing with complex technicalities of the business field. The client is able to choose the name, the object of activity, the address and other details concerning the registration background. Another great benefit when deciding to
buy a shelf company Romania, through our firm, regards the possibility of requesting an expert’s opinion emphasizing legal aspects related to the normal development of your business.
The option to buy
Romanian-ready-made companies provides a powerful business tool that can be understood in multiple manners. Our team focused on the needs of the market and created a comprehensive variety of shelf companies able to offer a wide range of facilities. Romanian off-the-shelf companies created by our experts also propose a transparent and solid device that can professionally serve in any financial approach. We carefully balanced all significant features able to optimize any business plan and combined them to always guarantee for valid attributes.
As we mentioned from the beginning the intention to buy a
ready-made company in Romania usually offers the so much requested longevity attribute which plays a highly important role when advocating for particular business prerogatives. Even if it does not seem to be considered an essential trait various clients and certain suppliers enjoy dealing with long-lasting companies. Certain bidders and financial authorities such as banks value a great deal the clean history of a company. The off the shelf companies in Bucharest come to guarantee the sustainability profile of your business. In this manner, you will gain access to financially beneficial programs which might have a great impact at various levels.
How is a company taxed in Romania?
Once the company purchase is complete and the company will start trading, it will also need to comply with the ongoing requirements for taxation and reporting in Romania. The country has a low corporate income tax rate, compared to other countries in Europe, and an even lower rate for qualifying
micro-companies.
Our team lists the main taxes for companies below:
· 16%: the corporate income tax rate applicable to resident companies, as would be the case for shelf companies;
· 1% or 3%: the rate on revenue applicable in case of micro-enterprises; the 1% rate applies when the said company has at least one employee;
· 5%: the withholding tax rate on dividends paid to non-resident companies; can be reduced under a double tax treaty;
· 19%: the standard value-added tax rate; two reduced rates of 5% and 9% apply for certain types of goods and services.
Our team can give you more details about the micro-company regime, as certain conditions apply and can be subject to change (for example, the company’s annual turnover).
Romanian companies are expected to file quarterly corporate income tax returns. The annual corporate income tax is declared by the 25
th day of the third month following the end of the tax year.
Apart from the taxation and reporting requirements, Romanian companies also need to apply for and obtain special permits and licenses, as may be the case in the business field in which they activate. These include, among others, the permits issued by the
Department of Public Health.
Subsequent changes to your shelf company in Romania
As previously noted throughout this article, purchasing a ready-made company does not make it compulsory for the investor to take it as first presented. You can later change the name of the company if this is important for trading purposes, as well as the registered office. For the purpose of simplifying the process of incorporation for a shelf company, these legal entities can be incorporated by using a virtual office. The buyer can opt to keep it this way, or he can change the company’s registered address. Do note that the registered address is the one formally included in the company’s incorporation documents and it is used for official communications, such as letters sent from the Romanian authorities. The shelf company can run its activities from a different location, which is also specified in the National Trade Register Office information (and it is publicly available in the Trade Register extract).
The first change that is implemented in the company’s particulars is reflected in the transfer of ownership. When this is complete, the name(s) of the company’s shareholder(s) and manager(s) will change and these changes will be filed with the National Trade Register Office.
Our team can also help you if you wish to change the name of the company. As previously mentioned, a shelf company in Romania is incorporated with a rather generic name, one that may be suited to several types of businesses, so that it can be appealing to investors interested in running a business in any industry. However, this can be changed through a separate submission with the National Trade Register Office. We advise those investors interested in changing the name to reach out to our experts for assistance and to prepare three name proposals, in the event in which their first choice is not available. We recommend handling this step with our help in order to make sure that all of the proper documents are submitted. While you invest time in running the company, our team will make the necessary submissions for the name change.
Do keep in mind that the company’s trade name and the brand name need not be the same. The brand that you build in Romania can be based a different concept than that of the actual legal entity’s name through which you conduct the business. The trade name (the one registered with the Trade Register) is linked to the company’s unique registration number and it will be the one shown on the Trade Register Extract or when an individual performs a company search. It will also be the name included in the invoice, however, the brand name can be used for your webpage or social media accounts and it can be a different one (especially if the same name is not available for registration in Romania).
You can reach out to our Romania company specialists if you have questions about how you can implement the desired changes after you purchase a shelf company. We can help you not only choose a suitable ready-made corporation, but we can also help you
open a company if this is more suitable to your business needs.
For any further details or information please do not hesitate to contact us.
by Cristian Darie