Firmaregistre

Firmaregistre, or the company register, is a public registry maintained by government authorities that documents information about registered companies and other legal entities. It serves as an official record of a business’s legal existence, ownership, and status, and provides a basis for regulatory enforcement, taxation, contract validity, and public due diligence.

Typical contents include the entity’s official name, registration number, legal form, registered address, date of incorporation, and current status (for example active, dissolved, or in liquidation). Many firmaregistre also record share capital or equivalent, ownership and control structures, and details of corporate officers such as directors or managing agents, as well as auditors. Additional entries may cover subsidiaries, branches, mergers, name changes, and changes in form or capital.

Purposes of the register include establishing legal identity for contracts and disputes, enabling oversight by regulators, supporting tax administration, and providing data for statistical analyses and market transparency. The information is used by businesses, lenders, investors, researchers, and the general public to verify a company’s legitimacy and track its governance and changes over time.

Access and accuracy vary by jurisdiction but are commonly public to some extent, subject to data protection and privacy rules. Registries maintain processes for registration, amendments, annual filings or financial statements, and dissolution, with penalties for non-compliance. Many countries use unique company identifiers and participate in cross-border information networks to facilitate verification and trade; regional systems such as the European Business Register link multiple national firmaregistre.