Changing the owner of a sole proprietorship

This is because the owner is identified through his/her enterprise and is financially liable for all the enterprise’s liabilities.

It is possible for a sole proprietorship to change owner, only in a case of undivided possession of an estate.

The organisation number follows the sole proprietorship and the owner until it is closed down.

Transfer of activity

As a main rule you cannot transfer your sole proprietorship to another owner, but you can transfer the activities that the enterprise is doing.

You transfer the business by reporting transfer of the activities to a new owner. Alternatively, the person who is to continue the business can notify us of the acquisition of the business.

Here you can find information about how to register changes for your sole proprietorship.

Undivided possession of estate

A surviving spouse can be entitled to retain undivided possession of an estate, and can enter as the new owner in a sole proprietorship. The sole proprietorship will in these cases retain its’ organisation number. Please note that this does not apply to a cohabitant who retains undivided possession of an estate.

The name of the new owner has to be registered in the business name, when a surviving spouse is entitled to retain undivided possession of an estate. It is possible for the surviving spouse to keep the original name of the sole proprietorship. The name of the new owner will then be registered in addition.

For this type of registration, you must attach

• certificate of undivided possession of the estate