What an SL, a SARL, a Ltd, a GmbH or an LLC is, by country, and how each appears in the Prometiam company object.
A company’s legal form tells you who is liable for its debts, how it is run and how much capital stands behind it. Every country names its forms differently: an SL in Spain, a SARL in France, a Ltd in the UK, a GmbH in Switzerland, an LLC in the US. This hub links one guide per country, each listing every legal form the Prometiam dictionary knows, and six side-by-side comparisons.
The two forms most businesses meet, side by side. The private form is the small-business vehicle; the public (joint-stock) form is the one that can raise money from the public.
| Country | Private limited company | Public limited company | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | SL | SA | Legal forms in Spain |
| France | SARL, SAS | SA | Legal forms in France |
| The United Kingdom | Ltd | PLC | Legal forms in the UK |
| Ireland | LTD, DAC | PLC | Legal forms in Ireland |
| Poland | sp. z o.o. | S.A. | Legal forms in Poland |
| Norway | AS | ASA | Legal forms in Norway |
| Finland | Oy | Oyj | Legal forms in Finland |
| Sweden | AB | AB (publ) | Legal forms in Sweden |
| Belgium | BV (SRL) | NV (SA) | Legal forms in Belgium |
| Croatia | d.o.o. | d.d. | Legal forms in Croatia |
| Denmark | ApS | A/S | Legal forms in Denmark |
| Estonia | OÜ | AS | Legal forms in Estonia |
| Slovakia | s.r.o. | a.s. | Legal forms in Slovakia |
| Switzerland | GmbH (Sàrl) | AG (SA) | Legal forms in Switzerland |
| Latvia | SIA | AS | Legal forms in Latvia |
| Cyprus | Ltd | PLC | Legal forms in Cyprus |
| Romania | SRL | SA | Legal forms in Romania |
| Lithuania | UAB | AB | Legal forms in Lithuania |
| Canada | CBCA corporation | CBCA corporation (the register does not split private from public) | Legal forms in Canada |
| Australia | Pty Ltd | Ltd | Legal forms in Australia |
| Japan | G.K., Y.K. | K.K. | Legal forms in Japan |
| Israel | Private company | Public company | Legal forms in Israel |
| Singapore | Pte. Ltd. | Public company limited by shares | Legal forms in Singapore |
| Colombia | S.A.S., Ltda. | S.A. | Legal forms in Colombia |
| Taiwan | Limited company | Company limited by shares | Legal forms in Taiwan |
| Brazil | Ltda. | S.A. | Legal forms in Brazil |
| The United States | LLC | Corporation (Inc.) | Legal forms in the US |
| Field | What it holds |
|---|---|
legal_form | The standard abbreviation (SL, SA, Ltd, sp. z o.o., AS, Oy, AB, BV, d.o.o., A/S...), null when the form is not mapped |
legal_form_family | The cross-country family, listed below |
local_legal_form | The register’s own value or code as stored (for example "114" in Belgium, "60" in Denmark, "UTLA" in Norway) |
local_legal_form_name | The register’s name for that value, where it publishes one |
legal_form_family | Meaning |
|---|---|
private_limited_company | Private limited company: a company with its own legal personality whose owners are, as a rule, not personally liable for its debts and whose shares are not offered to the public. |
public_limited_company | Public limited company (joint-stock company): a company with its own legal personality and share capital whose owners are, as a rule, not personally liable; the family of forms that can usually raise money from the public. |
limited_liability_partnership | Limited liability partnership: a partnership in which the members’ liability is limited. |
general_partnership | General partnership: the owners run the business together and, as a rule, answer personally for its debts. |
limited_partnership | Limited partnership: at least one partner answers without limit for the debts, the others only up to what they contributed. |
partnership_limited_by_shares | Partnership limited by shares: a hybrid in which the managing partners are liable without limit and the other owners hold shares. |
sole_proprietorship | Sole proprietorship: one person trading in their own name with no separate company; the owner is, as a rule, personally liable. |
cooperative | Cooperative: an organisation owned and run by its members. |
civil_partnership | Civil partnership: a company under civil rather than commercial law, often used for property holding, farming or professional practices. |
economic_interest_grouping | Economic interest grouping: members cooperate in a shared activity while staying independent businesses. |
joint_venture | Joint venture: a temporary cooperation between businesses for a specific project. |
association | Association: a membership body, usually non-profit. |
foundation | Foundation: assets set aside for a purpose, with no owners. |
mutual | Mutual: a body owned by its members, typical for insurance and guarantees. |
branch_of_foreign_company | Branch of a foreign company: an establishment or registration of a company incorporated abroad. |
investment_fund | Investment fund or investment company. |
public_body | Public body: a state, local-authority or other public-law entity. |
co_ownership | Co-ownership: joint ownership of property by several owners, often without legal personality. |
estate_or_trust | Estate or trust: assets held for heirs, creditors or beneficiaries. |
other | Other entity type. |
The legal form says what a company is; its status says whether it is still alive. Read company status meanings.
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