Set Up Business in Denmark
Denmark Expansion Guide
Global Upside helps companies set up, hire, and operate in Denmark. Set up a legal entity quickly and easily with our solutions for branch, subsidiary, and rep office. Looking for an alternative to permanent establishment? Hire and pay employees in Denmark without a legal entity by using our PEO & employer of record services. Once your business is set up, our teams can support with recruitment and staffing, human resources, employee benefits, payroll, accounting, and tax.
Capital City
Copenhagen
Currency
Danish Krone (DKK)
Language
Danish
Government
Parliamentary Democracy
Country Overview
Denmark is a Scandinavian country located north of Germany on the Jutland Peninsula and consists of many islands. It is one of the most economically and socially developed countries globally and enjoys a high standard of living. The country ranks highly in some national performance indicators, such as education and health care.
Options for setting up a legal entity in Denmark include:
Limited Company (Kapitalselskab)
There are four types of limited companies:
- limited partnership companies (Partnerselskaber or P/S)
- public limited companies (Aktieselskab or A/S)
- private limited companies (Anpartsselskab or ApS)
- entrepreneur companies (Iværksætterselskab or IVS)
These forms of establishments require at least one investor, and they have no personal liabilities. The board of directors governs the overall and critical administration responsibility, while the daily administration responsibility of the company falls on the executive committee. Additionally, the company must submit yearly financial reporting records with the Danish Business Authority.
General Partnership (Interessentskab, I/S)
A general partnership is an establishment that requires a minimum of two investors who can be individuals or companies. In case all the partners are legal entities, registration with the Danish Business Authority is compulsory. In addition, the partners are subject to the obligation of the overall association.
Limited Partnership (Kommanditselskab, K/S)
A limited partnership is an establishment that requires a minimum of two investors who can be individuals or companies. Here, one of the associates is the general partner, known as Komplementar, and the other is the limited partner, called a Kommanditist. While the Komplementar has an unlimited personal obligation for the bonds and debt, the Kommanditist is liable for the contributed capital.
Branch office (Filial)
A branch office is not a separate and individual entity but a part of the foreign-based business. Therefore, running the company in this kind of establishment requires more than one branch manager.
In Denmark, an employment contract can be either in writing or verbal.
The following are the statutory national holidays observed in Denmark:
- January 1 – New Year’s Day
- April 1 – Maundy Thursday
- April 2 – Good Friday
- April 4 – Easter Sunday
- April 5 – Easter Monday
- April 30 – Great Prayer Day
- May 1 – Labor Day / May Day
- May 13 – Ascension Day
- May 14 – Bank Holiday
- May 23 – Whit Sunday
- May 24 – Whit Monday
- June 5 – Constitution Day
- December 24 – Bank Holiday
- December 25 – Christmas Day
- December 26 – 2nd Christmas Day
- December 31 – Bank Holiday
Wage payments are either monthly, biweekly, weekly or on an hourly basis for day employees.
The accounting principles used in Denmark are:
- International Accounting Standards (IAS)
- International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
- Danish Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (Danish GAAP).
Corporate Tax
The corporate tax rate in Denmark is 22%.
Value Added Tax (VAT)
The standard VAT rate is 25%.
The Danish Parliament executed the Danish Act on Data Protection, also known as the Danish Data Protection Act (DDPA), to enforce the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This act came into effect on May 25, 2018, replacing the former Danish Act on Processing of Personal Data (Act no. 429 of 31/05/2000). Hence, as reinforced by the DDPA, data privacy and processing are governed by the GDPR.
However, the DDPA does not apply to the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
Anti-Bribery & Anti-Corruption Law
The Anti-Corruption Policy provides general guidelines to prevent corruption in Denmark.
