Kaupparekisteriote (register extract)

What is the Kaupparekisteriote?

In Finland, the kaupparekisteriote is the official trade register extract available for all companies registered with the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (Patentti- ja rekisterihallitus, PRH). This document provides a consolidated overview of a company's legal, administrative, and governance status as recorded in the Trade Register (Kaupparekisteri).

The extract includes information such as company identifiers, registered office, share capital, board composition, managing director, auditors, representation rights, and financial statement filing status. It is widely used in KYB (Know Your Business), AML checks, onboarding, and corporate due diligence.

One can download a basic kaupparekisteriote through the PRH's Virre Information Service. Translated extracts (in English or Swedish) and certified documents are available for a fee.

What does it contain?

Below is an annotated breakdown based on a real Finnish Trade Register extract.

1. Document header

The extract opens with the PRH logo and the title "Ote kaupparekisteristä" (Extract from the Trade Register). The header displays the Business ID (Y-tunnus), page count, and the date the extract was generated. A timestamp indicates the exact moment the data was retrieved from the register, with the hour in the footer.

2. Company identification (Yritys)

This section provides core identifiers:

• Company name (Toiminimi) — the official registered name
• Business ID (Y-tunnus) — Finland's unique company identifier, an 8-digit number with a check digit (e.g., 3181726-7)
• Registration date (Yritys rekisteröity) — when the company was entered in the Trade Register
• Legal form (Yritysmuoto) — e.g., Osakeyhtiö (limited liability company), Osuuskunta (cooperative)
• Extract date (Otteen sisältö) — confirms the data reflects the register at the specified date and time

3. Contact details (Yhteystiedot)

The contact section includes:

• Postal address (Postiosoite) — the registered mailing address
• Visiting address (Käyntiosoite) — the physical business address
• Telephone (Puhelin), Fax (Faksi), Email (Sähköposti), and Website (www-osoite) — optional contact details voluntarily provided by the company

4. Basic details (Perustiedot)

Under "Rekisterimerkinnät" (Register entries), the basic details section records:

• Company name (Toiminimi) — with the date it was registered
• Line of business (Toimiala) — describes the company's permitted activities as stated in the articles of association
• Registered municipality (Kotipaikka) — the company's legal domicile
• Financial year (Tilikausi) — the accounting period (e.g., 01.01. - 31.12.)

5. Auxiliary business names (Aputoiminimet ja toimialat)

Finnish companies can register auxiliary trade names (aputoiminimet) for specific business activities. Each auxiliary name appears with its own registered line of business, allowing companies to operate distinct brands under a single legal entity.

6. Incorporation and capital (Perustaminen / Pääomatiedot)

The incorporation section shows:

• Memorandum of association date (Perustamissopimus) — when the founding document was signed
• Articles of association amendments (Yhtiöjärjestyksen muutos) — dates of any subsequent changes

The capital section (Pääomatiedot) includes:

• Share capital (Osakepääoma) — the nominal capital amount in euros (note: since 2019, Finnish private limited companies have no minimum requirement—many newer companies show €0.00)
• Number of shares (Osakkeiden lukumäärä) — total shares issued
• Share classes (Erilajiset osakkeet) — where applicable, different classes (e.g., A-series, B-series) with their respective quantities

7. Officers and representation

Board of directors (Hallitus)

The board composition lists each member with their role:

• Chair (Puheenjohtaja)
• Member (Jäsen)
• Deputy member (Varajäsen)

For each person, the extract shows their full name (Nimi) and date of birth (Syntymäaika). Finnish law requires at least one board member for a private limited company.

Managing director (Toimitusjohtaja)

If appointed, the managing director appears in a separate section with name and date of birth. This position is optional for Finnish private limited companies but common in practice. Smaller companies may not have a managing director.

Auditors (Tilintarkastajat)

When a company is required to have—or voluntarily appoints—an auditor, this section lists the audit firm (Tilintarkastaja) with its Business ID, and the responsible auditor (Päävastuullinen tilintarkastaja). Small companies meeting certain thresholds may show "Tilintarkastajaa ei ole valittu" (No auditor appointed).

Representation rights (Edustaminen)

This critical section for KYB purposes details who can legally bind the company:

• Statutory representation (Lakimääräinen edustaminen) — confirms the board represents the company under Finnish company law
• Signatory powers (Edustaminen or Toiminimen kirjoittaminen) — describes how the company is bound according to the articles of association (e.g., chair and managing director each signing alone, board members signing jointly in pairs)

Authorised signatories (Edustamisoikeudet)

Individuals granted specific signatory powers beyond their board or management role appear here, along with the conditions of their authority (e.g., signing alone, jointly with others, or together with a board member).

8. Financial statements (Tilinpäätös)

The extract confirms whether financial statements have been filed (Tilinpäätösasiakirjat) and lists the most recent filings with their coverage periods. A section titled "Viimeisimmät rekisteröidyt tilinpäätökset" lists the last several years of filed accounts. This provides a quick compliance check—companies that fail to file risk deregistration by the PRH.

9. Personal details summary (Voimassa olevat henkilötiedot)

A consolidated table lists all registered individuals with:

• Name (Nimi)
• Date of birth (Syntymäaika)
• Nationality (Kansalaisuus) — e.g., "Suomen kansalainen" (Finnish citizen)
• Place of residence (Kotipaikka) — municipality only, not full address

This section is particularly useful for identifying the nationality and residence status of directors and officers.

10. Additional information (Lisätiedot)

This section may include a confirmation that the company has filed its mandatory beneficial owner notification: "Yritys tai yhteisö on tehnyt lakisääteisen edunsaajailmoituksen kaupparekisteriin."

11. Company name history (Toiminimihistoria)

Any previous company names are listed with the dates they were in effect, providing useful context for identifying corporate rebrands or restructurings.

12. Last financial statements filed (Viimeisimmät rekisteröidyt tilinpäätökset)

Recent annual filings are listed here.

What is not included?

The kaupparekisteriote does not contain:

• Full personal identity codes — only dates of birth are shown; the last four digits of Finnish identity codes are omitted for privacy
• Home addresses — only the municipality of residence is displayed for individuals
• Shareholder information — Finnish extracts do not list shareholders; companies maintain their own shareholder registers
• Beneficial ownership details — the extract confirms whether a UBO notification has been filed, but accessing actual beneficial owner data requires a separate request with legitimate interest
• Filing history — historical filings must be consulted separately via the Virre service
• Financial statement content — annual accounts are available as separate documents

With Topograph

Topograph provides Finnish trade register extracts (kaupparekisteriote) through our API and web application. You can:

• Retrieve structured company data including board members, managing directors, and representation rights
• Order extracts and articles of association
• Integrate Finnish company verification into your onboarding and compliance workflows

We enable efficient, compliant due diligence on your Finnish counterparties without manual searches on the PRH portal.