Hereafter Branches, Representations and Permanent Establishments of Foreign Companies in Latvia will be Obliged to Report Their Ultimate Beneficial Owners

As of 1^st of July 2020 the scope of subjects who are obliged to report their ultimate beneficial owners (hereinafter – the UBO) under the Latvian Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering, Terrorism and Proliferation Financing will be extended. The obligation to report UBO will also apply to the following foreign subjects:

1.       Branches of foreign companies that have been (or will be) registered in register kept by the Register of Enterprises of Republic of Latvia (hereinafter – the Register of Enterprises);

2.       Representations of foreign companies that have been (or will be) registered in the register kept by the Register of Enterprises;

3.       Permanent establishments of foreign companies that have been (or will be) registered in the taxpayers’ register kept by the State Revenue Service of Republic of Latvia (hereinafter – the State Revenue Service).

Accordingly, those mentioned foreign subjects, which at the date of 1^st of July 2020 have already been registered in the registers kept by the Register of Enterprises or the State Revenue Service will be obliged to report their UBO. These foreign subjects must report their UBO until 1^st of January 2021. In case a foreign subject will fail to report their UBO until 1^st of January 2021, then the subject will be excluded from the particular register, in which it has been registered, with a decision of the Register of Enterprises or the State Revenue Service.

Additionally, also those foreign companies that after the 1^st of July 2020 will wish to register a branch or a representation in the registers kept by the Register of Enterprises, or to register a permanent establishment in the taxpayers’ register kept by the State Revenue Service, will be obliged to report their UBO.

Branches and representations of foreign companies, that have been or will be registered in the registers kept by the Register of Enterprises will have to report their UBO to the Register of Enterprises. However, permanent establishments of foreign companies that have been or will be registered in the taxpayers’ register kept by the State Revenue Service will have to report their UBO to the State Revenue Service.

Leinonen recommends the mentioned foreign subjects to report their UBO in a timely manner to allow your business in Latvia to run and develop without interruptions. Leinonen legal team will be glad to assist you with preparation of the documents, which are necessary for the reporting of the UBO to the Register of Enterprises or the State Revenue Service. We encourage you to contact Leinonen Latvia legal team regarding the obligation to report your UBO as well as regarding other questions related to the upcoming legislative changes.