Doing Business in - JHI

Doing Business in
Liechtenstein
Foundation
The foundation may be formed as a pure family
foundation (for the payment of expenses for upbringing
and education etc.), as a non-profit making foundation
(support and promotion, e.g. of a charitable, artistic,
scientific, social nature) or as an ecclesiastical
foundation. The establishment of a charitable foundation
may also be considered.
The foundation is not suitable for the pursuit of
commercial objects. Commercial activities may only be
undertaken if such activities serve to achieve the
foundation’s non-commercial purpose or the type and
scope of the participations held require the facilities of a
commercial undertaking.
Only the charitable foundation is subject, under certain
circumstances, to official supervision. 1
1
Art. 564 PGR
Formation
Upon formation, the founder definitively donates assets
for a clearly specified purpose and regulates the
beneficial interest. To a justifiable extent the founder
may reserve certain rights by occupying a position (as a
member of the board of foundation, curator, protector) or
by the inclusion of an appropriate provision in the
articles, by-laws or regulations.
Existence
A foundation which is not obliged to register is deemed
to start its existence with the signature of the deed of
foundation; a foundation which is obliged to register
exists upon registration in the Public Register.
Registration or Deposition
All foundations undertaking commercial activities in
order to achieve their noncommercial purpose (e.g.
youth hostel, old people’s home, welfare foundation in
association with an enterprise) are obliged to register.
The obligation to deposit the foundation documents with
the Public Register (without by-laws or regulations) is
applicable to ecclesiastical foundations, pure and mixed
family foundations as well as foundations whose
beneficiaries are specifically designated or definable. In
this case the existence of the foundation is not provided
by any register and inspection is only possible upon
proof of an entitled interest.
Nominal Capital
The minimum capital is CHF 30,000, EUR €30,000 or
USD $30,000.
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DOING BUSINESS IN LIECHTENSTEIN