Is there a comprehensive list that covers all legal forms?

What are legal forms?

Legal forms can be thought of as a "constitution" for companies, outlining their fundamental structure and operational rules. They vary widely across countries, with some having centuries-old histories that have resulted in a complex array of company types.

For example, "AG" (Aktiengesellschaft) in Germany is a different entity compared to the "AG" in Austria, even though they share the same abbreviation.

For more information on how legal forms are defined and compared internationally, see: How are companies legal forms defined and compared internationally?

The challenge of tracking legal forms

Although organizations such as GLEIF and the European Central Bank provide standardized lists (e.g. ISO 20275 – Entity Legal Forms), these are not complete.

In addition, some countries allow combined legal forms (e.g. GmbH & Co. KG), and new or specialized forms may exist or evolve over time. For this reason, it is not possible to create a complete and static list of all legal forms.