Shelf Companies in Norway

Shelf companies, sometimes called ready-made companies, are already established enterprises, very attractive for investors. Thanks to their business maturity, shelf companies provide several advantages such as the acquiring of bank credits in a faster and more simplified fashion. These companies represent an advantageous option for investors interested in starting their business activities in Norway as fast as possible. Our specialists in company formation in Norway can help businessmen purchase shelf companies in this country. 

 

Common legal entities sold as shelf companies in Norway

Quick Facts
Legal entities available for shelf company	Private and public limited liability companies
Time required for purchasing the company	Approx. one week
Types of features it includes (corporate bank account, VAT number, etc)	Legal address, company bank account, director, tax identification number
The advantages of a shelf company	Easy to acquire, different types of entities availability, possibility of choosing old companies
Appointing new directors (yes/no)	YES
Capital increase allowed (yes/no)	YES
Certificate of no commercial activities (yes/no)	NO
Modify the objects of activity (yes/no)	YES, it is possible to use the company for various purposes for which new licenses are required.
Participants in the purchase procedure	The buyer or representative and the seller
The cost of buying a shelf company	The price depends on the type of company selected and its age.

What does it imply to buy a shelf company in Norway?

 

Shelf companies have already a business history when they are acquired by the buyer. This means that the investor doesn’t have to follow anymore the procedures of company registration in Norway. What a shelf company will do for you is to speed up the initiation of your business, by offering you a ready-made usable bank account and a name that, depending on the record and history of the company, may give you a plus of credibility. 

 

A shelf company acquisition means also to skip the time consuming processes of documentation required by the company formation procedure in Norway.   It also comes with a VAT number. VAT registration in Norway implies being attributed a unique identification code. Additionally, the initials "MVA" (VAT) are appended after the business number. Also, it will be found on all business documents as proof that it is registered in the VAT Register. If you need assistance in this procedure, you can rely on our company formation officers.

 

A well-chosen ready-made company will help you with a rapid construction of your image on Norway's business market and might as well come with an already trained public, open to the products of your company. 
 

 

When deciding to buy a shelf company in Norway, a most important step is the very choosing of this company, according to some criteria:

 

 

When you buy a ready-made company and you intent to continue using the initial bank account of the company, you are obliged as well to keep its name. However, if you want to choose another name, then you won’t be allowed to use the same bank account and you will have to open another one.

 

The next step in the opening of your business is to find a Norwegian company formation specialist in order to help you with the transfer of ownership and the amending of the business code. 

 

Features of a shelf company

1. a trading name, however, the company can be renamed;
2. the constitutive documents, which must also be amended;
3. a tax and VAT number (the VAT number is not mandatory) - The website of the Tax Administration is where the VAT registration in Norway is done. However, due to language barriers, foreign investors may find it difficult to complete the procedure. In this sense, they can rely on our tax agents. They can also count on our company formation consultants for other tax-related services.
4. a company bank account, which is one of the greatest advantages, as its opening is the lengthiest procedure;
5. a company director who can be replaced upon the amendment of the documents.

 

How can a ready-made company be used?

The Norwegian shelf company from a taxation point of view

• the standard corporate tax rate is 22%, however, financial companies are subject to a 25% rate;
• the VAT is the second most important tax and is levied at a standard rate of 25%, however, reduced rates of 15% and 12% apply to specific goods and services;
• withholding taxes are levied at a rate of 25%, however, a 15% rate applies to residents of low-tax states.

 

Please contact us whenever when you intend to open a company in Norway by the acquisition of a shelf company. Our company formation experts can offer professional consultancy regarding the choice of the enterprise, and they can help you with the transferring of the property rights so that you can initiate your business activities as soon as possible.