Introduction and disclaimer

 To establish a company in Iceland you need a Kennitala which is a personal ID. Verify if any special licensing or permits are required for your business activity sector. Decide on your business structure and register your business with the Director of Internal Revenue(Ríkisskattstjóri / RSK). The tax year runs from 01/01/xx to the 31/12/xx each year. In general, personal tax returns must be filed by the 10th Mar and corporate tax returns by the 31st May for the previous financial tax year.

The difficulty with establishing a business in Iceland lies in navigating the information from the various different organisations that you have to deal with. Often the information only exists in Icelandic. Where there is an English option of the website, the information is often incomplete. You can use a translator (if using Google Chrome simply right click on any web page and select translate to English) but even then the translations can be highly inaccurate and confusing. 

In general, Icelandic people are friendly, very helpful and have a firm grasp of the English language. This is also true of the workforce in the various different organisations that you will be dealing with. For accurate information, advice and guidance, you are encouraged to call the organisation you are dealing with directly. 

This guide aims to outline what your options are and how to identify, find and navigate the relevant information from the various different authorities you will need to deal with when starting your new business. It gives some basic guidance on business planning for startups, financial and legal requirements, and some useful resources to help you start your business.

Disclaimer

The information provided does not constitute legal, tax or accounting advice, but is designed to provide general information relating to starting a business in Iceland. This content is not a substitute for obtaining the advice of a competent professional, for example from a licensed attorney, law firm, accountant or financial adviser. 

We make every effort to provide accurate and timely information but cannot guarantee that information published on any day will be accurate or timely the following day. All information is provided “as is” with no guarantee of completeness or accuracy.

 

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