Not every business requires an office. A lot of them can easily operate without it. But can you register a business if you don’t have a location for it?
The company must have an address.
In order to register any type of company (including the most popular sole trader and limited liability companies), you have to provide an address for it. This address (together will all other information regarding the company) is publicly available in the court register – anyone can see it by using the official government browsers:
- Sole traders (proprietorships): https://aplikacja.ceidg.gov.pl/ceidg/ceidg.public.ui/search.aspx
- All other companies, including limited liability companies: https://ekrs.ms.gov.pl/web/wyszukiwarka-krs/strona-glowna/index.html).
Of course, in order to use a place for the purpose of providing the address for company registration, you should either be the owner or have the owner’s consent to use their place. You definitely shouldn’t register a company at an address that you don’t have any right to!
The address doesn’t have to be an office.
An important fact is that you don’t have to have an actual office to register a company. It doesn’t have to be a place where you work or meet with your clients.
For this reason, a lot of entrepreneurs use so a called “virtual address”. It is an address of a place that is rented to you by another company for the purpose of registering your company there.
Oftentimes you can also receive additional services, like picking up letters addressed to your company, rental of conference rooms for meetings with clients, coworking space or accounting services.
In many cases, using a virtual address is better then renting a “traditional” office, as it costs a fraction of the amount you would have to pay for a regular address.
Are virtual offices legal in Poland?
Virtual addresses are already an established form of company address. Polish tax offices recognize it as a legal and viable option – in 2014, the Supreme Administrative Court issued a judgment that expressed support for virtual offices and disciplined tax offices that were denying tax registration of companies that use them. It was stated that that “they [tax offices] have no power to evaluate the suitability of the premises given as the taxpayer’s registered office for performing management functions or conducting business activities there.” (case number II FSK 3549/13).
For this reason, virtual offices remain a viable option – especially for small companies or people employed on a B2B contract.
Do you need a virtual address for your company? Would you like to register a company?
Feel free to contact us and take advantage of our services.
Our articles regarding starting a company in Poland: