Types of corporations

There are various types of corporations throughout the world.

Some of the designations used to signify corporation status that one may (in some states) adopt only with state sanction include:

Types of corporations by country

Argentina

• S.A. ("Sociedad Anónima", Spanish: "anonymous society" = Stock Corporation)

Australia

• Proprietary (Pty)

Austria

• AG (Aktiengesellschaft – German: "stock corporation")
• GesmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschrénkter Haftung – German: "Company with limited liability")

Belgium

Dutch

• B.V.B.A (Besloten Vennootschap met Beperkte Aansprakelijkheid)
• N.V. (Naamloze Vennootschap)
• C.V. (Coéperatieve Vennootschap)
• C.V.A. (Commanditaire Vennootschap op Aandelen)
• G.C.A. (Gewone Commanditaire Vennootschap)
• V.O.F. (Vennootschap Onder Firma)

French

• S.A.R.L. (Société Anonyme é Responsabilité Limité) – French: "Company with limited liability")
• S.A. (Societé Anonyme)

Chile

• Srl (Sociedad de responsabilidad limitada)

China

• 股份有限公司 (Stock limited company)
• 有限公司 (Limited company)

Colombia

• Comandita por acciones
• Ltda. ("Limitada", Spanish: "limited" = Limited stock corporation)
• S.A. ("Sociedad Anónima", Spanish: "anonymous society" = Stock Corporation)
• Unipersonal

Czech Republic

• (spol.) s.r.o. (společnost s ručením omezeným) – Czech: "company with limited liability"
• a.s. (akciová společnost) – Czech: "stock company"

Denmark

• A/S (Aktieselskab) (in danish, "Aktieselskab" = "stock corporation"), a company with limited liability.

Finland

• Ay (avoin yhtiö)
• Ky (kommandiittiyhtiö)
• Oy (osakeyhtiö – Finnish: "stock corporation" equivalent of Ltd.)
• Oyj (julkinen osakeyhtiö) – Finnish: "public stock corporation" equivalent of Plc.)

France

• EURL (Entreprise unipersonnelle à responsabilité limitée)
• SA (Société anonyme) – French : "stock corporation"
• SARL (Société à responsabilité limitée) – French: "Company with limited liability")
• SAS (Société par actions simplifiée)
• SASU (Société par actions simplifiée unipersonnelle)
• SCOP (Société coopérative)
• SNC (Société en nom collectif)
• Rarely used schemes
  • SCA (Société en commandite par actions)
  • SCS (Société en commandite simple)
• Investment funds
  • FCP (Fonds commun de placement) (unincorporated investment fund)
  • SICAF (Société d'investissement à capital fixe) (incorporated investment fund)
  • SICAV (Société d'investissement à capital variable) (incorporated investment fund)

Germany

• AG (Aktiengesellschaft – German: "stock corporation")
• GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung – German: "Company with limited liability")
• KGaA (Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien)

Iran

• شرکت , کمپانی. (Sherkat, Company)

Italy

• S.p.A. (Società per Azioni – Italian: "Shares-based Society")

Japan

• 株式会社 (Kabushiki-kaisha or Kabushiki-gaisha – Japanese "stock firm")

Luxembourg

• S.A.R.L. (Société Anonyme é Responsabilité Limité) – "private limited liability company"
• S.A. (Societé Anonyme) – "public limited liability company"

Mexico

• S.A. de C.V. (Sociedad Anónima de Capital Variable) – equivalent to a corporation
• S. de R.L. de C.V. (Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada de Capital Variable) – equivalent to a limited liability company

Netherlands

• BV (Besloten Vennootschap – Dutch: "private company")
• NV (Naamloze Vennootschap – Dutch: "nameless company", similar in meaning to the Spanish corporate terminology "S.A.")

New Zealand

• Incorporation (notably in New Zealand)

Norway

• AS (in Norwegian, "aksjeselskap" = "stock corporation"), a company with limited liability.
• ASA (in Norwegian, "allmennaksjeselskap" = "public stock corporation"), a publicly held company with limited liablity
• ANS (in Norwegian, "ansvarlig selskap" = "liable company"), a general partnership
• KS (in Norwegian, "komandittselskap"), a limited partnership

Romania

• SRL (Societate cu Răspundere Limitată) – Limited Liability Corporation
• SA (Societate pe Acţiuni) – Stock Corporation (not Anonymous Corporation)
• RA (Regie Autunomă) – A state company some degree of independence of the management

Russian

• TOO (Товарищество с ограниченной ответственностью, ТОО) – Russian "Company with a limited liability"
• ZAO (Закрытое акционерное общество, ЗАО) – Russian "Closed joint-stock company"
• OAO (Открытое акционерное общество, ОАО) – Russian "Public joint-stock company"
• ANO (Автономная некоммерческая организация) – Russian "Autonomous non-profit organization"
• GP (Государственное предприятие) – Russian "State enterprise"

South Africa

• Pty. (Proprietary)

Spain

• S.A. ("Sociedad Anónima", Spanish: "anonymous society" = Stock Corporation)
• S.A.p.A.

Sweden

• AB (Aktiebolag) (stock corporation)
• AB (publ) (public stock corporation)
• HB (Handelsbolag)
• KB (Kommanditbolag)
• EF (Enskild Firma)
• EF (Economical association) (Ekonomisk Förening)
  • Home owners association (Bostadsrättsförening)
  • Home renters association (Hyresrättsförening)
  • Co-operative (Kooperativ)

Switzerland

• AG (Aktiengesellschaft – German: "stock corporation")
• GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung – German: "Company with limited liability")

Ukraine

• TOV (Товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю, ТОВ) – Unkrainian "Limited liability company"
• ZAO (Закрите акцiонерне товариство, ЗАО) – Unkrainian "Private joint-stock company"
• VAO (Вiдкрите акцiонерне товариство, ВАО) – Unkrainian " Public joint-stock company"

United Kingdom and Ireland

• Private limited company.
• Company Limited by Guarantee.
• Public limited company (plc or PLC) (Irish language: cuideachta phoiblé theoranta, cpt)

With the exception of public limited companies (which must use the style "plc", "PLC", or in Ireland, "cpt"), limited companies in the UK and Ireland must always use the suffix "Limited", shortened to Ltd. Irish companies may use the suffix "Teoranta" or "Teo" instead, but this is mainly limited to Gaeltacht companies.

United States

• Company (Co.)
• Corporation (Corp.)
• Incorporated (Inc.) (which has meanings that vary widely from one state to another)
• Limited (Ltd.) (not all states use this term)
• Limited Liability Company/Corporation (LLC) (legally distinct from Corp., Inc. or Ltd. and the whole name or abbreviation of LLC must be used in the company name)
• Limited Company (LC or Ltd. Co.) (same as LLC, but this term is not used in all states)
• No Liability (NL) (not all states use this term)
• Unlimited (not all states use this term)

Note: In the United States, the individual states incorporate businesses, not the federal government. Each state has varying requirements for forming a company and also determining what designations can and can not be used. For example, Texas allows the terms Corporation (Corp.), Incorporated (Inc.), Limited (Ltd.), Limited Company (LC), Limited Liability Company (LLC) but the terms No Liability (NL) and Unlimited are not used to designate a corporation.

Uruguay

• SAFI (Sociedad Anónima Financiera de Inversión)