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 Annima", Spanish: "anonymous society" = Stock Corporation)
Australia
Austria
- AG (Aktiengesellschaft - German: "stock corporation")
- GesmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschr�nkter Haftung - German: "Company with limited liability")
Belgium
Dutch
- B.V.B.A (Besloten Vennootschap met Beperkte Aansprakelijkheid)
- N.V. (Naamloze Vennootschap)
- C.V. (Co�peratieve 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. (Soci�t� Anonyme � Responsabilit� Limit�) - French: "Company with limited liability")
- S.A. (Societ� 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 Annima", Spanish: "anonymous society" = Stock Corporation)
- Unipersonal
Czech Republic
- (spol.) s.r.o. (společnost s ručenm omezenm) - Czech: "company with limited liability"
- a.s. (akciov společnost) - Czech: "stock company"
Denmark
- A/S (Aktieselskab) (in danish, "Aktieselskab" = "stock corporation"), a company with limited liability.
Finland
- Oy (osakeyhti� - Finnish: "stock corporation" equivalent of Ltd.)
- Oyj (julkinen osakeyhti�) - Finnish: "public stock corporation" Equivalent of Plc.)
France
- EURL (Entreprise unipersonnelle responsabilit limite )
- SA (Socit anonyme) - French : "stock corporation"
- SARL (Socit responsabilit limite ) - French: "Company with limited liability")
- SAS (Socit par actions simplifie )
- SASU (Socit par actions simplifie unipersonnelle )
- SCOP (Socit cooprative )
- SNC (Socit en nom collectif )
- Rarely used schemes
- SCA (Socit en commandite par actions )
- SCS (Socit en commandite simple )
- Investment funds
- FCP (Fonds commun de placement ) (unincorporated investment fund)
- SICAF (Socit d'investissement capital fixe ) (incorporated investment fund)
- SICAV (Socit d'investissement capital variable ) (incorporated investment fund)
Germany
Iran
- شرکت , کمپانی. (Sherkat, Company)
Italy
- S.p.A. (Societ per Azioni - Italian: "Shares-based Society")
Japan
- 株式会社 (Kabushiki-kaisha or Kabushiki-gaisha - Japanese "stock firm")
Luxembourg
- S.A.R.L. (Soci�t� Anonyme � Responsabilit� Limit�) - "private limited liability company"
- S.A. (Societ� Anonyme) - "public limited liability company"
Mexico
- S.A. de C.V. (Sociedad Annima 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
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
South Africa
Spain
- S.A. ("Sociedad Annima", 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 Frening)
- Home owners association (Bostadsrttsfrening)
- Home renters association (Hyresrttsfrening)
- Co-operative (Kooperativ)
Switzerland
- AG (Aktiengesellschaft - German: "stock corporation")
- GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschr�nkter Haftung - German: "Company with limited liability")
Ukraine
- Товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю - ТОВ or ТзОВ (in latin alphabet: Tovarystvo z obmezhenoyu vidpovidalnistyu - TOV or TzOV)
United Kingdom and Ireland
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 country 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 Annima Financiera de Inversin)
