Obligations of the entrepreneur closing the activity (Social Insurance Institution, taxes, accounting, deregistration of the company)
Would you like to close your business and de-register your company? Remember that it is not enough to remove a company from the register of entrepreneurs (CEIDG or KRS) to terminate activity. You will have several responsibilities concerning, among others, your employees (if you employ them), de-registering from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) or tax settlement. In the case of partnerships registered in the National Court Register, the closing procedure will be more complicated and requires additional actions related to the adoption of relevant resolutions, notification of liquidation and distribution of assets among shareholders.
What you should be aware of if you are planning to close the business?
Closure or maybe just suspension?
Even if your company is loss-making and you would like to close it down as soon as possible, think about whether it would be better to suspend your company. Suspension and resumption of a company, in contrast to its liquidation, entails few formalities.
Remember about deadlines and obligations
Think about the date of liquidation of the company, remember that during the operation of the company you enter into many, sometimes long-term contracts, e.g. with contractors or employees. In addition, you may be bound by agreements to supply goods or services to a company. Contracts with counterparties usually provide for an appropriate notice period. The notice period depends on the length of time the employee has worked for the employer. The entrepreneur should give appropriate notice in good time so that the contracts are no longer in force at the date of winding up.
Deregistration from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS)
The liquidation of your business means that you, your partners and employees lose the right to insurance in the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS). You should de-register yourself and your employees from the insurance in the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS).
Deregistration of a company
You should report the termination of your activity to the appropriate office/registration (deregister the company). Self-employed in CEIDG, civil law partnership in the Central Statistical Office (GUS), other partnerships in the National Court Register (KRS). Remember that some formalities (e.g. de-registration from the Social Insurance Institution) must be completed before you submit an application for de-registration from the register of entrepreneurs.
Tax clearance, closing of accounts
If you close your company, you will have several obligations concerning tax settlement and closing the accounts, including making a physical inventory, de-registering from VAT, accounting for taxes.
Other obligations related to terminating of activity
Termination of the company also means the obligation to deregister the fiscal cash register, report (in some cases) to the offices that issued you with the permit, deregister the RTV receivers (submit the form online), close the business account.
Storage of documents after closure
After the company has finished, you are obliged to keep formal documentation (ZUS, tax matters).