How to Register a Sole Proprietorship in Vietnam

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The Socialist Republic of Vietnam, settled in Southeast Asia,  is the 15th most populated country in the world,. Vietnam’s economic growth, based on tourism and manufactured exports, was among the world’s fastest-growing. Over the past five years, strong GDP growth has mirrored this improvement, driven by export-focused manufacturing and processing sectors.

Disclaimer: Be aware that this article is not a substitute for legal advice. Please always check official websites or seek legal advice before you take action.‍

Sole proprietorship in Vietnam

Sole proprietorship might be the most accessible type of business to establish in Vietnam.

• Sole proprietors take full control of all the operations as well as the capital investment.
• The whole profit belongs only to the owner, and the owner has no kind of shares.
• The owner must be over eighteen years old and have only one proprietorship in their possession.

If you are interested in registering a sole proprietorship, the article below will help you with that.

Business name registration

The business name must be written in Vietnamese, even if the company is foreign-owned. The name reservation application can be filled at the Trade Register.

You must select three business names, and the name must be aligned with your business structure. It may contain letters, symbols, and numbers. It can be in other languages, but it must be translated into Vietnamese.

How to register a sole proprietorship

The registration procedure is straightforward to obtain, and it takes approximately six days. You will need to collect all the required documents and to submit them to the National Business Registration Portal or send them by post to Business Registration Offices. These documents are:

• Name of your business
• Headquarter address, phone number, fax number, and email address
• Business lines
• Capital invested by the owner
• Tax registration information
• Estimated number of employees
• Full name, signature, permanent residence, nationality, ID, or passport number of the owner
• Copies of the ID card or equivalent of the owner

Within three working days, the registration authorities will issue a certificate of a registered business or reject the application with additional explanation and further instructions.

The approval of the prime minister of the state is required if the sole proprietorship proposes to conduct business in the following areas:

• Manufacturing and distribution of explosives, poison, or toxic chemicals 
• Mining of certain precious minerals 
• Production and supply of electricity and water on a large scale 
• Manufacture of information transmitting facilities, postal and telecommunication services, broadcasting, television, and publication 
• Ocean shipping and air transportation 
• Specialist export and import business 
• International tourism

There is no minimum capital requirement in Vietnam, but keep in mind it has to cover all the expenses until the business is self-sustainable.

Tax system for sole proprietorships in Vietnam

Since you own a profit-generating company, a sole proprietorship has tax obligations that must be met. 

In Vietnam, Corporate Income Tax (CIT) is based on the net income that companies obtain while operating their businesses, normally in one business year cycle. The general CIT rate of sole proprietorships is 20%, but this rate also depends on its business lines.

VAT

All goods and services that your company is doing business with are subject to value-added tax. The standard VAT rate in Vietnam is 10%. If your annual income exceeds VND 100,000,000, you are obligated to pay VAT, and the Income-tax rate varies from 1% - 5% depending on the service provided. 

Tax Number

A company tax number is a sequence of numbers encoded according to a unifying principle for each taxpayer, charge, fee, and other income by the provisions of the laws, ordinances, taxes, and fees, which are generally referred to as tax laws and legislations.

The tax identification number is used for classifying and identifying taxpayers and being nationwide managed. You can register online to obtain your Tax Code.