Legal Form

The legal form of a company is its officially registered legal structure. It defines how a company legally exists and is managed. The legal form determines key aspects such as the liability of the owners (personal or limited), the tax treatment of profits and losses, the management and ownership structure (including decision-making powers and the transferability of ownership interests), as well as the regulatory complexity and the costs of incorporation and ongoing compliance (e.g. reporting, disclosure, and publication requirements).

North Data covers a wide range of legal forms that vary by country. Common legal forms include SP (sole proprietorship), GP (general partnership), LP (limited partnership), LLC (limited liability company), Corp (corporation), Coop (cooperative), Assoc (association), and other jurisdiction-specific or hybrid forms. Each form offers a different balance between operational flexibility, liability protection, and regulatory requirements.

Choosing the appropriate legal form is a fundamental decision, as it directly affects how a company operates legally and the extent to which the owners’ private assets are protected. A change in legal form (e.g. from a private limited company to a public limited company) typically does not result in the creation of a new company; the legal entity remains the same while its legal structure changes.

With North Data Power Search, you can select companies by country and further refine your search based on the legal forms used in each jurisdiction: https://www.northdata.com